Eating well on any budget

Try this simple and easy-to-make ginger tea as an invigorating way to start your day.

Treat yourself to a cup of piping hot ginger tea. When made with fresh ginger root, it will be far tastier than ginger tea brewed from a stale tea bag. It's a healthy drink that's great for digestion, with a reputation for being soothing and healing.

Make yourself a cup of fresh ginger tea

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons ginger root (fresh, raw, about 2 inches of ginger root)

• 4 cups water

• Go to linke nectar, to taste)

• Optional: 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (juice of 1/2 lime)

Steps to make it

1. Gather the ingredients.

2. First, prepare the fresh ginger by peeling it and slicing it thinly to maximize the surface area. This will help you make a very flavorful ginger tea.

3. Boil the ginger in water in a 1 1/4-quart pot for at least 10 minutes. For a stronger and tangier tea, allow to boil for 20 minutes or more, and use more slices of ginger.

4. Remove it from the heat, strain, and add the lime juice and honey (or agave nectar) to taste and enjoy your ginger tea.

In 2012 a scientific study proved that fresh ginger prevented viruses sticking to the lining of the nose, throat and sinuses in the group of people studied. Note it was fresh ginger – dried ginger did not have the same effect. Just confirming the anti microbial and anti viral properties of ginger that herbalists have been telling us about for centuries then!

Ginger tea is a great, inexpensive therapeutic drink. You do need to drink it in the strength below which has quite an intense flavour! You can add peppermint or cayenne pepper if required and manuka honey (or pure stevia) if you crave sweetness.

Simply juice a load of peeled, fresh ginger root (about 500–1000g), put 60g of it into a mug and add boiling water. Infuse for 5 minutes. Use a tea strainer if you don’t want the ginger bits after infusion. Or combine the hot water and ginger in a jug and sieve the liquid into a cup after infusing it. 

Drink the tea at the very first signs of a sneeze, sniffle or sore throat for maximum effectiveness! Drink 2–5 cups daily, spread over the day.

Store unused ginger juice/gratings in the fridge for a few days. You could freeze it in ice cube trays.

Good luck!