- HubPages»
- Food and Cooking
Three Beverages You Can Make From Fresh Ginger
Ginger is a herb but not just any herb, it has many valuable uses. You can use it as a spice, fresh, dried, powdered or in oil form. It's also used in medicine where it's known to have many health benefits. Did I mention that it also tastes great?
Keep reading for an amazingly delicious homemade ginger ale recipe and for other ways that you can use ginger and take full advantage of this special herb.
Homemade ginger ale
The Health Benefits of Ginger
Ginger has many impressive benefits which include:
- Preventing and treating colds and the flu
- Reducing pain and inflammation
- Relieving heartburn
- Positive effects on the digestive tract
- Relieving migraines
- Treating morning sickness
- Relieving menstrual cramps
Fresh Ginger Ale
You need to try this homemade ginger ale recipe. It's sooo good, especially on a hot summer day. It's super refreshing, easy to make, and guests love it too. You probably won't even need to go out to the store to buy any of the ingredients because all you'll need is ginger, sugar, and sparkling water.
This ginger ale is sweet but has a nice spicy kick to it. I love the way it fizzes and refreshes, ahh!
Ingredients for a Home-made Ginger Ale
- 1 cup unpeeled, washed, fresh ginger, roughly chopped
- 1 cup white sugar
- 3 cups water
- 4 cups sparkling water, chilled
Cook Time
Instructions
- Place ginger root in a blender and have it finely chopped. Move the chopped ginger into a pot.
- Add the cup of sugar and 3 cups of water into the pot, stir well, and set set the stove to medium-high heat.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for about an hour and a half. Once you the mixture is syrupy, it's ready!
- Strain the ginger syrup through a sieve into a small pitcher or whatever you want to keep the ginger syrup in. Set aside to cool.
- Get pretty serving glasses, fill each glass with ice and a bit less than 1/3 cup of the syrup. Top off each glass with sparkling water, garnish with a slice of lemon or lime and TADA you've got yourself ginger ale.
Fresh Ginger Honey Tea
Fresh ginger honey tea is my secret to never having a cold or flu. If I ever feel something coming on, I prepare a mug of this miraculous tea and it's like the tea just erases it.
So here's what you'll need:
- Half-inch slice of ginger root
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 cup of water
How to make ginger tea:
- Pour water into a small pot and drop the ginger slice in. Let the water boil for 15 minutes so you get a nice strong gingery taste.
- While the water's boiling, put the honey and lemon juice in a mug.
- Take the ginger slice out of the water, discard, and pour the gingery water into the mug.
- Enjoy and get well soon!
Have you ever made any drinks with fresh ginger?
Ginger and Turmeric Tea
This tea is extra good for you - not only does it give you the benefits of ginger, you also get the benefits of turmeric (which has been found to defend against cancer and Alzheimer’s).
Ingredients you'll need:
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon powdered turmeric
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
How to make ginger and turmeric tea:
1. Bring water to a boil, then add powdered herbs. Simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Strain tea into a mug, add maple syrup and lemon, stirring to combine. Drink warm.
Makes 1 serving.
Comments
The Home made Ginger Ale looks delicious, Definitely making some asap! (wish I Had some ginger like right now)
- Author
Rebecca, mmm ginger ale has been my "drink of choice" too but once I started making it at home, I can never get myself to drink the store bought one because home made just tastes sooo much better!
- Author
Hi Heather! Did you try making the ginger ale w/ less sugar? Sorry but I don't know the answer to your question. It looks like you'll need to substitute the sugar - you can use brown or raw sugar instead or, I read that you can use honey instead for part of the sugar content but I don't have the exact measurements.
- Author
Denise - I'm really glad to know that the ginger ale was a big hit and you liked it. I also love it and it's a big hit when I make it for guests so I just had to share it. Now I keep a stock of ginger syrup ;-)
It's mid-July, pouring down rain and cold outside, and I've got a cold. I think I'll make some of that miracle ginger honey lemon tea and wait to see if the summer ever comes to try the ginger ale!
Global chica, I love the taste and flavor of ginger. In winter we have ginger tea everyday. Love gingerale too. I'd like to try the gingerale your way and the other teas as well. So bookmarking this. Voted up and awesome.
Ginger ale is my "drink of choice" and I have never even considered making it. How very cool! I must give this a try! Voted useful and shared!
Mmm. I love ginger. I want to try to make the teas. The ginger ale looks yummy, too!! You also gave me a hub idea. Thanks!
Yum! I love ginger (being from Hawaii) and we use it a lot in our food. Ginger drinks are so delicious, but I have only made one that was successful. I am so excited to try the ones you outlined above. They sound delicious! Great work, voted up, Tweeted!
Just an FYI--I made the ginger ale yesterday and it was gone within 2 hours. A big hit! Thanks, again.
Sounds great. I'd love to try the ginger ale, and it's simple enough to make. Regarding the turmeric in the tea... that's something I never thought of. It looks like something that would really cure one's ills. Great job!
I will have to try the ginger ale! Would it taste terrible if I cut back on the sugar to about a 1/2 cup?
Looks delicious - another new recipe to try! Voted up etc.
You may be my new hero! I love making beverages and I love ginger, but I've never made my own ginger drinks. Now I have no excuse! I've already bookmarked it and I'm about to vote up, useful, and awesome!
Ok. This is the best idea I have seen here. I'm trying it this weekend! And sharing!
15