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This is how you make delicious ginger ale and spicy-hot ginger syrup in your own kitchen.

Ginger ale is currently experiencing a real boom: For a long time there were only one or two varieties in the supermarket, but many new varieties are currently appearing on the market. What they have in common, unfortunately, is that they often contain a lot of sugar.

You save money, sugar, and additives when you make your own ginger ale. All you need is a little time for this simple recipe. Your homemade ginger ale will delight you!

Make your own ginger ale

The ingredients

  • 200 grams of sugar
  • ¼ tsp dry yeast
  • 2 – 3 tbsp finely grated ginger
  • Juice and zest of 2 organic limes
  • approx. 700 ml still water
  • possibly crushed ice or ice cubes

How to make your own ginger ale

  1. Using a funnel, pour the sugar and dry yeast into a plastic water bottle (750ml).
  2. Add the grated ginger, lime juice, and zest, and fill the bottle halfway with still water.
  3. Shake the mixture well and fill it up with still water to about 5 centimeters below the brim. Close the bottle and leave for 24 hours, preferably in the sun.
  4. The next day, put the bottle in the fridge and let it cool completely.
  5. To serve, fill into glasses with crushed ice. Pour the ginger ale into the glasses through a fine sieve and serve immediately.

Make ginger syrup yourself

Ginger syrup infused with mineral water is also delicious and refreshing. The syrup is also great for giving smoothies that certain kick of spiciness. In tea or hot water, the active ingredients extracted from the ginger root help to fight colds.

Ingredients

  • about 10 cm ginger root
  • 1/2 liter of water
  • 200 grams of brown sugar

How to make your own ginger syrup

  1. Wash the ginger under hot water and cut it with the peel into thin, fine strips.
  2. Heat the water in a saucepan and add the sugar and ginger strips.
  3. Let the whole thing simmer gently for at least three-quarters of an hour.
  4. Pour the syrup through a fine sieve into clean bottles or glasses while it is still hot. Once opened, the syrup will keep in the fridge for about a week.

Ginger shots are very trendy. The spicy drink is primarily intended to support the immune system and to build up the body’s defences.

Ginger shot: why vitamin intake is so important in winter

As many of you know, in the winter months, from November to March, the body cannot absorb vitamin D from the sun’s rays and therefore has to resort to food, preparations or occasional visits to the solarium to prevent a seasonal vitamin D deficiency avoid. Supplementing with vitamin D in winter is one of the most sensible dietary supplements of all and makes an important contribution to health.

Vitamins are of central importance for a functioning immune system. Being deficient for half of the year puts an enormous strain on the body. According to a study, an annually recurring deficiency increases the risk of infections, autoimmune diseases, cancer, dementia, cardiovascular diseases and generally leads to higher mortality.

In order to provide the body with vitamin-rich foods, you should eat enough fruit and vegetables, especially over the winter. The ginger shot is perfect for this, to get the body healthy and strong through the winter.

Ginger shot: What can the hot drink do?

By now you’ve probably heard about the little yellow shots, which are all the rage right now. But why is the spicy shot so popular? Ginger is sometimes referred to as a superfood. Totally right! The hot root contains certain ingredients called gingerols and shogaols. They are not only responsible for the sharp taste, but also for some health effects. Ginger has been used as a remedy in Asia for thousands of years and is used for the following ailments:
stomach pain
nausea
toothache
asthma and breathing difficulties
rheumatism
a cold
Other valuable nutrients in a ginger shot are provided by other ingredients such as orange, lime, lemon and turmeric. The fruits all contain a lot of vitamin C and various minerals, which, like ginger, offers optimal protection against colds and protects the immune system. Turmeric in particular has an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effect and should therefore not be missing from your ginger shot! Tip: It is recommended to drink about 20 milliliters in the morning after getting up. The vitamin kick wakes you up and gives you a better start to the day.

Ginger Shots: Buy or Make Yourself?

