Today, I decided to relax with a cup of fresh lemon ginger tea, since the weather is quite miserable outside. Since it was so enjoyable and easy to make, I decided to post about it. There are so many emotional and physical benefits to be gained by drinking homemade ginger tea. It is known to aid in the digestive process, reduce inflammation caused by arthritis, fight colds, build the immune system, and reduce nausea and symptoms of morning sickness. I find that drinking ginger tea reduces stress and is very comforting, especially on cold rainy days. There are so many ways to prepare it, but I find the simplest method to be the best.
First, I peel a fresh piece of organic ginger root and then cut about 12 to 15 pieces which are each about the size of a quarter. You could peel the ginger root with a traditional vegetable peeler, but a spoon works great to get into those nooks and crannies.
Next, add the pieces of ginger to a small saucepan with about 2 cups of water and heat to boiling.
When the water comes to a boil, lower the heat to a low/medium simmer and simmer the ginger root pieces for about 15 minutes. While the tea is simmering, I like to squeeze the juice from 1/2 lemon into my tea mug. After 15 minutes, strain the tea into a 2 cup pyrex measuring cup.
Pour the liquid from the pyrex cup into your tea mug with the lemon juice. If you want your tea to be spicier, take a couple of pieces of the ginger root out of the strainer and drop them into your tea cup. You could just leave them in the cup for a stronger ginger tea, which I always do. That’s it! Lovely ginger tea with lemon…
I love the following video clip showing how to prepare ginger tea because the woman in the video, Sumeiyu, is so adorable and inspirational. I love how she talks about ginger tea as if it is “the answer” to all of life’s problems from bad colds to depression caused by financial problems. In this video, Sumeiyu does not peel her ginger root and she pounds the cut pieces to separate the roots. For the record, I always peel my ginger root and I do not pound the roots. She also prepares her ginger tea with honey, but vegans don’t use honey. Once again, lemon juice works great for me. You could also use agave nectar, brown rice syrup or stevia to sweeten your tea, if you wish.
If you are interested in learning about the health benefits of ginger tea, then enjoy this informative video too. The preparation of the tea in this video also involves honey, which I would exclude from my tea; but I think this video is great!
For more links to informative and interesting reading, click on the following links!
Jon Stewart Talks Pigs, Corned Beef and the Planet with Gene Baur, of the “Living the Farm Sanctuary Life- Announcing the Launch of the Vegan American Princess Store!
- Ina Garten’s Crusty Fennel Casserole, Dr. Oz’s Fennel Tea & Health Benefits of Fennel
- Yams & Fennel…A Winning Combination
- Ina Garten’s Mushroom Lasagna Veganized!!
- Menopause: Certain Foods May Help Symptoms
- There’s a Tea for That:19 Brews for What Ails You!
- All Natural Soy Royal Tea Candles
- ZAPPOS Surprising and Delightful Vegan Department
- 9 Fabulous Shopportunities to Save Veganly on Holiday Sales
- 18 UGG Alternatives: All Price Points, All Beautiful
- Hot Vegan Clothing All Over Nordstrom Anniversary Catalogue
- Maple-Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Hazelnuts from Chloe’s Kitchen
- My Dream Girls for a Vegan Reality TV Show
- Recap of Chef Chloe’s Appearance on the TODAY Show
- Last Minute Ideas for a Vegan Valentine’s Day
- My Go-To Vegan Cookbooks
- Vegan American Princess Mother’s Day Gift Ideas
- Go Blue Blueberry & Lemon Cupcakes: Celebrate Your Team Spirit
- Yummy Vegan Valentines Day Treats:
- Frosted Strawberry Cupcakes & Carly and Tyler’s Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Amazing Easy No-Bake Watermelon Cake
- 4 Berry Chia Pudding: Guilt-Free and Delicious
xox Enjoy!
Vegan American Princess
Love ginger, the stronger the better.
I agree!
Any suggestions if the outside fits the profile of good ginger, but the inside center is blue\gray in color? I’m not referring to a ring,..
Sorry, I’m stumped with this one. Root vegetables are supposed to last a very long time, so I’d be surprised if the ginger went bad. On the other hand, the inside center of my ginger roots have never been blue/gray. I will google this issue and get back to you. Are you sure you’re not talking about a ring?
If you would agree Debby, I’d like to send you some photos of what I’m talking about.
Also, I would like to thank you for taking your valuable time to reply to my comment.
Yes, please send me the photos. You can find my e-mail address in the contact information on this site. Your very welcome.
