{"id":60613,"date":"2022-11-29T11:54:32","date_gmt":"2022-11-29T11:54:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/?p=60613"},"modified":"2025-05-08T09:56:22","modified_gmt":"2025-05-08T08:56:22","slug":"wild-fermented-drinks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2022\/11\/29\/wild-fermented-drinks\/","title":{"rendered":"Wild Fermented Drinks"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-60613 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2022\/04\/21\/dandelion-flower-soda-recipe\/20220405_155042\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/20220405_155042-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/20220405_155042-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/20220405_155042-e1650539344801-450x450.jpg 450w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/20220405_155042-e1650539344801-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2022\/04\/21\/nettle-soda-recipe\/20220405_154808\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/20220405_154808-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/20220405_154808-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/20220405_154808-scaled-e1650538937834-450x450.jpg 450w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/20220405_154808-scaled-e1650538937834-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2020\/05\/05\/nettle-beer\/flintandfern_b_dj6lngaox\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/flintandfern_B_DJ6LNgAox-e1654765692566-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/flintandfern_B_DJ6LNgAox-e1654765692566-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/flintandfern_B_DJ6LNgAox-e1654765692566-450x450.jpg 450w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/flintandfern_B_DJ6LNgAox-e1654765692566-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/flintandfern_B_DJ6LNgAox-e1654765692566-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/flintandfern_B_DJ6LNgAox-e1654765692566-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/flintandfern_B_DJ6LNgAox-e1654765692566.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Doesn\u2019t just the very sound of Wild fermented fizzy drinks fill you with abandon?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No stacked corn syrup or artificial flavours here.\u00a0 Just fresh wild flavours\u00a0straight\u00a0from Mother Earth herself.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wild fizzy drinks are made through a simple fermentation process.\u00a0 You simply make a juice or infusion, add yeast to it, leave it to ferment for a short time in some kind of container &amp; then transfer it to a closed bottle. This is a probiotic process so the fermentation will continue within the closed bottle &amp; as the pressure builds, this is what creates the\u00a0carbonation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s\u00a0a simple process\u00a0to make your wild fizzy drink &amp; you can use all sorts of tasty foraged ingredients, but first you need a starter to\u00a0ferment\u00a0your brew.\u00a0\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0giving you instructions here to make your own wild starter, but if you want to skip this step, you can use\u00a0champagne yeast or baking yeast instead, but honestly, I\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0know that many folk who have supplies of\u00a0champagne\u00a0yeast in their store cupboard &amp;, apparently, bakers\u2019 yeast can taste a bit bready.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-4488\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Elderflower-Lemonade-Close-Up-for-email-e1518703919744-300x187.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"187\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Elderflower-Lemonade-Close-Up-for-email-e1518703919744-300x187.jpg 300w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Elderflower-Lemonade-Close-Up-for-email-e1518703919744-150x93.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Elderflower-Lemonade-Close-Up-for-email-e1518703919744.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>Wild Yeast Starters\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Equipment:<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just a jar with a screw top lid, or else you can cover it with a double sheet of kitchen roll &amp; pop an elastic band round it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wild yeast spores are literally all around us.\u00a0 The key, however, is getting enough wild spores into your brew to start fermentation.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The best sources of wild yeasts are fruits &amp; pollen laden blossoms, which are in abundance in late spring &amp; summer.\u00a0 One of my favourite sources is immature Pine catkins &amp; cones.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other excellent sources of wild yeasts are wild flowers, raw honey, tree bark, (especially Birch &amp; Aspen), Blueberries, Gooseberries, Raspberries, Brambles, (that\u2019s Blackberries to the non Scottish contingent), Hops, Figs, Grapes, Apples, Plums, Cherries, Peaches&#8230;..you get the picture.\u00a0 If you want to use shop bought fruit, that\u2019s fine but it must be organic &amp; unwashed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can also use dried fruit, particularly figs, dates, raisins or sultanas.\u00a0 I have a sultana one on the go just now &amp; will be collecting more pine catkins &amp; cones this week.