Nowadays, ginger shots are mainly sold in small bottles in supermarkets and drugstores. It usually contains a mix of ginger pieces, ginger juice and often sweetened fruit juices. The catch is that because packaged juices are heated prior to final sale, giving them a longer shelf life, valuable nutrients are lost in the process. Better choice: do it yourself!

A freshly squeezed shot contains far more vitamins and minerals than a store-bought and processed shot. However, this must be stored in a cool place and even then it can only be kept for a few days. In terms of price, you’ll definitely save yourself some money by making your own vitamin shot. Because the small bottles in the supermarket are relatively expensive with prices between two and five euros.

In the supermarket, the ginger shots are often mixed with inexpensive apple juice, which also makes up a large part of the drink. This makes the drink a little sweeter and dilutes it. The added sugar is particularly questionable, also in the form of agave syrup. If you make your ginger shot yourself, you know exactly what’s in it and can do without or add more ingredients as you wish.

Ginger shot recipe: Very easy to make yourself

2 to 3 lemons or limes
2 to 3 oranges depending on size
100 grams of ginger
50 milliliters agave syrup, maple syrup or honey
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 to 2 teaspoons turmeric
Preparation: Peel and dice the ginger and add to the blender with the juice of the lemons or limes and oranges. Mix at the highest level for about 20 seconds and pour through a sieve into a bowl. This is how you remove the mixed ginger pieces and what remains: the juice. If the juice is too spicy for you, you can dilute it with water. Then add all the other spices and mix everything again. Then pour the juice into one or more bottles and enjoy!

Try it yourself and see how your ginger shot tastes best. Or just skip the coffee in the morning and try the vitamin kick! Ginger shots definitely do justice to the trend and should be drunk in every household several times a week, preferably daily, especially in winter. Cheers!

Ginger is a plant whose root is dried and used fresh in the kitchen and in the pharmacy. Many people know the delicious ginger tea and the healthy effects of ginger are also well known. Because it helps us with colds, nausea, and much more.

The scientific name “Zingiber” comes from Middle India. It originally comes from the rainforests of Central and Southeast Asia but is now cultivated in a number of tropical and subtropical countries. The main exporters are India and southern China, along with Brazil, Nicaragua, Jamaica, and Nigeria.

It’s in the ginger root

Ginger is a very old spice plant. It smells aromatic and tastes lemony and spicy. Because it mainly contains an essential oil and resin acids, as well as gingerol, which gives it its sharpness. Other ingredients are zingiberene and zingiberol and shogaol (pollutant and degradation product of gingerol) and diarylheptanoids (antioxidant). In addition, the roots contain vitamin C, magnesium and iron and calcium and potassium and sodium, and phosphorus.

The ginger effect

Ginger is healthy because it has an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect. It is also said to have digestive and stomach-strengthening effects and stimulating effects. Therefore, it is also often used for health problems, such as gastrointestinal complaints or to treat rheumatism, muscle pain, and colds. But even those who want to lose weight effectively can take advantage of the miracle tuber, as it helps with weight loss.

Use of ginger in the home

The healthy effects of ginger make it an effective natural medicine. It can alleviate or even prevent health problems. As a result, you can mix them into your food, enjoy them as ginger tea, or make yourself ginger water. In the following we have collected the most important areas of application for you:

1) Ginger strengthens your immune system

Ginger is a good home remedy to strengthen the immune system. Because the flavorings in ginger (6-gingerol and citric acid) activate the defense system in the saliva. According to this, there is an antibacterial effect that repels bad bacteria. Consequently, with hot lemon and ginger tea, you prevent the increased penetration of pathogens.

2) Relieves cold symptoms

So that you can quickly relieve cold symptoms, take the ginger root in various forms. Because the essential oils and pungent substances stimulate your blood circulation. In this way, inflammatory substances are to be smuggled out of the body more quickly. As a result, you will heal faster. So make yourself a ginger tea with healing honey or delicious ginger water.

