Simple Living With Nature

Grow Forage Cook Ferment logo
  • Grow
  • Forage
  • Cook
  • Ferment
  • Herbalism
  • Homestead
  • Start Here
  • Resources
  • Books
    • Healing Herbal Infusions
    • Wildcrafting Weeds
    • Simple Mead Making
    • Healing Kitchen Herbs
    • The Backyard Forest Garden
  • About
    • About Me
    • Contact
  • Foraging Course
  • Subscribe!
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Home » Ferment » Fermented Soda » Naturally Fermented Turmeric Soda

Naturally Fermented Turmeric Soda

May contain affiliate links or sponsored content. Please see my privacy policy and affiliate disclosure.

Originally published on September 26, 2022. Last updated on September 27, 2022

25.7K shares
  • 4.8K
  • 5
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Turmeric soda fermenting and a glass of turmeric soda with an orange slice, with a middle banner that reads fermented turmeric soda.

Naturally fermented turmeric soda is a delicious way to enjoy the health benefits of turmeric. Turmeric soda is an easy natural soda recipe made using a ginger bug. It’s vibrant, healthy, fizzy, and has an amazing taste!

A flip top bottle of fermented turmeric soda with a top banner that reads fermented turmeric soda.

Fermenting Turmeric for Soda

You might remember a while back I made a turmeric bug, which is basically a “starter” for making fermented sodas.

The turmeric bug started bubbling away very quickly, within only a few days, which was really exciting.

That means it’s time to make a naturally fermented turmeric soda!

This is similar to how one would make a traditional ginger beer using a ginger bug, but with turmeric root instead.

Fermenting turmeric bug with cheesecloth on top.

How to Make Fermented Turmeric Soda

The first step in making this recipe is to get a turmeric bug going. Once you have at least ½  cup or more of bubbling turmeric bug starter, then you can proceed with this recipe.

The ginger and peppercorns are optional, but recommended ingredients. I think the ginger gives it a little bit more flavor, and the peppercorns increase the bioavailability of the turmeric.

I think that one cup of sugar is perfect in this recipe, but you may want to add a little more if you like things on the sweeter side.

Sliced turmeric, ginger, and other ingredients in small bowls.

Make the Turmeric Soda Base

Bring the turmeric root, ginger, and peppercorns to a boil in about two quarts (8 cups) of filtered water.

Simmer for at least 30 minutes to make a strong turmeric tea.

Turmeric and spices boiling in a pot.

Let it cool a bit, then strain out the spices.

Straining the spices out of the soda from the pan, pouring into a glass jar.

Put the turmeric tea into a wide-mouth gallon glass jar (make sure it’s not too hot so the glass doesn’t break), add the sugar, and stir to dissolve.

Fill up the jar with cold filtered water, leaving several inches of head space.

Once the mixture has completely come down to room temperature, add the turmeric bug.

Turmeric bug being poured into a gallon glass jar to combine with the turmeric soda.

Stir the turmeric bug into the turmeric soda until combined.

A wooden spoon stirring the turmeric bug into the jar with the soda.

If you want to keep your turmeric bug going, leave a few tablespoons out and continue feeding it as described in my post on how to make a turmeric bug.

Cover the jar with cheesecloth or a clean towel secured with a rubber band.

A gallon size jar of turmeric soda with cheesecloth on top.

Ferment the Turmeric Soda

Put the jar in a dark and quiet corner of your kitchen. Check on it daily and give it a good stir. It should start bubbling within the first day or two.

Since it was fairly cold in my kitchen, I let the soda ferment for about 3-4 days. In warmer temps, it may only take a day or two.

Turmeric soda bubbling in a gallon jar.

Bottle the Turmeric Soda

Once you are ready to bottle the turmeric soda, first strain out the pieces of turmeric that were from the bug.

Turmeric soda being poured into a glass jar through a mesh strainer.

Then use a funnel to transfer the soda into flip top bottles. Let the bottles sit at room temperature for a few days to a few weeks to build up carbonation.

Turmeric soda pouring into a flip top bottle through a funnel.

Again, if it is warm out it will only take a few days to build up carbonation, and if it’s cold it may take a week or two.

Be sure to check the pressure by opening a bottle every couple of days to make sure that they aren’t building up too much to cause bottle breakage!

Refrigerate once the fermented turmeric soda is to your liking.

A bottle of turmeric soda.

My soda has been sitting in the bottles for about a week, and some carbonation has built up.

I tend to like mine really fizzy though, so I’m going to let them sit for a few more days before I refrigerate them.

Turmeric soda in a small glass with turmeric root sitting next to it.

