Homemade orangeade is simple to make. This naturally fermented orangeade is a delicious drink with natural bacteria and fizz which is good for your gut.

Naturally fermented Orangeade is lovely and refreshing on a hot day with ice and slices of orange. It has a slightly fizzy, fermented taste.

Saying that, I'm writing this in winter time. Because whenever you make it, it's a reminder of those warm summer days.

Using Whey to Ferment

You'll need some whey to get the fermentation going. If you make Greek Yogurt all the time as I like to, you'll be glad to find a use for that left-over whey which you can't quite bear to chuck out (it freezes well, by the way).

If you don't have any though, strain a small tub of plain natural yogurt through cheesecloth or muslin for a few hours. The liquid which drips out is the whey, and you're left with Greek yogurt in the muslin. Kefir whey also works really well. If you don't have either of those but you have a little yeast around (such as all purpose brewing yeast) then you can get it started with a quarter teaspoon of that. 

Equipment Needed

A large Clip Top Preserving Jar which you can 'burp' each day to release the pressure as the orangeade ferments. Or if you're a homebrewer, a half-size demijohn with an airlock in it works really well with this recipe. After 3 days you'll also need clean bottles in which to strain your orangeade. Flip top bottles are lovely to use and they have an added bonus. If you don't plan to drink the orangeade quickly, you can release the fizz in the bottles occasionally to prevent it building up.

We sell reusable 1 litre PET bottles with caps during Elderflower season (for Elderflower Champagne) and they work well for fermented drinks also.

Re-used Plastic Fizzy Drinks Bottles work well too. You'll know when the pressure is building up because plastic bottles will start to get very tight and maybe even bulge. That's the time to release the cap a little to release some pressure.

And a funnel makes life much easier to pour things into the jar or demijohn with airlock, if you have one. Wondering about getting a Demijohn? More about Demijohns here.

None of this equipment needs to be sterilised.

Ingredients

• 4 freshly juiced oranges. Or Satsumas, Clementines, any orange-like citrus fruit.
• 2 freshly juiced lemons. Don't use bottled lemon juice because it will have been treated with stabilisers and preservatives to prevent it fermenting. We want it to ferment!
• 1/3rd of a cup of golden granulated sugar. You can use brown sugar which will ferment more, because of the molasses in the sugar. I prefer to use lightly golden sugar for this so it doesn't darken the pale orange colour.
• 6 cups of filtered water or bottled water (not boiled as that kills any natural fermenters in the water which could help your orangeade along)
• 1/2 cup of whey (see above).

Method

Pour the water into the preserving jar or demijohn, add the sugar. Stir or shake until the sugar looks dissolved. Add the orange and lemon juice, along with any fruit pulp if it came out in the juicing, and the whey. If you're using a jar, pop the top on. If you're using a demijohn, pop in the bung and airlock.

Leave the vessel on your countertop for about 3 days. If the weather is really hot, it may take less than 3 days. When it's really cold, it may take more. If you're using the jar, be sure to release the top at least once a day to 'burp' the orangeade so that the pressure doesn't build up too much. When using a vessel with an airlock, it burps itself.

When the orangeade is ready, strain it into the bottles and put in the fridge. 'Ready' is when it's producing plenty of gas, so it is fizzy. Don't leave it much beyond that point though, because the sweetness will go the longer you leave it.

Once bottled in the fridge, the carbonation will slow down. Nevertheless, carbonation is still taking place. And the longer the bottles stay in the fridge, the fizzier it will become. So be sure to release the pressure in the bottles now and again so it doesn’t build up too much. Exploding bottles in the fridge is very messy...

Serve in a tall glass with slices of orange and lemon. It is a truly gorgeous thing.

For more information about gut health, see this BBC article “What Should I Eat for a Healthy Gut?”