\u00a0 Other great sources for wild yeasts are <a href=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/identification-guides\/\">Japanese Rose<\/a> blossom, <a href=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2018\/11\/10\/sweet-cicely-identification-myrrhis-odorata\/\">Sweet Cicely,<\/a> (but if you collect these flowers, make sure they smell of aniseed so that you\u2019re sure it\u2019s not one of it\u2019s toxic cousins like <a href=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2021\/03\/04\/identify-poison-hemlock\/\">Hemlock<\/a>), Hawthorn blossom, Rowan blossom, any of the Cherry blossoms &amp; also Crab apples, Apple &amp; Pear blossom.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The key thing to remember when collecting your blossoms, is that if you\u2019re expecting to harvest fruit from the same trees later on in the year, don\u2019t be surprised if there isn\u2019t much as removing the blossom means there will inevitably be less fruit.\u00a0\u00a0This is why I love gathering Pine catkins as the lower branches provide plenty &amp; the tree is always bursting further up out of reach, so I never worry about over harvesting.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>Making your starter<\/b><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make a sweet solution using 30% sugar &amp; 70% spring water or tap water which has been allowed to stand overnight to allow the chlorine to evaporate out before using.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Place the solution into your clean jar.\u00a0 Just a good wash out in hot soapy water should do it, no need for sterilising at this stage.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Place your berries\/fruit\/yeast source, into the jar with the sugar solution. This needs to be around 20% or more of the volume of solution.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cover\u00a0loosely\u00a0with your lid or cloth.\u00a0 You need to allow fermentation gas to escape but prevent entry of unwanted bacteria or insects so if you are using a piece of cloth or\u00a0kitchen\u00a0paper, make sure\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0secured with an elastic band or string to prevent contamination.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stir the contents three or four times a day with a clean wooden spoon.\u00a0 After about 4 or 5 days you will notice that there is bubbling in your solution which means you have\u00a0succeeded\u00a0&amp; your fermentation is active.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Strain the plant material out of your starter, through a sieve lined with a piece of muslin\/cheesecloth or a tight weave tea towel will do it.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<hr \/>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now all you need to do is use it to make your drink or you can make beer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are two basic procedures for making your fermented drink.\u00a0 One is the hot method &amp; the other is a cold infusion.\u00a0 It really depends upon what your chosen wild ingredients are.\u00a0 Some ingredients will benefit from no heat, such as mint, all blossoms, soft fruits, young Pine tips, catkins, Spruce &amp; Fir tips.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dehydrated berries, Sage, Mugwort &amp; Nettles are better boiled to extract the maximum flavour.\u00a0\u00a0Really, it\u2019s up to you, but if you heat blossom you will immediately compromise the flavour &amp; in some cases destroy it altogether.\u00a0 Likewise, with some greens, mint in particular.\u00a0 The best way for you to work this all out, is to experiment yourself.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The hot method involves boiling all your ingredients together first, allowing your mixture to cool &amp; then, &amp; only once it has\u00a0cooled, do you add your wild yeast starter or dried yeast then leave to ferment for 12 to 24 hours before bottling.\u00a0 You don\u2019t always have to boil your ingredients.\u00a0 Sometimes you can boil the water &amp; sugar &amp; then leave your herbs in the hot water to steep.\u00a0 As I said, you can experiment to see what tastes &amp; works best for you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-47639\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Elder-flower-cordial-close-up-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Elder-flower-cordial-close-up-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Elder-flower-cordial-close-up-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Elder-flower-cordial-close-up-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Elder-flower-cordial-close-up-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Elder-flower-cordial-close-up-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Elder-flower-cordial-close-up-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Elder-flower-cordial-close-up-900x675.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>Equipment:<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A funnel to pour your ferment into your bottles. <\/span><\/li>\n<li>Glass swing top or plastic drinks bottles, an old spring water bottle is perfect.<\/li>\n<li>A large jug or container that will hold around a 1.5 litres of liquid<\/li>\n<li>Either a large piece of muslin\/cheesecloth or kitchen towel &amp; an elastic band or twine to secure over the top of your container.<\/li>\n<li>A sieve &amp; you can use the same piece of muslin\/cheesecloth or kitchen towel to strain your ferment through.<\/li>\n<li>A large bowl or jug for straining your ferment into.