Ginger Lemon Tea

It's a rainy day in Germany today... perfect for blogging about, and later making, some Ginger Lemon Tea!  Kirsten taught me how to make it and it's my new favorite, for many reasons.  But one thing I love about it is that her Dad taught her how to make it... he always used to make it for her and then she made it for me and now I'm hooked!

This post is for you Mr. Tudor.  I feel like we're kindred spirits... thanks for teaching Kirsten your hippie ways. She speaks so fondly of your gardening, from-scratch-cooking, organic/crunchy way of living.  It gives me hope that one day my girls will grow up and look back on their crazy hippie Momma with a smile.  Maybe someday they'll make this tea, too!  Thanks for sharing it!

Getting more fresh ginger and lemon into your body is a really great idea... especially with the cold/flu season approaching.

Ginger:  contains amino acids, calcium, magnesium, essential fatty acids, iron, and a kick-butt spicy flavor!  It helps relieve nausea and indigestion.  It promotes circulation and is anti-inflammatory so it helps calm aches and pains.  Ginger fights against colds, coughs, and sore throats.  It builds up your immune system.  And soothes headaches!

Lemon:  helps purify and stimulate the liver... apparently even helping it produce more enzymes!  It aids in digestion and can help lower blood pressure.  It has potassium, calcium, and magnesium. And obviously a splendid amount of vitamin C.

So to make tea from these lovely ingredients you just start some water boiling and get to the business of chopping that ginger.  You want it to be really finely diced so you have a few options here: shred it in a box grater, chop it with a food chopper, dice it with a knife, or maybe even process it with a food processor.

But I have been using my chef's knife.  Mainly because I kept skinning my knuckles on my grater and because I don't enjoy extra dishes so I don't really use my KitchenAid food chopper unless I have to.

If you really like exact recipes you're going to hate me today.  Because this is all about experimenting with what you like.  I like a strong ginger flavor and I also like to brew a big batch.  So for me, it's a medium-sized knob of ginger and two lemons per batch.

Keep in mind that if you grate your ginger it will have a much stronger flavor... so start with a tablespoon per cup.  And if you're brewing it by the cup, then maybe half a lemon.  Just guessing here!

****UPDATE:  grating the ginger is my new preferred way of making this tea.  It's a little extra work and I have to be careful of my knuckles ;o) but the flavor is way better the more juice you release (like when you grate it.****

I brew mine in my French Press but you can also steep the ginger in a fine mesh grater.  Or a tea infuser, if you're brewing it by the cup.  Just pour the boiling water over it and let it steep for 7-10 minutes.  The longer it steeps the stronger your ginger flavor is.  And I'm assuming the stronger the ginger flavor the more health benefits from the ginger, but I might be making that up!

You can drink it hot (my favorite way) or cold.  I do like it iced, but to me, nothing beats a steaming mug of this stuff.

While the ginger is steeping cut up your lemons.  Time for a kitchen tip!  Kirsten taught me this juicing tip: roll the lemon back and forth under your hand... the pressure helps smoosh the lemon up and get the juices ready for your tea. Plus it makes your hand smell all lemony-fresh!  

After you've added your lemon juice (I just squeeze them right into the steeping ginger water) you add your sweetener. I'm all about honey, especially raw, but you can use any kind of sweetener you like.

Here's a link to the health benefits of raw honey and evils of processed sugar.  But no judging just do what you want ;o) Sometimes I even walk on the wild side and add zero sweetener!  gasp!

Again with the "it's up to you" recipe: I don't have much of a sweet tooth so I only put about two or three tablespoons of honey in each batch of tea.  But by all means sweeten to taste.  The ginger has quite a spicy kick and the lemon is obviously tart.  So the honey helps mellow things out.  If you're using raw honey, be careful not to add it until the tea is cool enough to drink.  Otherwise you'll kill the wonderful enzymes that make raw honey so healthy.

*Insert accidental self-portrait*  

Hi, me!

Once your tea is ready you just press out all the ginger and lemon seeds... or you strain the whole mixture through your strainer.  Whatever method you've chosen.  

And now it's time to drink up all those health benefits of ginger and lemon!

My kids are super funny about this tea.  They call is "Spicy Tea" and they don't particularly like it... but because they want to do everything I do (no that's not super scary or anything) they always want some when I make it.  

"You are my morning and evening star Momma.  If you're going to drink this spicy crap then I AM TOO!  Even if I pucker every time I sip it... and usually don't finish it."  

But hey, if I can encourage them to keep trying it now, then they'll probably like it later on!  And it's super relaxing and super good for us and super yummy.  Thanks to the Tudors/Wollschlagers for sharing the recipe!

Speaking of my Monkeys, I can hear them giggling and running around upstairs.  So it's time to get moving with this lovely, rainy day.  I'm definitely going to make a pot of ginger lemon tea!