3) Flavor dishes with the yellow root

You can use the dried, peeled side roots as a spice. And the thick middle pieces are pickled in sugar as a delicacy. In Asian cuisine and elsewhere, many dishes are flavored with the root. In the Jamaican kitchen, there is the ginger chicken, with orange rice and the sorrel drink. This is brewed at Christmas time with a type of orchid and refined with ginger and a dash of rum. Or how about spaghetti with ginger and turkey strips?

In Europe, the housewife uses ginger for pastries and sweet desserts, (English) jam, pickles pumpkin, and gherkins, or makes liqueur and brews tea with it. Popular snacks made from ginger are candied, sugared, and chocolate-covered pieces, sticks, lemonade (ginger ale), or chutneys with fish dishes.

4) Deacidify the body with ginger

The substances contained in the miracle tuber can bind excess acids. It is therefore extremely suitable for combating acidification in the body. Therefore, cut ginger into small pieces and pour hot water over it. Then let the ginger water cool down before you consume it throughout the day.

5) Stimulate digestion

If you need a home remedy for constipation, use ginger. Because the tuber stimulates digestion and helps to clean the intestines effectively. For it to work, integrate the spice root into your food or drink it in the form of tea or ginger water. As a result, the digestive problems are quickly resolved.

6) As a home remedy for nausea

You can also use ginger as a home remedy for nausea. Because it effectively reduces the urge to vomit and nausea. Although it is not yet known exactly how this effect occurs, it is certain that it works. Therefore, you should have enough ginger with you on your next flight or boat trip. Ginger can also counteract nausea caused by chemotherapy.

7) Use ginger for heartburn

Since the ingredients of the root bind acids, you can use them as a home remedy for heartburn. In addition, it has a calming and anti-inflammatory effect. This quickly relieves the symptoms of heartburn.

8) Effective for relieving pain

Pain can also be relieved by the daily and regular intake of ginger. The anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effect of the tuber was proven. Osteoarthritis patients in particular can benefit from this. In addition, also note our natural home remedies for rheumatism.

9) Fight cold sores with ginger

Since the miracle tuber is said to have an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect, you can also use it as a home remedy for cold sores. For this, you should press a fresh slice of the tuber on the affected area at the first sign of herpes. Then repeat the process a few times.

10) Effectively relieve muscle spasms

If you suffer from muscle cramps from time to time, the miracle tuber can also help to relieve the pain. Since, as already mentioned, it contains substances that have a pain-relieving effect. Consequently, you can prevent muscle pain with ginger tea. You can also do a ginger poultice if you are in severe pain. To do this, heat-sliced ​​ginger in water for half an hour. Then soak a cloth in the brew and wrap it around the affected area.

Researchers at Columbia University in New York have shown in a new study that ginger water helps you lose weight. The reason is the active ingredients in the ginger root.

Losing weight with ginger through capsaicin and gingerol

According to a study by Columbia University in New York, the reason for the positive effect are certain “sharpening agents” in the ginger root, which stimulate the metabolism. These contain the active ingredients capsaicin and gingerol, which trigger a heat stimulus when consumed. The human body reacts to this with increased blood flow and sweating to cool down the overheated body. The physical reaction in turn activates the metabolism and thus consumes additional calories.

Spicy food helps you lose weight

The fact that spicy food generally helps with weight loss has already been shown by test persons who felt less cravings for salty, fatty and sweet foods by seasoning their main meals with chili. The participants also felt less hungry with ginger tea or similar hot drinks.

How to make ginger water yourself

Ginger not only tastes good in warm but also in cold drinks. To make ginger water, you first peel the bulb and cut it into thin slices, which you put in a liter of water. The water should then simmer for around 20 minutes and then cool down. You can “spice up” the drink with a little lemon juice. Alternatively, so-called “ginger shots” can also be used.