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Ingredients:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your chosen plant material, enough to half fill your chosen vessel when loosely packed. <\/span><\/li>\n<li>1 litre of spring water, or tap water that has been allowed to sit for at least 12 hours to allow the chlorine to evaporate out.<\/li>\n<li>1 lemon\/lime\/orange\/grapefruit, sliced.<\/li>\n<li>60g of sugar.\u00a0 It really depends on your chosen plant material &amp; personal preference here.\u00a0 I like to use white sugar for fresher flavours but brown, coconut, molasses all work equally well in feeding the yeast which is what we\u2019re after to achieve a fermentation.<\/li>\n<li>20mls of wild starter\/1 teaspoon of bakers or champagne yeast.<\/li>\n<li>As with your wild starter, there is no need for sterilisation of bottles &amp; equipment.\u00a0 Just a good wash in hot soapy water will be fine.\u00a0 You aren\u2019t going to be storing your drink for long so it won\u2019t actually have time to spoil.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Method:<\/b><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If using the hot method, place all of your ingredients, apart from your yeast or starter, into a pan, bring to the boil &amp; then allow the mixture to cool completely. Follow the instructions below once cooled.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Place all your plant material, washed &amp; chopped, into your jug or container, to loosely fill to about half way.\u00a0 Add your sugar, sliced citrus fruit, water &amp; starter\/yeast.\u00a0 Give it a good stir with a clean wooden spoon, then cover with your cloth or paper.\u00a0 Stir three or four times daily with your clean wooden spoon.<\/li>\n<li>After about 24 hours, maybe longer depending on your starter, the bubbling from the fermentation should be quite obvious.\u00a0 At this stage strain the plant material out of your ferment &amp; decant into your glass or plastic bottle.<\/li>\n<li>Leave your bottled ferment out at room temperature for about 8 hours to allow the same rate of fermentation. It will continue to release C02\u00a0&amp;\u00a0you\u00a0can check the pressure by opening the lid slightly if it\u2019s glass, or giving it a squeeze if it\u2019s plastic.\u00a0 Once you\u2019re happy with it, refrigerate &amp; enjoy.\u00a0 It will continue fermenting in the fridge, but the fermentation will have slowed down with the drop in the temperature.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I usually drink my ferment within 2 weeks of making it, sometimes quicker in summer.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>Primitive Wild Fermented Drinks<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s do some debunking first of all.\u00a0 Making a primitive wild beer is very easy.\u00a0 Yes, honestly it really is.\u00a0 Beers have literally been made for thousands of years.\u00a0 Those early brews were made long before we Humans had any knowledge of bacteria or yeast or even hygiene.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you head onto the internet to find out how to make your own beer at home, it will no doubt appear rather daunting, with endless lists of equipment &amp; lots of terms which are completely unfamiliar, such as hydrometer, mash ph &amp; specific gravity to name but a few!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Well, I have never used any of that equipment or worried about, (or even investigated), those unfamiliar terms.\u00a0 All the equipment you will need is already in your kitchen &amp; the only ingredients you actually need are plants + water + sugar + yeast.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019ve already covered how to make your own wild starter &amp; that\u2019s your yeast sorted.\u00a0 The plants you use are your own personal choice.\u00a0 I prefer to work seasonally so if it\u2019s the middle of winter I will head out &amp; look what Nature has left for me.\u00a0 This can include a selection of fallen leaves, (but if you do this make sure they are not toxic to humans), maybe some of the grasses which are still growing, possibly some Hawthorn berries which are usually about well into the winter, some tree bark &amp; possibly some of my dried Mugwort &amp; Nettle will go into the brew too.\u00a0 Obviously in Spring, Summer &amp; Autumn we are spoilt for choice.\u00a0 I\u2019m just giving you a different perspective on what you can forage here.\u00a0 We quite often head into the darker days of the year thinking that there isn\u2019t much left out there to eat, but actually that\u2019s not the case, plus if you\u2019ve harvested plenty of greens to dehydrate &amp; store you will have a great selection of wild foods to keep you going when we do have less choice.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here is a list of some of the plants that have been used traditionally in beers (click the link on each to be taken to our foraging and identification guide for that species)<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2025\/02\/13\/bog-myrtle-myrica-gale-identification\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bog