How to Make Fermented Fries & Ginger Beer 🍟🍺

What's better than comfort food? Fermented comfort food! This lethal trio of fermented fries, ketchup and ginger beer is sure to tickle your tastebuds and nourish ya guts. Hop on it! 🙌🏻

In this beginner-friendly workshop, we'll be making fermented fries, cultured ketchup and ginger beer from scratch. What are fermented fries, you ask? Potatoes that are prepared, fermented, then cooked to perfection. The fermentation process breaks down the potatoes slightly, making them more digestible and yielding a subtle tangy taste. Think salt & vinegar meets crispy potato chip. Ya dig? 🍟 We'll be crafting a subtly sweet and sour fermented tomato ketchup too! 🍅 

To wash it all down we'll be brewing ginger beer – a centuries old English bevvy that's bite-y, refreshing, and full of gut-loving probiotics. The ginger beer is low alcohol ( less than 2%), vegan, and gluten-free.

All attendees will be e-mailed recipes and a Zoom link. Please see below for the list of ingredients and equipment needed. So, what are you waiting for? Put on your stretchy pants and let’s make some ultra comfy food! 😊

Note: as the potatoes need to ferment first, you will have to wait 3-4 days to make your fries. In addition, the ginger beer will need 3-4 days to complete as well. Both will be ready around the same time to enjoy together! 

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

FRIES

• 2x large potatoes raw & unpeeled (organic ideal – any variety)
• 30g non-iodised salt
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 1L water
• 1 sprig rosemary (optional)

GINGER BEER

• 5 inches raw ginger, skin on (organic ideal)
• 120g organic sugar
• 250ml water
• 1 lemon (can buy a few days later, won't be used in workshop)

KETCHUP

• 350g organic tomato paste
• 1.5 tablespoons maple syrup, organic sugar, or raw honey
• 1.5 tablespoons raw vinegar (e.g. apple cider)
• 1 tablespoons brine from ferments (e.g. fermented carrots, sauerkraut, kimchi, or liquid whey or sour kombucha starter)
• Spices: 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon onion powder (or garlic), 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, 1/8 teaspoon allspice (or pinch of ground cinnamon, nutmeg and clove)

EQUIPMENT

• 1x 1 litre glass jar
• 2x 500ml glass jar
• 1x 1 litre glass bottle
• Small bowl
• Clean sandwich bag (or ferment weight)
• Chopping board + knife
• Grater or microplane