Ginger root is an amazing spice and one that every home should not be without. It is a fantastic addition to both sweet and savory cooking adding a hot, zingy flavor. On top of that, it has many health benefits as well and can provide natural healing to your body.
Here we will take a look at this spice, how to make ginger root tea and its benefits.
Using Ginger Root
Buy fresh ginger root that is plump and clean avoiding any that looks shriveled or moldy. To store, wrap it in foil and put into the vegetable crisper for a few weeks.
Ginger root is also easy to freeze so when it’s in season, grab a few extra knobs to store for later. To freeze it, chop the root into chunks, (about 1 inch) lengths, pop into a Ziploc bag, expel any air and freeze. When needed, remove a chunk and grate or chop it as needed.
Apart from including ginger in food and cooking, one of the best ways to enjoy ginger root is as a tea.
How To Make Ginger Root Tea
Making ginger root tea is very simple. Here’s how:
- Scrub or peel a 1 inch piece of ginger root.
- Slice or grate the root and boil in 2 cups of water for 10 to 20 minutes. If you have the time, let it go the full 20 minutes. You can adjust the amount of ginger up or down according to your taste, but the more the better.
- When finished, strain the tea mixture into a cup to remove the ginger chunks. You can also add other ingredients at this stage for extra taste and health benefits. Great additions include lemon, lime or rosemary. Add honey or other natural sweetener too.
Enjoy your tea right away, but if you have extra, refrigerate it for later use.
Health Benefits of Ginger Root
Now you know how to make ginger root tea, why would you want to?
Well, it does taste good, and if you like ginger in your food, you will definitely enjoy ginger tea. But with over 400 chemicals identified, there are also a lot health benefits to ginger root tea.
Stomach Soother
Ginger has anti-nausea, anti-vomiting, anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic properties. Because of this, the Chinese refer to it as the ‘king of the stomach‘
It can help to soothe all sorts of stomach related ailments including:
- Motion sickness
- Morning sickness
- Nausea including post-operative and from chemotherapy
- Vomiting
- Indigestion
- Diarrhea
- Bloating
- Flatulence
- Cramping
- Abdominal cramping
- Painful periods
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Whenever a stomach issue arises, try using ginger root tea to help. And in some cases it can be used to prevent the issue. For example if you are traveling and motion sickness is likely, take ginger as a preventative beforehand.
Other Benefits
Apart from its superior value as a stomach soother, ginger can help with a range of other conditions. These include:
- Common cold, coughs and flu – reduces fever and suppresses coughs
- Poor circulation, chilblains – improves blood flow
- Osteoarthritis, arthritis – anti-inflammatory action relieves arthritis pain
- Stress – lowers cortisol levels resulting from stress
- High cholesterol – reduces absorption of cholesterol and promotes its excretion
There are many reasons to enjoy ginger root tea. It tastes great and delivers a heap of health benefits. Make sure to keep some fresh ginger root on hand in the fridge or freezer so you can make a cup any time.