Myrtle<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2021\/04\/13\/identify-mugwort\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mugwort<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2020\/04\/28\/identify-stinging-nettles\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nettle<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2018\/11\/10\/dandelion-identification-taraxacum-officinale\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dandelion<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2020\/04\/29\/identify-yarrow\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yarrow<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2020\/04\/28\/identify-silver-birch\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Birch<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2022\/01\/12\/scots-pine-pinus-sylvestris-identification\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pine<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2020\/11\/11\/1-identify-oak-trees\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oak<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2022\/03\/04\/douglas-fir-pseudotsuga-menziesii-identification-guide\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fir<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">St Johns Wort<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2022\/03\/22\/docks-rumex-species-foraging-guide\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dock<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2022\/02\/08\/water-mint-mentha-aquatica-identification-guide\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mint<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2022\/02\/08\/heather-calluna-and-erica-species-id-guide\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Heather<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lemonbalm<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rosemary<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2018\/11\/10\/sweet-cicely-identification-myrrhis-odorata\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sweet Cicely<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2020\/04\/28\/identify-elder\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Elderflower &amp; Elderberries, (not leaves)<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This list is not exhaustive &amp; really you can use whatever you fancy.\u00a0 I would just advise that you maybe make small batches to start with, in case you don\u2019t like the resulting flavour.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hygiene is extremely important when you are making fermented drinks.\u00a0 Hot soapy water, a good rinse &amp; I like to use Milton sterilising tablets for my large containers &amp; bottles which I\u2019m going to re use.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019m going to give the basic procedure here &amp; then a couple of recipes, but you\u2019ll notice a difference in quantities of plant material &amp; this is down to the qualities of any given plant you choose to use.\u00a0 For example Mugwort has quite a bitter &amp; highly aromatic flavour to it so less is needed, whereas Nettles have no bitterness to them &amp; are far less aromatic, so more can be used.\u00a0 There are lots of recipes online &amp; you can have a lot of fun creating your own brews.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-47047\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/flintandfern_B_DJ6LNgAox-e1654765692566-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/flintandfern_B_DJ6LNgAox-e1654765692566-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/flintandfern_B_DJ6LNgAox-e1654765692566-450x450.jpg 450w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/flintandfern_B_DJ6LNgAox-e1654765692566-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/flintandfern_B_DJ6LNgAox-e1654765692566-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/flintandfern_B_DJ6LNgAox-e1654765692566-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/flintandfern_B_DJ6LNgAox-e1654765692566.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>Basic Procedure &amp; Recipe For Making Wild Fermented Drinks &amp; Beers<\/b><\/h2>\n<h2><b>Ingredients &amp; Equipment:<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plants\/ingredients as indicated in the recipe<\/span><\/li>\n<li>4 litres of spring water or water tap water that has sat out for 24 hours to allow any chlorine to evaporate<\/li>\n<li>Brown sugar or whatever sugar specified in recipe<\/li>\n<li>Ale yeast sachet\/wild yeast starter.\u00a0 Don\u2019t use Bakers yeast for this or your beer will taste like bread. I would advise using an ale yeast until you get to grips with your wild yeast starters.\u00a0 It can be quite disheartening making a big batch of beer to then have no fermentation occur, (or stick to making small quantities to start with). I use 70mls of wild starter for this quantity.<\/li>\n<li>Large pan with a lid<\/li>\n<li>Some funnels, a small one &amp; a larger one<\/li>\n<li>A 4 litre bottle, container of some description.\u00a0 I use a 5 litre Kilner jar which was gifted to me by a friend who was \u201cde-cluttering\u201d.\u00a0 If you don\u2019t have a jar or bottle of this size, scale down your ingredient quantities according to what you do have, until you are happy &amp; know you will be making more brews in the future.<\/li>\n<li>Enough bottles for your brew to be decanted into<\/li>\n<li>Measuring spoon<\/li>\n<li>Weighing scales<\/li>\n<li>A small quantity of brown or white sugar<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Method:<\/b><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Collect all your ingredients together &amp; weigh according to your recipe.<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Place all your ingredients, (apart from your yeast &amp; the extra sugar), into your pan &amp; bring to the boil for however long your recipe asks you.<\/li>\n<li>Remove the pot from the heat &amp; allow to cool to a lukewarm temperature.\u00a0 Keep the lid on your pan to prevent airborne bacteria or flies getting into your brew.<\/li>\n<li>Once cooled, strain out your plant material &amp; using a funnel, pour the remaining liquid into your large jar\/bottle.