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South Africans in Germany

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Christmas Beverages

Gemmerbier

  • 4.5 liter water
  • 28 g gingerroot crushed
  • 500 ml sugar
  • 15 ml active dry yeast or 1 cube of yeast
  • 5 ml sugar for the yeast mix
  • 250 ml lukewarm water
  • one lemon
  1. Boil the water and add ginger and sugar.
  2. Stir until the sugar is dissolved
  3.  Pour it in an enameled can or bucket, and let it cool until lukewarm
  4. mix the yeast,  the 5  ml of sugar and lukewarm water
  5. Let it stand in a warm place for 5 – 10 minutes until it starts to ferment
  6. Add the yeast mixture to the ginger mixture
  7. Cut the lemon into slices and add it to the mixture
  8. Let it stand for 24 hours
  9. Strain it through a clean damp cloth and pour it into clean bottles. Do not fill the bottles to the top, but leave some space available
  10. It will be ready in two or three days
  11.  Keep an eye on the bottles and turn it now and again

Old Gingerbeer recipe

I am sharing this old recipe, for those who can get their hands on Lennon’s Jamaika Gemmer 

  • 9 liter water
  • 7 – 8 koppies (250ml elk) suiker
  • 10 ml kitssuurdeeg
  • Rosyntjies
  • 20 ml Jamaika gemmer
  • Bottels met proppies
  1. Meng alles behalwe die rosyntjies saam tot die suiker opgelos is.
  2. Plaas so 5 rosyntjies in elke bottel en vul dit 3/4 met die gemmerbier
  3. Draai die botel proppies losweg op
  4. Laat staan 1 dag in warm weer of twee dae in koue weer
  5. Draai bottel proppies styf to en plaas in die yskas

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