I will send you pictures the next time I find some.
Also, do if you know if one should drink ginger tea everyday without a break from it?
I’m not sure if ginger tea should be overly consumed. I think it’s pretty potent and too much might be counterproductive. But don’t quote me on that.
I know EXACTLY what you’re referring to. Just as a potatoes, pears, apples, turn brown from bruising and exposure to oxygen/air, I believe that’s what happens with Ginger.
You’re probably right.
I Never thought about that before. I was getting that color ginger about every one out of 2.5. So, it was common.
Blue-Ring Ginger:
If you notice a blue ring after slicing your fresh ginger, do not be alarmed. It is not mold or fungus. It is simply a Hawaiian variety of ginger known as blue-ring ginger or Chinese white ginger.
Ginger cultivation became an important crop in Hawaii in the early 1980’s, just as the pineapple and sugar cane industries were fading. Now the islands produce nearly all the commercial ginger grown in the United States, 13.5 million pounds last year.
Almost all of the Hawaiian crop is blue-ring ginger, which is sometimes called Chinese white ginger, a high-yielding variety that is juicier, more aromatic, larger and cleaner than lesser-quality gingers from other countries.
Wow, thank you so much for this info! I never heard of Blue-Ring Ginger. Good to know. Thanks again.
When I would make my ginger, I would make Cinnamon/Ginger/Green tea together. Then I would add honey, lime and African Birdseye cayenne powder.
I’ve been making a version of this a litre at a time for several years. To keep the ginger fresh, I freeze the roots as soon as I get them home from the store. I use a Lee Valley Tools rasp (http://www.leevalley.com/US/garden/page.aspx?p=32458) to finely grate my frozen ginger but I never peel it first…it does not affect the tea at all…really! I put about 2 Tablespoons of frozen finely grated ginger into my tea infuser, top that with the juice and rasped zest of 1/2 a fresh lemon, then pour about a litre (4 cups) boiling water over the whole thing and let it steep about 10 minutes before removing the infuser, adding some stevia drops and enjoying. It is also lovely in the summer as an iced drink.
Thanks for the great tip. I never thought of freezing the roots, but now I’ll do that.
I definitely have had the blue/gray color on the inside and that is the most freshest ginger you can get. If you’ve noticed, it’s actually juicy and easier to cut when that fresh. Be happy that you actually found fresh ginger!
Excellent! This is good to know. Thank you!
I use a little maple syrup in my ginger tea as a sweatener.. It does the same job as honey with similar health benefits and is suitable for vegans too!
This is such a good tip! Thanks so much!
After juicing the ginger can I dry the pulp and use the same as powdered ginger in recipes?
I honestly don’t know; however, it sounds like a great idea if you know how to dry the pulp. It makes perfect sense to me to use the powdered ginger in recipes!
When making ginger tea, has anyone ever had it turn out in a dark brown colour? I’ve personally never had ginger tea turn out in a dark brown colour. I’ve followed the same process that I’ve always made it, but it’s different this time.
Thanks,
Zexx
Mine never turned out dark brown, but it’s probably fine and just has to do with the aging of the root.
I love to add crushed cardamom pods and cinnamon to this tea for added benefits.
What an excellent idea!! I can’t wait to try that! Thanks for sharing!
The amount of ginger in the picture seems a lot! I’ve experimented of the years and found that I can use half the amount if it has been grated. Personally I keep the skin on!
I do more or less the same but just simmer it from the beginning for about 15 mins, adding a bit more water as it obviously reduces!
🙂
Thanks for the tip! I think I will try it your way.
does the boiling water damage any of the nutrients in the ginger. There are natural health promoting oils in ginger are they damaged by the heat?
I don’t think so because the nutrients would be seeping into the water which you would be drinking as tea.
Can I freeze/thaw whole pieces of ginger? Thank you for this blog! I have a condition which causes frequent nausea, and have tried many different meds, to no avail! Ginger was recommended to me, so my newest obsession is learning everything I can about what to do with it. There are lots of discussions online, but yours is the first I’ve found that is current, so I’m hoping I can post a question and one of you ginger-smart people will help! I froze a chunk of ginger in a freezer-safe Rubbermaid container. I thawed it in the refrigerator, planning to slice it the following day to make ginger candy. Sadly, when it thawed, it was soft, mushy and oozing liquid, so I threw it away. Although many people grate and freeze, or freeze then grate the frozen root, I did find one person on YouTube who does what I did. She also peels and slices some and freezes it that way, which sounds perfect for me. Can anyone please tell me what I did wrong? Thank you and God bless you all. I can’t tell you how much help you are!
