Homemade Ginger Juice – refreshingly tangy, minty and sweet with a zing natural drink made with only 5 simple ingredients. Replace sugar with honey, and you have one wholesome detoxifying drink that can either be served hot or cold!
There’s no way I would turn down a fresh cold drink of natural juices over sodas. As much as everybody wants those store-bought canned or bottled sodas, I’m more of a pineapple, ginger, lemon juice kind of girl. I don’t mind all the extra work instead of just popping a bottle cap.
Soda tends to push you for another round of drinks. Just imagine all the preservatives you’re shoving down your throat in just a bottle of it! And that’s not the end of it. They keep you feeling bloated compared to natural juices.
So for today, let me share with you one of my favorite summer natural drinks – Ginger Juice!
Is Drinking Ginger Juice Good For You?
Ginger root has been known for its various health benefits dating back thousands of years ago. The spicy pungent zingy ginger juice that we have today packs a lot of benefits that would perhaps convince you to drink it more often even during cold days.
Health Benefits of Ginger Juice
Relieves Cold and Congestion. Aaah. Every mom that I knew back in Cameroon knows the sought-power of ginger as a cold remedy. Ginger juice is served warm and drank at least 2-3 times a day to cure the cold and also sore throats.
Improves Digestion. Unlike sodas that keep you bloated, ginger juice aids in proper digestion. It stimulates the production of saliva which helps moisten our food intake, thus properly breaking it down.
Pain Reliever. You might have heard this one already. Ginger juice is well-known for its anti-inflammatory properties that also acts as a pain reliever. Got a toothache? Keep a small chunk of ginger between your cheek and tooth and let the natural juices from it do the work. You can even massage your skin with a mixture of ginger juice and olive oil as a remedy for back pain.
Controls High Blood Pressure. Many health articles and health experts would claim how a certain chemical compound in ginger helps reduce hypertension. It also helps lower the bad cholesterol in your body which causes heart disease.
Do You Peel Ginger Before Juicing?
Yes, you need to. Although its skin is edible and not necessarily harmful, ginger skins tends to taste bitter over time which could heavily affect our homemade juice.
How To Juice Ginger?
There are actually a couple of methods to extract juice from ginger root – from the no-fuss to the arm wrestling method. Either way, you’ll be rewarded with the health benefits and versatility of this wonderful healing homemade juice.
Using a Juicer
You can juice fresh ginger using an electronic juicer like all other vegetables and fruits. This time around, there’s no need for you to peel the ginger before juicing it as the juicer will extract the juice from the skin and pulp. However, you need to wash it first and examine for any bad or moldy spots.
Using a Food Processor or Blender
This second method requires a bit more effort compared to the first one. For this recipe, I wash and then peel the ginger. Then cut them into rough chunks, enough to easily blend in a blender or food processor. Moreover, I blend it then with a cup of water until its thick and pasty. Then finally add some warm water into it and sieve using a cheesecloth. Squeeze to extract the juice and then discard the pulp.
Using a Grater
If you don’t have any of those two above, you can simply juice the ginger using a box grater. It may require some muscle toughness from you, but it’s all going to be worth it. Shred the ginger directly on a cheesecloth set over a bowl to catch all the juice and then squeeze the juice out from the shredded ginger. Or you can use the water addition method mentioned above.
Using a Garlic Press
If you only need a small amount of ginger juice (you know, for salads or tea), you can just use a garlic press. Simply peel off and cut a small piece of ginger to fit inside the garlic press and squeeze it all together.
How Long Does Ginger Juice Last?
You can store this homemade juice in a glass bottle or pitcher in the fridge for about a week. And sometimes, I pour them into the ice cube tray and freeze. Oooh, you’ve got to try this method!
This ice cube juice is perfect for smoothies, drinking water, cocktails, and cold tea! I’ve also tried adding them on salad dressings and they work fine. You’ll be surprised with all the possibilities!
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How To Make Ginger Juice
Peel ginger using a knife or spoon to remove skin. Crush mint in a small bowl using a small pestle ( I used a wooden lemon juicer). Set aside. Then chop ginger into rough chunks, small enough to easily blend in a blender or food processor. An alternative method would be to use a microplane or fine edge of a grater . Do not cut ginger in chunks if using a grater to grate the ginger. Bring about 7 cups of water to a boil. Use a kettle or pot. While water is heating up, place ginger into a blender, cover with 1 cup water, and blend until ginger is thick and pasty.
Add ginger paste in a large bowl with mints and boiled water.
Sieve ginger using cheese cloth over large bowl or cup, then squeeze out juice from ginger and let it fall into the bowl. Discard the remaining paste. Stir lemon juice and sugar into ginger juice until sugar has dissolved and serve garnished with mint leaves. Serve with ice if desired. Some people like it hot.
Watch How To Make It
Homemade Ginger Juice
Ingredients
- 4 ounce fresh ginger root , (about 1 cup chopped peeled ginger)
- 14- 16 leaves fresh mint
- 6 -7 cups water , (adjust to desired strength,with more or less)
- 2 large lemons , juiced
- 1 cup white sugar , (sub with honey, see notes)
Instructions
- Peel ginger using a knife or spoon to remove skin.
- Crush mint in a small bowl using a small pestle ( I used a wooden lemon juicer). Set aside.
- Then chop ginger into rough chunks, small enough to easily blend in a blender or food processor. An alternative method would be to use a microplane or fine edge of a grater. Do not cut ginger in chunks if using a grater to grate the ginger.
- Bring about 7 cups of water to a boil. Use a kettle or pot.
- While water is heating up, place ginger into a blender, cover with 1 cup water, and blend until ginger is thick and pasty.
- Add ginger paste in a large bowl with mints and boiled water.
- Sieve ginger using cheese cloth over large bowl or cup, then squeeze out juice from ginger and let it fall into the bowl. Discard the remaining paste.
- Stir lemon juice and sugar into ginger juice until sugar has dissolved and serve garnished with mint leaves.
- Serve with ice if desired. Some people like it hot.
Tips & Notes:
- During winter , it will be best to drink it hot.
- You can also add honey in place of sugar, as honey gives a sweet natural aroma.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition Information:
Elisabeth Mireille says
What you are doing it just incredible. A great cook. The greatest of the world!
Imma says
Wonderful! Thank you so much for the feedback 🙂 And if there’s a recipe you’d love to see, please let me know. Thanks:)
Jody adams says
You Don’t seem to address making the recipe after you have juiced the ginger and a juicer. I’m assuming you wouldn’t make the paste and have to put boiling water over it and then sieve it out. Can you just mix the mint leaves in with the Ginger in the juicer. Do you still boil 7 cups of water and add the juice from the juicer to that? Then out of the lemon juice?
Imma says
Thanks for visiting. Step 6 has you mix the ginger, mint, and hot water. Then step 7 instructs you to strain out the pulp. After that, you can add lemon juice and sugar to taste. I hope that clears up the confusion. Please let me know how it goes.
Oh, you could also use half the hot water, then when ready to serve, replace the other half with sparkling water for an incredibly refreshing soda.
Justina Morally-Bell says
Great recipe. I’m 7 months pregnant and this eased my nausea within minutes of drinking a glass.
Imma says
Amazing to hear, best of luck to you. You may enjoy healthy life and have a very cute and healthy baby 🙂