Are you looking for the perfect summer drink? Then you should try this ginger elderflower lemon ice tea with honey. The alcohol-free refreshment tastes delicious and is really healthy. Here is the recipe.

Recipe: Ginger-lemon iced tea with honey and elderflower

You need this for one liter of iced tea
A thumb-sized piece of ginger
Three to four tablespoons of elderflower syrup*
A tablespoon of honey
juice of a lemon
It’s that easy
Wash ginger and cut into thin slices
Pour a liter of boiling water over it and let it steep for at least 10 minutes
Add elderflower syrup, honey and lemon juice
Remove pieces of ginger, stir, allow to cool, add ice cubes and enjoy
A few more tips
You can peel the ginger, but you don’t have to – just wash it
The longer you let the ginger steep, the more intense or spicier the tea will be
If the iced tea tastes too sweet according to the recipe, simply reduce the amount of syrup and honey accordingly

By the way: You can easily grow ginger in a pot or in the garden yourself. Cut a thumb-sized piece with a “bud” off a ginger root, soak it in water overnight, and plant it the next day, about an inch deep. Water regularly and after just a few months you will have your own ginger plant at home, whose bulb you can harvest and eat as soon as the leaves turn brown. I’ve tried it myself, it works – even if the tuber harvested was admittedly not very large.

Ginger is trendy – whether in dishes, as a refreshing drink or tea: the yellow tuber is considered healthy. But can you eat them raw?

Healthy root: ginger

Ginger is considered very healthy. It contains, for example, essential oils, potassium and vitamin C. Ginger is said to strengthen the immune system and have a positive effect on blood circulation and digestion. You can also take it for nausea or pain.

Consume ginger properly

Ginger is often found in dishes or as a tea. But you can also eat it raw. If the tuber comes from conventional cultivation, the skin can be contaminated with pesticides; therefore, it makes sense to peel the ginger before eating it. However, you can buy organic ginger and usually eat it unpeeled after washing it thoroughly.

Caution: Raw ginger is very spicy. Some of the spiciness is lost during cooking; if you eat ginger raw, this is not the case and more positive ingredients are retained. If you don’t like spicy food or can’t, you should be careful. Also, you shouldn’t eat raw ginger for long periods of time; the daily amount should not exceed about fifty grams. Otherwise you can get flatulence, diarrhea or heartburn.

Losing weight with ginger is just one of the many effects that the healthy root is said to have. We have summarized for you what is involved and the results of studies.

Various foods are said to help you lose weight – including ginger. The hot tuber is known for its healthy effect on the human organism. The influence on our digestion is also not new. In traditional Ayurvedic nutrition, ginger is said to stimulate the digestive fire (Agni).

In this article you will find out whether losing weight with ginger works, how the tuber affects our metabolism and what you should pay attention to.

Losing weight with ginger: the study situation

Numerous studies have looked at the effects of ginger on our digestion and metabolism to find out if losing weight with ginger is possible. The pungent substances contained are primarily responsible for the effect on our digestion. We have compiled the results of the studies for you:
A superordinate study from 2019 evaluated data from previous studies with overweight participants and came to the following conclusions:
Ginger can successfully help reduce body weight and has had a positive effect on the waist-to-hip ratio.
Ginger also lowers blood sugar levels. As a result, the body uses the fat reserves more quickly to generate energy.
In addition, the tuber increased the healthy HDL cholesterol in the blood.
However, not all studies come to the same conclusion. Another study from 2012 found no significant effect of ginger on body weight. On the other hand, ginger was able to reduce the appetite of the participants.
A pilot study of overweight men also found that ginger curbs appetite and increases satiety.
Another study in 24 healthy volunteers found that taking ginger before a meal stimulates digestion and causes food to be digested faster. This effect also relieves digestive problems, such as bloating.
Examination of the blood lipid levels of a double-blind clinical study with 85 subjects showed that the LDL cholesterol levels of the participants treated with ginger decreased significantly.
This effect could be valuable for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in the future. A 2017 study involving 45 diabetic patients showed that ginger has a positive effect on blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

Losing weight with ginger: our conclusion

Losing weight with ginger alone is not possible. For this, ginger would either have to prevent nutrient absorption or significantly increase consumption. However, there is no scientific evidence for this. The healthy tuber cannot replace a balanced diet and sufficient exercise. However, the effects of ginger can help you lose weight.