<\/li>\n<li>Add the yeast.\u00a0 You can add the yeast before you pour your liquid into your jar\/bottle if it\u2019s easier.<br \/>\nBecause I use a Kilner jar, the seal allows any gas to be released but otherwise, you will need to regularly burp your jar\/bottle to prevent any explosions.\u00a0 Alternatively you can cover with a double piece of kitchen towel or a muslin cloth.<\/li>\n<li>Within 24 hours the fermentation should be active &amp; you will see froth forming on top of the liquid.<\/li>\n<li>Allow the beer to ferment for the time stated in your recipe then, use a funnel to pour into your smaller bottles.\u00a0 Both the bottles &amp; the funnel should be cleaned thoroughly before use.<\/li>\n<li>Fill the bottles to the base of the neck.\u00a0 When that\u2019s complete, add \u00bd a teaspoon of white or brown sugar to each bottle.\u00a0 Close the tops, wait for 5 to 6 weeks &amp; then you can enjoy your own wild beer.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>Mugwort-Lemon Beer Recipe<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is a really simple basic recipe.\u00a0 Mugwort is aromatic &amp; bitter so is the perfect wild plant make a beer with.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Ingredients:<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4 litres of spring water or tap water that has sat out for 24 hours to allow the chlorine to evaporate<\/span><\/li>\n<li>About 8g of dried Mugwort leaves<\/li>\n<li>550g of dark brown sugar<\/li>\n<li>3 large lemons<\/li>\n<li>Beer yeast or wild yeast<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Method:<\/b><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mix the water, Mugwort, &amp; brown sugar in a large pan.\u00a0 Cut &amp; squeeze the lemons into the pot.\u00a0 Bring the solution to a boil &amp; let it boil for 30 minutes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Take the pan off the heat &amp; allow the mixture to cool to around 20 degrees Celsius, (which is tepid).\u00a0 Once it\u2019s cooled strain the plant material out &amp; then add about a fifth of the sachet of yeast or \u00be of a cup of wild yeast starter.<\/li>\n<li>Transfer the brew into your jar or bottle &amp; place your lid or cloth over the top.\u00a0 Leave to ferment for 10 days.<\/li>\n<li>Siphon the beer into bottles &amp; pour half a teaspoon of brown sugar into the top of each bottle for carbonation.<\/li>\n<li>Close the bottles &amp; store somewhere cool for about 7 weeks, although it will be ready after 4 weeks but the carbonation will be better if it\u2019s left longer.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<hr \/>\n<h1><b>Nettle Beer Recipe<\/b><\/h1>\n<h2><b>Ingredients:<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4 litres of spring water or tap water left out at room temperature for 24 hours<\/span><\/li>\n<li>450g of Nettles<\/li>\n<li>28g of cream of tartar<\/li>\n<li>450g of light brown sugar<\/li>\n<li>3-4 lemons<\/li>\n<li>Beer yeast or wild starter<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Method:<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Follow the same method as for the Mugwort-Lemon Beer but leave to ferment for only 3 to 4 days in a warm place before bottling.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Drink after 7 to 10 days<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If, like me, you don\u2019t really do that well with drinking alcohol, (in other words I get terrific hangovers from very little amounts of it!), you can make a much quicker, low alcohol beer by simply reducing the amount of sugar used by half &amp; only fermenting for two weeks.\u00a0 This is also a good plan if you are in a hurry &amp; want to give out home made bottles of beer as gifts, (which are usually very well received).<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Conclusion on Wild Fermented Drinks<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019ve covered basic fermented drinks here, both alcoholic &amp; non alcoholic.\u00a0 Making a wild starter is a really fun activity to do with children, especially when they can then use that wild starter to go on &amp; make their own fizzy drinks.\u00a0 The beauty of this is, you can use your starter to make any fizzy drinks, the ingredients don\u2019t have to be foraged, you can use any type of fruit from the supermarket &amp; even frozen fruit works well too.\u00a0 That said, for me, you can\u2019t beat going out &amp; mindfully gathering a selection of wild ingredients to turn into a healthy bottle of fizz.\u00a0 Activities like these forge stronger connections to Nature &amp; empower individuals to interact with their environment in a positive way, which of course, has to be good for all of us.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With all wild foods, please make sure that you are 100% sure of the identification &amp; if you\u2019re not sure, leave well alone.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Words by Forager Vicky &#8211; @thelittleforagerskitchen &#8211; Thanks Vicky \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"107\" data-end=\"614\">Fermentation is one of the oldest \u2014 and most magical \u2014 ways to preserve food and boost its flavour. From tangy krauts to fizzy foraged sodas, it\u2019s a process that transforms simple ingredients into something alive, nourishing, and full of character. These recipes are all about slowing down, getting hands-on, and letting wild microbes do what they do best. Whether you&#8217;re new to fermenting or looking to try something a little different, there\u2019s something here to spark your curiosity \u2014 and your taste buds.