Our poor friend had a very upset stomach this weekend. Isn’t it the worst when your loved ones are suffering, but you’re too far to really do anything to help? While chatting on the phone, we of course ended up talking about ginger, which is truly one of nature’s medicines: it cures all kinds of digestion issues, and then some.
One of our favorite simple recipes with ginger is a concentrated syrup that we use to make ginger ale. And it isn’t only for illness! You’ll taste a lot more ginger and a lot less sugar than in store-bought ginger ale, making it extremely refreshing on a hot day, without making you feel as if your teeth are rotting out of your head. Or you can (and we recommend you do) punch it up with some dark rum for a twist on a Dark & Stormy. What’s great about this recipe is that you can always adjust the ratio of syrup to sparkling water, so that your glass of ginger ale is just right for you.
Making ginger syrup requires a little time, but hardly any work. You could probably double or triple the recipe, as the syrup will save in the refrigerator for awhile, but this batch seems just the right size for us.
What are your remedies for an upset tummy? Here‘s another of ours.
And what are your other uses for ginger?
P.S. Did you know that ginger is a rhizome? (Nerd alert: This will forever make Megan remember the traumatic experience of having to read Deleuze and Guattari).
Homemade Ginger Syrup (print here)
Ingredients
- 8 ounces ginger root, roughly chopped (200 grams)
- 4 cups distilled or filtered water (1000 milliliters)
- 1 lemon
- 4 tablespoons honey (80 grams)
- ¾ cup sugar (150 grams)
- Pinch of salt
- Dash of nutmeg
- 3 cinnamon sticks
Directions
In a medium pot, steep the ginger in the filtered water, covered, at a very low boil for one to two hours. Cut the lemon in half, squeeze the juice into the pot, and drop in the halves. Bring to a boil, cover again, and maintain at a low boil for 10 minutes. Stir in the sugar and honey until dissolved, and remove frome heat. Add salt and nutmeg and let cool for about an hour. Strain into a jar that contains the cinnamon sticks (try using cheesecloth, a mesh strainer, or a coffee filter). The ginger syrup will pick up cinnamon flavor over time, so remove it when it tastes good to you, after at least a day and perhaps up to a week or two. Store the syrup in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and it should last at least a few weeks. It will be cloudy and have sediment that you can either stir up with each use, or discard when you reach the end.
Leftovers
To make ginger ale, simply mix the syrup with sparkling water and serve over ice (extra credit: add a fun straw). You can adjust the ratio to your taste; we prefer approximately one part syrup to three parts sparkling water.
How about an updated Dark & Stormy? Mix equal parts dark rum, ginger syrup, and sparkling water. Serve over ice. Again, you can adjust the ratios to your liking.
The Leftovers Project 