So you can definitely benefit from the healthy effects of ginger. You don’t have to eat a lot of the spicy tuber for this. In the studies mentioned, one to three grams of ginger were used daily for several weeks.

It is also worth including ginger in your diet because of its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. You have countless options:
To get your metabolism going in the morning, you can prepare ginger water or ginger tea. This way you don’t take in any extra calories.
Golden milk, a popular drink from Ayurvedic nutrition, is also a great way to eat fresh ginger.
You can also use ginger to flavor your dishes. The spicy note of ginger refines soups, stews or curries. How about carrot and ginger soup, for example?
Tip: Other herbal remedies such as cinnamon, cumin or apple cider vinegar can also help you lose weight.

You only need a small piece of fresh ginger for most dishes.

Tip 1 for correct storage: Don’t buy too much ginger

If you want to enjoy fresh ginger for as long as possible, you must not buy old tubers. Old ginger is very difficult to store. You can recognize fresh produce by the fact that the tuber feels firm and heavy. Ginger that is no longer as dewy is softer and has a wrinkled skin.

Also, don’t buy too much ginger at once. For most recipes you only need a few slices, the rest is often forgotten and eventually ends up in the bin. So you should consider beforehand how much ginger you need and how you want to use it.

Tip 2: Store ginger outside of the refrigerator

If your fresh ginger root is still unpeeled and uncut, you can store it in a dark and cool place outside the refrigerator. The pantry is best for this. You can store fresh ginger there for several weeks. Wrap it up completely in a paper towel beforehand and then put it in a sealable container or paper bag.

Sliced ​​ginger can also be stored outside the refrigerator for some time. Store it in a dark and cool place. While the interface may become a bit woody and hard over time, the ginger flesh stays fresh and you can keep using it.

Tip 3: Store cut ginger in the fridge

If you want to store cut ginger in the fridge, you should make sure that it is kept as airtight as possible. There is high humidity in the refrigerator, which promotes the formation of mold in food.
Option 1: To prevent the ginger cut from drying out too much, you can cover it with reusable beeswax towels instead of plastic or aluminum foil. Place the fully wrapped ginger in a sealable can or paper bag.
Option 2: Alternatively, you can slightly dampen a cloth kitchen towel and wrap the ginger in it before storing it in the crisper of the fridge.

You can use these methods to keep sliced ​​ginger fresh in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.

Tip 4: Freeze fresh ginger

If you always want to have a supply of ginger on hand, you can also freeze it. Proceed as follows:
Method 1: ginger pile
Peel the ginger and then grate it finely.
Use a spoon to form small mounds of the grated ginger.
Put these piles on a plate, which you then put in the freezer.
Once the ginger mounds are frozen, you can remove them from the plate and place them in a freezer bowl.
Method 2: ginger slices
Peel the ginger.
Cut it into strips or slices.
Place in a freezer-safe container and freeze.
You can pour hot water over the heaps or slices of ginger to make ginger tea or add them to dishes. Processed like this, the ginger will keep in the freezer for about 3 to 6 months.

Tip 5: Pot ginger and plant it yourself

Ginger is one of those foods that grows back on its own. This means that you can easily keep fresh ginger bulbs alive by planting them one at a time. In this way, you can also recycle ginger bulbs that have already sprouted. The ginger pieces sprout and form reed-like plants. After some time you can harvest fresh ginger bulbs for kitchen use.

Here you can find out how to plant ginger yourself.