This fermented turmeric soda turned out absolutely delicious! I love the turmeric flavor, it’s interesting and different, but quite good.

It’s so nice to have a healthy and homemade alternative to regular store-bought sodas, with the added benefit of anti-inflammatory turmeric.

A glass of turmeric soda garnished with an orange slice.

Have you ever made a naturally fermented soda? What is your favorite flavor?


Naturally Fermented Soda Recipes

Here are some more naturally fermented soda recipes for you to try.

  • Strawberry Rhubarb Soda
  • Fermented Root Beer
  • Fermented Elderberry Soda
  • Elderberry Soda
  • Sweet Potato Kvass
  • Kefir Soda
  • Winter Herb Kvass

 

Fermented turmeric soda in a glass.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
5 from 7 votes

Fermented Turmeric Soda

Naturally fermented turmeric soda is a delicious and healthy way to enjoy the health benefits of turmeric. Turmeric soda is an easy natural soda recipe made using a ginger bug. It's vibrant, healthy, and tastes delicious! 
Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Fermentation Time 3 days
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 101kcal
Author Colleen @ Grow Forage Cook Ferment

Equipment

  • Medium Pot
  • Fine Mesh Sieve
  • One Gallon Glass Wide Mouth Jar
  • Cheesecloth
  • Rubber Band
  • Small Funnel
  • Flip Top Bottles

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric
  • 6" piece fresh turmeric peeled and sliced
  • 1" piece fresh ginger peeled and sliced (optional)
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns (optional)
  • 14-16 cups filtered water divided
  • 1 cup sugar or more to taste
  • 1/2 cup turmeric bug

Instructions

  • Place the turmeric root, ginger, and peppercorns in a medium pot along with 8 cups of filtered water. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
  • Remove from heat, then cool slightly (just until it's not hot enough to crack a glass jar). Strain the turmeric tea into a wide mouth gallon jar. 
  • Add the sugar to the turmeric tea and stir to dissolve. 
  • Add additional filtered water to the jar, leaving 2-3" inches of headspace. Cool to room temperature. 
  • Add the turmeric bug to the cooled turmeric tea, then stir well. Cover the jar with cheesecloth secured with a rubber band. 
  • Place the jar in a dark corner. Stir once a day. It should start bubbling within a day or two. Ferment to taste, anywhere from 1-2 days in a warmer spot to 3-4 days in a cooler location. 
  • When you're ready to bottle, strain the soda to filter out the pieces from the turmeric bug. Use a funnel to transfer the soda into flip top bottles. Set the bottles aside at room temperature for a few days to a few weeks to build up carbonation. Refrigerate once fermented to your preference. 

Notes

Turmeric soda will last a few months in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Serving: 16ounces | Calories: 101kcal
  • Join My Free Foraging & Herbalism Email Course!

  • This will also subscribe you to the Grow Forage Cook Ferment newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time. Please see my Privacy Policy.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Previous Post: « Lavender Salve: Homemade Healing Skin Remedy
Next Post: Homemade Pumpkin Butter with Fresh Pumpkin and Maple Syrup »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sousou says

    October 2, 2022 at 7:47 am

    Can i use another recipient, away for the 1-gallon jar? like 1 litre? how do i adjust the quantity of the other ingredients? thanks

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      October 3, 2022 at 9:19 am

      Hi there. You’ll need to do a little math. 1 liter is about a quart and there are 4 quarts in a gallon, so you’ll need to divide all the ingredients by 4.

      Reply
      • Sousou says

        October 6, 2022 at 9:33 am

        thought about doing that (ratio) – thanks for confirming :-) and thanks for all your receipes. Trying that now with the tumeric bug (that one worked fabulously), Next will do the one with ginger. Xx

      • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

        October 10, 2022 at 9:35 am

        You’re so welcome!

  2. Dina says

    March 28, 2022 at 9:16 am

    Tried this but I dont know what went wrong. I tasted the soda on day 2 and it was still too sweet so let it ferment longer. You could see a lot of little bubbles until day 5 but it still tasted too sweet. Now is day 7 and no bubbles to be seen and its still sweet. Did I ruin it? 🤧

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      March 29, 2022 at 9:52 am

      Hi Dina. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what’s going on with your ferment. Are you allowing your soda to ferment in a warm part of your house? If it’s too cold, it could take your soda longer than a week to ferment.

      Reply
  3. Ahmed says

    March 26, 2022 at 8:25 am

    Does turmeric soda contain alcohol?

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      March 28, 2022 at 8:45 am

      Hi Ahmed. This recipe contains a negligible amount of alcohol.

