I love to experiment with new things in the kitchen, especially new ferments. Even better yet are fun ferments that my kids will actually enjoy. I have been inspired a ton by Sandor Katz’s awesome book, ‘Wild Fermentation’. If you don’t have a copy yet, you must get one. He sure did some serious experimenting over the years and I myself have gleaned from his experience. I can’t quite say what it was about this particular recipe that inspired me to try it. I suppose I thought a sweet beverage would be enticing enough for the kids since I eagerly desire for them to get more probiotics and enzymes into their diets. It’s not easy! They want sweet, so not all the fermented veggies go over too well. Kombucha takes several weeks to brew and is not always on hand, so I thought I give a fermented soda a try. This sweet potato fly, aka soda, is slightly effervescent, fizzy and aromatically spiced. I tried this recipe ages ago and my kids have begged me ever since to make it again. I finally got around to making it again with a few slight tweaks from the original recipe. For a less unique spiced beverage, omit using the mace. My kids like it a bit better that way.
Sweet Potato Fly
Makes 1 gallon
1 teaspoon powdered mace (optional)
2 large sweet potatoes
1 to 2 cups sugar
1/2 cup whey
2 lemons
cinnamon
nutmeg
a few cleaned eggshells from, preferably
If using the mace, boil one cup water with the mace. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Grate the sweet potatoes, and rinse well through a strainer to remove starch.
In a large bowl, combine the grated sweet potatoes, 1 gallon water, sugar, whey, the juice and grated peel of the lemons, and a pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon.
Crush the cleaned eggshell into the mixture.
Add the cooled boiled mace.
Stir, cover to keep flies and dust out and leave in a warm spot to ferment for about 3 days.
Strain into a jug, bottles or jars, and allow to second ferment for a day or two to acquire a bit more fizz before refrigerating. Enjoy!
(cover photo credit; above photo – sweet potato fly while it’s fermenting)
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You go on and on about how bad sugar is, and then this recipe calls for 2 cups. Practice what you preach
Hi Val,
First of all, you are right I do not like to use much sugar and I do believe it is detrimental to our health – this is a recipe that I do not make very often at all, and you will not find any other recipe on this site with this amount of sugar. Second of all. this is a fermented food, when you ferment things the sugar content is drastically reduced, not to mention the probiotics and enzymes help curb sugar cravings, so even though the sugar is reduced quite a bit, you still won’t crave or drink too much of the beverage. It’s considered a special rare occasion treat in our home and is a FAR better option than any sugar laden beverage on any store shelf!
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