<\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"588\" data-end=\"660\"><a href=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/?s=fermented+food\"><strong data-start=\"588\" data-end=\"659\">If you&#8217;re hungry for more fermented recipes, click here to explore!<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n<div id='gallery-2' class='gallery galleryid-60613 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2025\/03\/13\/wild-kefir-chardonnay\/fermented-kefir-chardonnay-recipe\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fermented-kefir-chardonnay-recipe-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"fermented kefir chardonnay recipe\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fermented-kefir-chardonnay-recipe-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fermented-kefir-chardonnay-recipe-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fermented-kefir-chardonnay-recipe-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fermented-kefir-chardonnay-recipe-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fermented-kefir-chardonnay-recipe-450x450.jpg 450w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fermented-kefir-chardonnay-recipe-900x900.jpg 900w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fermented-kefir-chardonnay-recipe-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fermented-kefir-chardonnay-recipe-50x50.jpg 50w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fermented-kefir-chardonnay-recipe.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2025\/03\/13\/fermented-rosehip-honey-jam-recipe\/fermented-rose-hip-honey-jam\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fermented-rose-hip-honey-jam-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"fermented rosehip honey jam\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fermented-rose-hip-honey-jam-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fermented-rose-hip-honey-jam-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fermented-rose-hip-honey-jam-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fermented-rose-hip-honey-jam-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fermented-rose-hip-honey-jam-450x450.jpg 450w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fermented-rose-hip-honey-jam-900x900.jpg 900w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fermented-rose-hip-honey-jam-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fermented-rose-hip-honey-jam-50x50.jpg 50w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fermented-rose-hip-honey-jam.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2025\/03\/13\/fermented-sloe-olives-recipe\/fermented-sloe-olives-recipe\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fermented-sloe-olives-recipe-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"fermented sloe olives\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fermented-sloe-olives-recipe-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fermented-sloe-olives-recipe-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fermented-sloe-olives-recipe-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fermented-sloe-olives-recipe-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fermented-sloe-olives-recipe-450x450.jpg 450w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fermented-sloe-olives-recipe-900x900.jpg 900w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fermented-sloe-olives-recipe-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fermented-sloe-olives-recipe-50x50.jpg 50w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fermented-sloe-olives-recipe.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<h2><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/?s=fermentation&amp;swpmfe=652ea0d21b1427a1bfa685e40d9bc1de\">Fancy learn more? Why not join one of amazing Forage and Fermentation courses?\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Doesn\u2019t just the very sound of Wild fermented fizzy drinks fill you with abandon?\u00a0 No stacked corn syrup or artificial flavours here.\u00a0 Just fresh wild flavours\u00a0straight\u00a0from Mother Earth herself.\u00a0 Wild fizzy drinks are made through a simple fermentation process.\u00a0 You simply make a juice or infusion, add yeast to it,&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":47047,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[89,1778,371,131,1766,1783,85,1767,86,1776,1777,1768,1769,1779],"tags":[239,1414,203,1232,2461,128,1383,104,238,1827,122],"class_list":["post-60613","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-recipes","category-autumn","category-blog","category-cocktails","category-dairy-free","category-drinks","category-foraging","category-gluten-free","category-plants","category-spring","category-summer","category-vegan","category-vegetarian","category-winter","tag-autumn","tag-beer","tag-drinks","tag-easy-recipes","tag-fermented-food","tag-recipe","tag-soda","tag-spring","tag-summer","tag-wild-food-recipe","tag-winter"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60613","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60613"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60613\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":125623,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60613\/revisions\/125623"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47047"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60613"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60613"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60613"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}