PINEAPPLE BEER
I have fond memories of my mother who, together with a friend, would always ensure they kept the skins from pineapples to make this fruity beer, which went down a treat in Durban's tropical climate. Of course children weren't allowed to partake in the pleasure of the beer, but we always managed a sip or two on the QT.
This recipe comes from the late SJA de Villiers's book, Cook & Enjoy It: South African Cookery Manual. It uses both the skins and the fruit of the pineapple, which gives the beer a stronger flavour.
Makes: about 4 litres
What you'll need:
10 litre plastic container or bucket, well washed
Dishcloth
Fine sieve, muslin cloth or a piece of netting
2 x 2 litre cooldrink bottles with lids, well washed
Ingredients:
2 large ripe pineapples
4- 5 litres freshly boiled water (the amount depends on the size of the pineapples)
4 cups (800g) sugar or more to taste
Ice and fresh pineapple slices (optional), to serve
How to brew it:
- Remove the green stalks from the pineapples and rinse and scrub the fruit well.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the pineapple (skin included) into pieces.
- Place the pineapple in the bucket and pour over the boiling water. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve.
- Cover with a clean dishcloth and leave in a warm place for 2-3 days. The longer you leave the mixture the more it will ferment.
- Strain mixture through a fine sieve, a muslin cloth or a piece of netting. Pour into the cooldrink bottles; don't seal the bottles too tightly*.
- Chill and serve with lots of ice and a slice of pineapple if desired.
How to easily brew your own beer using pineapple, ginger or sorghum
Image: 123RF/Svitlana Tereshchenko
PINEAPPLE BEER
I have fond memories of my mother who, together with a friend, would always ensure they kept the skins from pineapples to make this fruity beer, which went down a treat in Durban's tropical climate. Of course children weren't allowed to partake in the pleasure of the beer, but we always managed a sip or two on the QT.
This recipe comes from the late SJA de Villiers's book, Cook & Enjoy It: South African Cookery Manual. It uses both the skins and the fruit of the pineapple, which gives the beer a stronger flavour.
Makes: about 4 litres
What you'll need:
10 litre plastic container or bucket, well washed
Dishcloth
Fine sieve, muslin cloth or a piece of netting
2 x 2 litre cooldrink bottles with lids, well washed
Ingredients:
2 large ripe pineapples
4- 5 litres freshly boiled water (the amount depends on the size of the pineapples)
4 cups (800g) sugar or more to taste
Ice and fresh pineapple slices (optional), to serve
How to brew it:
GINGER BEER
Homemade ginger beer was ritually made by my grandmother, who would make it for holiday celebrations. The most exciting part was watching the bottles being opened and waiting for the fizz.
Here are two versions. The first is a traditional recipe that calls for dry yeast; it comes from The A-Z of Food & Cookery in South Africa by doyen of the local food scene, Sannie Smit. The second is a super quick yeast-free ginger beer that's inspired by a Jamie Oliver recipe.
Image: Craig Scott
TRADITIONAL GINGER BEER
Makes: about 4 ½ litres
What you'll need:
Large ceramic or enamel container (big enough to hold 4 litres of water)
Dishcloth
Fine sieve, muslin cloth or a piece of netting
Bottles with clip-on lids or 3 x 2 litre cooldrink bottles with lids, well washed
Ingredients:
500g (2 ½ cups) sugar
150g dried ginger, crushed, or 300g fresh ginger, sliced
A handful of raisins (If you can find the ones that still have their seeds it will aid the fermentation process)
Peel and juice of 1 lemon
4 litres of freshly boiled water
10ml (2 tsp) dry yeast NOT instant yeast
How to brew it:
QUICK YEAST-FREE GINGER BEER
Makes: 1 litre
Ingredients:
150g fresh ginger, peeled
Finely grated rind and juice of 2 lemons
60-75ml (4-5 tbsp) sugar
1 litre sparkling water
Ice and finely sliced fresh ginger (optional), to serve
How to brew it:
SORGHUM BEER (UMQOMBOTHI)
This is foodie Dorah Sitole's recipe taken from the cookbook Tastes: Thoughts of South African Cuisine by Hilary Biller and John Peacock.
You'll find the key ingredient, sorghum, in the supermarket: buy a coarse sorghum meal not the fine or instant sorghum/Maltabella porridge meal.
Before starting ensure you have the right equipment to manage a large volume of beer. If not, consider halving the recipe.
Image: 123RF/artistrobd
Makes: 10 litres
What you'll need:
20 litre plastic container or bucket, well washed
20 litre saucepan
Large dishcloth
Large conical sieve
5 x 2 litre cooldrink bottles with lids, well washed
Ingredients:
6kg mtombo (sorghum)
3kg mealie meal
5 litres boiling water
6 litres cold water
How to brew it:
* When making your own beer, don't seal the bottles too tightly as the fermentation causes a strong pressure to build up. It's best to store the bottles somewhere where, if they happen to pop, the lids won't cause any damage.
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