First of all, thank you for your lovely comment. We’re so glad you found our blog. However, I have to admit that I never freeze my ginger roots because they last quite a while in my refrigerator. I have no idea why yours get soft and mushy when frozen . Maybe try freezing it in a ziploc bag instead of a Rubbermaid container. What did that woman on You Tube do?
Hi Debbie, I brewed ginger tea from the root but I used a garlic mincer, put the minced ginger in a little brewing cup and used our Keurig coffee maker instead of boiling the tea on the stove. The water that comes out of the Keurig is very hot, do you think that brewing it this way is enough time to get the benefits of the ginger?
Cheryl
Hi Cheryl! Yes, I do think that steeping the root in hot water from your Keurig is enough to get the benefits of the ginger. As long as you let it sit in the very hot water for long enough to turn the tea a goldenish color. xoxo
Hi, I just wanted to ask, I only have the dried ginger pieces and was wondering if using them would work as well? I have no way of grinding it up unless you might have a good creative way of doing it with a different household object. Thank you for taking the time to read my question.
Yes, the dried ginger pieces would work.
Can I refrigerate before drinking and get the same benefits?
Absolutely!
question…if I were to boil ginger and lemons together and then puree in a blender…then freeze into an ice cube tray to enjoy later as tea (by adding to hot water)…would I still get the health benefits? Or would the benefits be compromised from boiling?
please advise…thanks
I use to buy ginger tea (in packet) from convenient store but i would like to try this recipe. Thanks for sharing, Debby.
I ended up “creating” ginger tea on my own, not knowing people actually did that. I had been drinking green tea and Oolong, but I wanted to change it up. I usually just added lemon juice. I always have ginger and I do have indigestion problems at times, so I will take a slice or two of ginger and munch it to stop my heartburn–never fails.
One day I thought if I simmered ginger slices, I could make a concentrate to add to the tea. I cut up about an ounce of ginger, unpeeled and sliced thin. I added that to 4 cups of water and began simmering it. I checked it every 5 minutes and realized the longer I did it, the stronger it got.
I finally settled on simmering it for 45 minutes. I then strain it with a fine mesh strainer and add it to my recently brewed tea (green or Oolong). I make enough tea for 1/5 gallons, as I drink it iced throughout the day.
I have had friends try it and ask “what is this? it’s great!” So I pat myself on the back for creating something I didn’t know already existed! 😀
OOPS! I meant 1.5 gallons, not 1/5 ! ! !
Dear Mike! We create recipes that already exist all the time—but with our own twist or variation! That’s what makes cooking so much fun. Glad you’re loving ginger tea–it’s so good for you! Thanks for reading and commenting!
Alternatively, you can buy a jar of pure ginger paste, which is just ground up ginger root. Add about a teaspoon to a cup of hot water, and you have ginger tea!
It’s not only a lot easier, but cheaper too. A large jar of ginger paste costs less than $10, and lasts in the frig almost indefinitely.
Good idea! Thank you!
I don’t bother peeling and slicing, I just grate the fresh ginger into the water. Love the lemon juice and zest for extra flavor and health benefits, too! Steep a chunk of cinnamon bark with it, stir raw honey in the finished tea and I’m in Heaven.
Very useful and helpful tip. Thanks
I make big batches of boiled ginger, how long does it’s stay Good in the refrigerator?
Fresh ginger lasts around 3 weeks in the fridge but I would expect boiled ginger to last much less time. What has been your experience?
I’ve been making a version of this a liter at a time for several years. To keep the ginger fresh, I freeze the roots as soon as I get them home from the store. I use a Lee Valley Tools rasp to finely grate my frozen ginger but I never peel it first…it does not affect the tea at all…really! I put about 2 Tablespoons of frozen finely grated ginger into my tea infuser, top that with the juice and rasped zest of 1/2 a fresh lemon, then pour about a litre (4 cups) boiling water over the whole thing and let it steep about 10 minutes before removing the infuser, adding some stevia drops and enjoying. It is also lovely in the summer as an iced drink.
Thank you so much for this valuable information. We never cease to be amazed by our readers! Thanks for sharing!
Has anyone put powdered or grated ginger into a reusable K-cup to make tea? If so, how much ginger is needed for an 8-oz. cup of tea?
Hi Kurt,
We haven’t tried that but if you have, please let us know how it came out!