For those difficult times, when we feel that we lack energy, there is an easy and economical way to get an extra boost and, in fact, completely natural and healthy.
And we're not talking about coffee, but about a drink starring ginger. Combined with lemon and honey, it can become the drink that will warm us and invigorate us on cold winter evenings.
Of course, there are ready-made ginger drinks (hot teas or soft drinks like ginger ale), but if we enjoy it more regularly, then it is better to prepare it ourselves for both economic and practical reasons.
The recipe is simple and proven. It is enough to have ginger root at home. We recommend using the root rather than the ready-made ginger powder found in spice shops, as this is where you will find most of its nutrients.
At the same time, its taste is also more intense. This drink goes well with cinnamon, and you can also add some cayenne pepper if you like an extra hot element with an anti-inflammatory effect. You can follow the steps described in our previous post to prepare this specific drink.
If you want to enjoy it every day, you can prepare it and store it in the ice trays in the freezer to use it whenever you want, either hot or cold. Whatever it is, a homemade ginger drink will keep fresh in the fridge for about a week and much longer in the freezer.
The beneficial components of the drink in our body
From the first moment you try a ginger drink, you will feel its ability to "wake up" and activate us immediately, but is it good for us? Of course, since its main ingredients are this precious root and our favourite citrus fruit.
Lemons, on the one hand, are a good source of vitamin C and potassium and are also high in citric acid, which seems (according to medical sources) to help keep kidney stones away. They are also full of antioxidants, which are always necessary for the good health of our body.
Ginger, on the other hand, is also very antioxidant and favours the good functioning of our body in many ways, such as with its anti-inflammatory properties. At the same time, it helps us in cases of morning sickness and also has several beneficial properties. That's why we recommend that it become your morning or evening habit.
How to make ginger juice popsicles
In principle, it is good to choose large pieces of ginger root (so it is easier to peel) and thin-skinned lemons, which means they contain more juice). Also, you can use ice packs with silicone so that the ice cubes can be removed more easily and ideally with a lid so that they do not absorb odours from the freezer.
First, we peel the ginger well so that we don't have any skin residue left, either with a peeler or, more simply, using a large spoon or a sharp knife for the more difficult areas to peel. Also, we can cut the root into smaller pieces to peel it more easily.
The next step is to squeeze the lemons, preferably using an electric or manual squeezer, to get as much juice as possible without the pits. If we do it without a pin again, let's be careful that no seeds fall.
The next step is to put the grated ginger and lemon juice in the blender for about 3 minutes. Once the ginger has completely dissolved, foamed a little and become light, pour the liquid into the ice packs and leave it in the freezer for at least 6 hours until it is frozen.
When we want to make a drink, we take a cube out of the ice pack, put it in a cup and add hot water until our ice cube melts. We can optionally add a little honey and use a glass straw if the lemon bothers our teeth.
EVI SKLATINIOTI is a columnist for Olive Magazine.
READ MORE: Legumes: A Greek Staple Packed with Nutritional Power.
