Ginger tea is an elixir of health

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I mentioned in my last post a new series: Favorite things I never would have learned if not for evil corn. Removing corn derivatives and food additives from our lives was a major upheaval and quite a learning experience. GMO corn and soy are ubiquitous in our modern food and pharmaceutical industries and it takes dramatic changes in shopping, cleaning and cooking methods to banish them. It was a long, hard road but it was not without its benefits. I would like to start a series to share some of the best things about our new way of life.

Ginger tea truly is an elixir of health. In our quest for flu medicine alternatives we discovered ginger tea sweetened with raw honey. What a discovery! It is now our favorite drink that just happens to be chock full of healthy benefits. We were able to treat head and chest congestion, nausea, sore throat, and cough using only ginger tea. We also found that it is delicious hot or cold. Even if you are lucky enough to survive cold and flu season unscathed, you simply must try some ginger tea. Our recipe is below.

Before making ginger tea, you will need to buy a fresh ginger root. I found fresh ginger root even in backwoods Alabama grocery stores so locating it should be no problem. If you have never tried fresh ginger, you may not know how wonderful it is. Growing up my mother only bought dried ground ginger from the spice section. As a result, I grew up secure in the knowledge that I hated ginger. The first time you cut into a fresh ginger root you will be rewarded with a heavenly fruity, spicy smell that is like nothing else. The next step is to peel the root which is much easier that it may seem at first glance. The easiest way to peel ginger is to use a spoon or the back edge of your favorite knife. If you are a visual learner you will appreciate this video from the Test Kitchen at Gourmet.com. If you are a new cook, you can find many instructional videos at the Test Kitchen to broaden your kitchen knowledge.


Hot Ginger Tea

• 2 Tbsp. fresh ginger root (finely diced)
• raw organic honey
• tea ball
• saucepan or boiler
• 4 cups filtered water

Peel and dice the ginger. Place it inside the tea ball and put the tea ball in the saucepan of water. Bring the water to a boil and then take off the heat. Allow the ginger tea to steep for at least 15 minutes. For stronger tea allow the tea to simmer on low for 15 minutes before removing from heat. While waiting for the tea to steep, put up to 1 Tbsp. of raw honey in each mug (to taste). Pour the steeped tea over the honey in each mug and stir to mix. Enjoy!


Iced Ginger Tea

• hot ginger tea (brewed strong)
• 4 Tbsp. of raw honey added directly to tea in saucepan and allowed to cool
• Glass pitcher of ice

Pour the cooled, sweetened ginger tea into the pitcher of ice. Allow to chill, then pour into individual  glasses filled with ice. Enjoy!

Ginger is a world-renowned digestive and treatment for nausea. A cup of ginger tea will help with morning sickness or even motion sickness. It's much easier to coax children into drinking a cup of hot ginger tea than to take cough medicine laden with dangerous ingredients. It is soothing to sore or dry throats and makes a great allergy medication with no side effects. Iced ginger tea makes a great alternative to carbonated sodas and everyone knows raw honey is infinitely better for you than high fructose corn syrup. Now you see why we are such die-hard fans of ginger tea. It truly is a health elixir.

This post is part of Real Food Wednesdays hosted this week by Kelly the Kitchen Kop. Next post I will fill you in on another use of ginger when I share another item in "My new favorites" series: Fermented Vegetables.

Further reading about genetically modified foods:
Sugar Beets Spur County to Reconsider Biotech Food
Why I Still Oppose Genetically Modified Crops
Genetically Modified (GM) Crops Increase Pesticide Use and Fail to Alleviate Poverty, Reveals New Report
Shoppers Guide to Avoiding GE Foods

Sources for Raw Honey:
Really Raw Honey
Tropical Traditions