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Turmeric Lime Soda




Yum

November 8, 2013 by Andrea Fabry 47 Comments

There is a myriad of health benefits associated with the curcumin component of turmeric, including inhibition of colon, gastric and breast cancers. Unfortunately, turmeric in its raw form is not easily assimilated into the body, making it a challenge to increase the bioavailability of this superfood. One of my favorite ways to ferment turmeric is to make a “turmeric bug” which is similar to the ginger bug used to make ginger soda.

Raw turmeric root (I found mine at Whole Foods) is combined with water and sugar to create a starter that can be used in a multitude of ways. (See How to Make a Turmeric Bug.) One of our family favorites is Turmeric Lime Soda.

Directions:

o Fill 1/2 gallon mason jar with water allowing 1-2 inches of headroom

o Add 1/2 cup turmeric bug, 1/2 cup lime juice, and 3/4 cup sugar.

o Stir.

o Place on shelf away from direct sunlight.

o Cover with cloth and rubber band. This fermented beverage involves yeast as well as bacteria which means that oxygen is required. (For more on aerobic and anaerobic fermentation see Water Kefir: Oxygen or No Oxygen.)

o Allow fermenting for approximately 3 days. Some remaining sweetness is desired as the second fermentation will decrease the sugar further.

o Strain and pour into flip top bottles or airtight container. (A Fido jar or airlock is optimal.) This step increases the carbonation which makes the drink fizzy!

o Allow fermenting another day or two until desired taste is achieved. *Ginger bug may be used along with the turmeric bug to add flavor. Lemon juice may be substituted for lime juice.

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Filed Under: Fermented Foods, Foodie, Gut Health, Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: cancer, fermented food, lime, turmeric

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Comments

  1. Michelle says

    March 27, 2014 at 10:25 pm

    What is a turmeric bug?

    Reply
    • Andrea Fabry says

      March 27, 2014 at 10:46 pm

      Similar to a ginger bug – it is fermented turmeric. You transform the root or powder with water and sugar. It becomes slightly acidic and probiotic. Here is the recipe:
      http://it-takes-time.com/2014/03/make-turmeric-ginger-bug.html

      Reply
      • Michelle says

        March 28, 2014 at 7:45 pm

        thanks so much!

        Reply
      • Barbara says

        April 20, 2018 at 9:29 am

        The recipe doesn’t come up, it shows a error page. Is there another link for making it?

        Reply
        • Andrea Fabry says

          April 21, 2018 at 8:44 am

          I fixed the link, Barbara. Thanks for the heads up.

          Reply
  2. Mw says

    September 9, 2014 at 8:53 pm

    Do I add 3/4 cup water each time I add 1 tbsp turmeric and 1tbsp sugar, or only on day 1? Thanks

    Reply
    • Andrea Fabry says

      September 9, 2014 at 9:42 pm

      You keep adding the sugar and the turmeric. No need to add more water. At least that’s the way I do it.

      Reply
  3. Mw says

    September 9, 2014 at 8:56 pm

    Once you’ve used up the liquid, any suggestion for using up the strained turmeric powder?

    Reply
    • Andrea Fabry says

      September 9, 2014 at 9:41 pm

      You can dry it in the dehydrator and then fill capsules and take as a supplement or use in stir-fries. Great question!

      Reply
      • Mw says

        September 10, 2014 at 6:23 pm

        Thanks!

        Reply
      • Annabelle Hawkins says

        June 24, 2019 at 5:27 pm

        Or pop it in your smoothie!

        Reply
  4. Rachel says

    June 7, 2015 at 1:33 pm

    Hi, I was just wondering if there’s any need/benefit to add black pepper. I read somewhere that black pepper is needed for the body to utilize turmeric, you mentioned that fermentation makes it easier to assimilate so I just thought I’d ask, since turmeric is new to my diet and I’m confused – thanks!

    Reply
    • Andrea Fabry says

      June 7, 2015 at 1:42 pm

      Yes, pepper would make a great addition. I have not tried adding pepper directly to this recipe but definitely worth considering. An idea is to take the turmeric root from this recipe and dehydrate it. You can grind the dried turmeric into a powder and make capsules using ground pepper and turmeric. The studies I read about fermenting turmeric did not require the addition of pepper but sure seems like it can’t hurt.

      Reply
      • gwse says

        June 24, 2015 at 2:28 pm

        Where do the beneficial bacteria and probiotics come from? I don’t see a starter or anything like grains or scoby to introduce some of those things but I saw it mentioned that this provides them. How does that work?

        Reply
        • Andrea Fabry says

          June 24, 2015 at 2:43 pm

          Great question. The turmeric “bug” is the probiotic component. It is derived using a fermented process and then combined with lime juice and sugar. It is fermented again. I hope this answers your question!

          Reply
          • Kari says

            August 3, 2015 at 8:01 pm

            Hi! I am so excited by this ! I would like to make this into a pop to sell at our shop do you have any suggestions on how to make it a pop that has a shelf life?

          • Andrea Fabry says

            August 3, 2015 at 9:00 pm

            If you use the flip top bottles and keep them refrigerated, they should retain their fizz. It’s a great idea to package and sell this!