      Reply
  4. Linda says

    March 12, 2022 at 12:59 pm

    5 stars
    I am anxiously awaiting the bottle to build up carbonation. First taste though was amazing. And it looks so pretty.

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      March 14, 2022 at 9:26 am

      So glad to hear, Linda. Enjoy!

      Reply
  5. Star says

    February 24, 2022 at 8:12 pm

    Our turmeric ale turned out great and then we bottled it. We just checked the bottles and they all stink like rotten eggs. Any suggestions? Or ideas of what we did wrong? They don’t taste bad but they do smell like farts, so…not really appetizing. Is there any way to fix this? Thank you.

    Reply
  6. Andrea Hartzler says

    January 27, 2022 at 3:46 pm

    Mine has never bubbled and I don’t know why. The turmeric bug bubbled but not when I added it to make the soda

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      January 31, 2022 at 7:40 pm

      Hi Andrea. It may have not bubbled for many reasons. Sometimes it’ll take longer to ferment depending on the ambient temperature or it could be that your turmeric soda vessel or ingredients were contaminated.

      Reply
  7. Anne Dovel says

    August 31, 2021 at 5:36 am

    Do you strain the turmeric bug before adding to soda mixture?

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      October 25, 2021 at 9:39 am

      Hi, Anne. No, the entire unstrained turmeric bug is added to the soda mixture.

      Reply
  8. Kim Wiebke says

    January 18, 2021 at 7:31 pm

    Would honey work instead of sugar?

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      January 19, 2021 at 10:21 am

      Sure, that should work.

      Reply
  9. Grace says

    December 2, 2020 at 7:40 am

    How to make the bug

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      December 2, 2020 at 9:43 am

      Here is my post on how to make a turmeric bug.

      Reply
  10. Jocelyn says

    October 1, 2020 at 6:18 am

    Any reason why it has to go into flip top bottles as opposed to screw caps?
    Sounds like a lovely place to use some of the honey form any of your honey ferments or the fruit for that matter. I’ve been rationing my honey fermented cranberries….so many uses so few cranberries.

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      October 5, 2020 at 9:43 am

      Flip tops are designed to withstand the pressure that can build up within the bottle, so screw caps aren’t really an option here. Your other option is to use beer bottles with a bottle capper tool.

      Reply
  11. Iman says

    May 22, 2020 at 11:17 am

    Mine isn’t bubbling that much for some reason. Is that okay?

    Reply
  12. Jennifer says

    March 22, 2020 at 12:33 pm

    Can the aromatics be steeped multiple times for subsequent batches?

    Reply
  13. Alexandra Woods says

    February 17, 2020 at 1:52 pm

    Has anyone tried adding other spices? I am thinking of adding maybe cardamom, cinnamon or other curry spices. Thoughts?

    Reply
    • Dave F. says

      July 15, 2020 at 1:17 pm

      I just started a bug yesterday. At the tea stage, I was going to throw in a couple cinnamon sticks. Those flavors are good in other dishes/drinks, so my guess is it should be ok.

      Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Hello there! I’m Colleen.

I want to inspire you to live seasonally, become more self sufficient, and protect your health. I share information on foraging and wildcrafting, fermenting and preserving, cooking whole foods from scratch, permaculture gardening, and making herbal products. And that’s just the beginning! Learn more.

CBD

Browse my homemade CBD recipes & how-tos

My Books

Spring Favorites

purple dead nettle uses benefits look alike

Foraging for Purple Dead Nettle: an edible backyard weed

50+ Dandelion Recipes: Drinks, Sweets, Soap, Remedies + More!

Lilac Flower Infused Honey

Dandelion Mead Recipe (Dandelion Wine Made With Honey)

Popular Posts

How to Make Soap For Beginners + Calendula Soap Recipe

5 Easy to Identify Edible Mushrooms

10 Reasons to Grow Mint (Without Fear)

How to Make and Use Dandelion Salve

What to Forage in Spring: 20 Edible and Medicinal Plants and Fungi

how to make mead

How to Make a Gallon of Mead: A Simple Mead Recipe

How to Make Hard Cider: Homebrew it!

Fermented Honey Garlic

Mountain Rose Herbs
×

Join list.

More info

Footer

Explore

  • Grow
  • Forage
  • Cook
  • Ferment
  • Herbalism
  • Homestead

Learn To Forage

The gather + root online foraging course will help you to safely identify, harvest, and use common edible and medicinal plants with confidence.

Enroll Now

As Featured On

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Privacy Policy
  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • Amazon Affiliate

Copyright © 2023 Grow Forage Cook Ferment & Cocos Creations LLC.

25.7K shares
  • 4.8K
  • 5