Tip 6: Preserve ginger by pickling it

To prevent ginger from spoiling or becoming too woody and dry, you can preserve it by pickling it. Peeled, cut, grated and preserved in a vinegar broth, the ginger prepared in this way can be kept for up to six months. Pickled ginger is particularly popular with sushi.

Here are the instructions on how to pickle ginger.

Peeling ginger is only necessary if it is a bit older or not from organic farming. On this page we will show you why this is the case and how best to remove the shell.

Peel ginger: when is it necessary and when not?

Ginger is considered antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. But most of the active ingredients are located directly under the shell. For this reason, it makes sense not to peel the ginger but to process it directly. For example, cut it into small pieces and make your own ginger tea from it.

You don’t have to peel fresh organic ginger. The organic seal guarantees that the ginger has not been treated with synthetic chemical pesticides. Nevertheless, you should wash it thoroughly and clean it with a vegetable brush.
If the ginger is a bit older, you should remove the peel. It often tastes woody, and that flavor can carry over into the food, tea, or soda.
If the tuber comes from conventional agriculture, you should also peel the ginger. It was probably treated with pesticides.
You can also plant ginger yourself. It’s worth it, for example, if the ginger sprout or you can’t use everything.

Remove the ginger peel – instructions

Removing the peel from the ginger is often not that easy. Because the shape of the ginger, the leaf scars and the many outgrowths make it difficult to peel. How to do it anyway:

The easiest way to peel ginger is with a vegetable peeler. First you save excesses and then peel them off with a normal kitchen knife.
If you prefer to grab the kitchen knife right away, just use it to scrape off the skin. With fresh ginger, the skin is very thin and the flesh of the ginger is hard. Therefore, scraping goes without problems.
Even suitable for children: You can also easily remove the soft, thin shell with a teaspoon. Hold the spoon firmly and simply scrape the edge over the surface. The skin peels off like this, you can get into all the difficult spots and on top of that you only have very little section. So there is no risk of injury here.

Many people cannot imagine eating raw ginger. But the spicy root is very healthy and raw you can benefit even more from the nutrients in ginger.

Eat ginger raw – you should pay attention to that

If you want to eat ginger raw, you should remember that conventionally grown ginger has usually been treated with pesticides. In this case, it is important to peel ginger. However, most of the nutrients are hidden directly under the skin. That’s why we definitely advise you to buy the root from controlled organic cultivation or to plant ginger yourself.

Due to its sharpness, raw ginger is not for everyone. But: This effectively protects against an overdose, which could only be achieved with large quantities. Because if you eat too much raw ginger, this can sometimes lead to diarrhea, flatulence or heartburn. In general, you should not eat more than four grams of ginger per day for long periods of time.

Important: Contrary to popular belief, ginger does not thin blood.

Tip: A dried fig or prune goes great with raw ginger and softens the sharp taste.

Eating ginger – the benefits of the miracle tuber

The root, which comes from the Far East, is becoming increasingly popular, mainly because of its health effects. Rightly so: raw ginger in particular can provide valuable nutrients and help with numerous ailments.

Ginger provides magnesium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium and sodium. In addition, it is rich in vitamin C and healthy essential oils. Gingerol is primarily responsible for the sharp taste.

Many of these nutrients are heat sensitive, so it’s worth trying raw ginger. Vitamin C, for example, is one of the most heat-sensitive vitamins and can be lost significantly at high temperatures. The healthy gingerol is also particularly highly concentrated in raw ginger. Studies have shown this pungent substance to be useful in the fight against cancer cells.

This means that if you eat ginger raw, the fewest nutrients are lost. On the other hand, it is also particularly sharp.

Whether as ginger tea, ginger water or raw ginger: the rhizome has an antibacterial effect and inhibits the multiplication of viruses. It stimulates digestion and is good for the intestinal flora. In addition, ginger can promote blood circulation and stimulates the circulatory system. And since it protects against vomiting, a piece of ginger in your luggage is always a good idea. You can then eat it raw quickly on the train or bus without having to boil water first.