  5. ethalfrida says

    February 7, 2016 at 4:10 pm

    I make gingerbugs all time to make hibiscus-rosehip gingerale. Just wondering if you have used the tightly sealed fermentation method? Just thought I’d ask so I can take notr of the differences.

    Reply
    • Andrea Fabry says

      February 8, 2016 at 7:37 am

      The hibiscus combination sounds delicious. I’m definitely trying it since I have some dried hibiscus from my garden last year! I have not used the sealed method. It seems to like to breathe, but I’d be curious about the tight seal. If you try it, let me know!

      Reply
  6. SR says

    March 5, 2016 at 8:48 am

    Are you supposed to strain the tumeric bug before adding it to the water with sugar in the 1/2 gallon jar? My first batch is fermenting now, and i did not strain it yet. Planning to do it before bottling it.

    Reply
    • Andrea Fabry says

      March 6, 2016 at 9:53 am

      Yes, strain it and then combine it. Thank you for asking!

      Reply
  7. Linh Kieu says

    March 23, 2016 at 5:35 pm

    This is amazing! Do you know how long the shelf life of the finished product is? Do you need to keep it refrigerated? Thanks so much for sharing!

    Reply
    • Andrea Fabry says

      March 24, 2016 at 9:27 am

      Yes, I suggest refrigerating it to keep it from over-fermenting. I believe fermented beverages can last up to several months. But if your family likes it, it will be gone in a few days. 🙂

      Reply
  8. Kriya says

    April 13, 2016 at 11:29 am

    I made this last week and really enjoyed it. I found the finished product to be a bit sweet still for my tastes. Has anyone tried making it with less than the 3/4 cup sugar called for? If I halved that, would it still have enough sugar to ferment, etc.? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Andrea Fabry says

      April 13, 2016 at 12:31 pm

      Kriya,
      I have found that the longer I ferment, the more sour it becomes. Perhaps letting it go longer will help. You can add flavor after it fully ferments with more lime perhaps or a bit of honey if tolerated.

      Reply
  9. Kate says

    May 15, 2016 at 12:14 pm

    I’ve added turmeric bug to lots of juices. Grape or pomegranate are our favorites. I bottle it in flip top bottles, leave it on the counter a couple of days and the refrigerate it when bubbly. We drink it every day and have for months.

    Reply
    • Andrea Fabry says

      May 15, 2016 at 2:39 pm

      Great feedback. Thank you, Kate! I love the idea of pomegranate.

      Reply
  10. Julia says

    June 12, 2016 at 4:06 pm

    Hi Andrea,

    At first, I was hesitant about making Turmeric Lime Soda, but I had to make sure that I stopped by to comment on how delicious this beverage is! My husband and I were pleasantly surprised! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe and many others including your sourdough Bread with Kombucha starter, pancakes, and coconut almond balls-just to name a few. This blog is such a wealthy resource for healthy living! God bless you and your family for all you do.

    Reply
    • Andrea Fabry says

      June 13, 2016 at 2:55 pm

      Such a timely encouragement, Julia! I’m really glad you liked it!!!

      Reply
  11. Charada says

    July 26, 2016 at 10:10 pm

    Thanks so much for your recipes! I have made the turmeric bug, but I don’t have any lemons or limes, do you think I could make this with acv?

    Reply
    • Andrea Fabry says

      July 27, 2016 at 8:07 am

      Yes, I do. I would certainly try.

      Reply
      • Charada says

        July 28, 2016 at 3:11 pm

        Okay great, I’ll let you know how it goes! Thanks 🙂

        Reply
  12. kortingsbon zalando says

    August 3, 2016 at 10:10 am

    It’s a shame you don’t have a donate button! I’d without a doubt
    donate to this excellent blog! I suppose for now i’ll settle
    for book-marking and adding your RSS feed to my Google account.
    I look forward to fresh updates and will talk about this blog with my Facebook group.
    Talk soon!

    Reply
  13. Linda Luu says

    August 16, 2017 at 1:47 pm

    Hi Andrea,

    I made a batch of this the other day- the taste was great!

    I ran into a few issues after pouring the drink into air tight containers to chill in the fridge- the drink went completely flat. Do you know what I could have done wrong?

    I was also wondering if the fermentation process would still work if I added less sugar, e.g. 1/2 cup instead of the 3/4 cup listed on the recipe?

    Thank you so much for providing the community with your great recipes!

    Reply
    • Andrea Fabry says

      August 16, 2017 at 2:10 pm

      I think less sugar would work just fine. Not sure about the flatness. But I’m glad it tastes good 🙂

      Reply
  14. Frank Jones says

    September 30, 2018 at 8:52 am

    What about just using the turmeric bug, lime juice and soda water to speed up the process?

    Reply
    • Andrea Fabry says

      October 1, 2018 at 8:52 am

      That’s a great idea!

      Reply

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MEET ANDREA

I am a certified Building Biology Advocate, a former journalist, mother of nine, and avid CrossFitter who likes to think outside the box. After our family's health crisis in 2008, I learned to ask questions about what's in our food, our water, and our air. I hope to empower you as you seek to live safely in a complex world. Thankfully, small steps lead to big changes. Let's travel this road together, one step at a time.

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