Lemon, Ginger, Turmeric Tea Ice Cubes
Learn how to make lemon, ginger, and turmeric tea ice cubes and turn them into an anti-inflammatory drink to serve cold or hot.
Servings: 50 ice cubes
Calories: 27kcal
Equipment
- 1 Soup pot
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Sharp knife
- 1 Large bowl
- 1 Spider strainer or slotted spoon
- 1 Ladle
- 1 Spice grinder or mini-chop Alternatively, you can transfer dried solids to a plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin or other heavy weight.
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh ginger, chopped If organic, leave unpeeled. If non-organic, peel. See Recipe Notes for powdered alternatives.
- 1/2 pound fresh turmeric, chopped If organic, leave unpeeled. If non-organic, peel. See Recipe Notes for powdered alternatives.
- 6 large lemons If using other citrus, refer to Recipe Notes below
- 1/8 - 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper, optional
- 6 cups water
Instructions
- Add the chopped ginger and turmeric to the soup pot. (If using the powdered form, add to the soup pot. See Recipe Notes.)
- Zest lemons, and add zest to the soup pot.
- Slice lemons in half and juice. Set juice aside.
- Chop lemon pith and pulp, and add to soup pot.
- Fill the soup pot with water.
- Bring mixture to a boil over high heat on the stovetop and then immediately turn to low.
- Cover the soup pot and allow the mixture to simmer for 1 hour.
- If using black pepper, add to soup pot at the last 5 minutes of simmering time.
- After 1 hour, turn off the heat, remove the soup lid, and using a spider strainer or slotted spoon, remove the solids from the liquid and transfer the solids to a bowl. Set the solids aside. (See Recipe Notes.)
- Using a ladle, pour the liquid through a mesh strainer placed over a bowl. This will catch any bits and bobs that the spider strainer missed.
- Allow the liquid in the bowl to cool to room temperature, then add the lemon juice and stir well to incorporate.
- Ladle the mixture into ice cube trays and transfer the trays to the freezer for at least for 4 hours or until completely frozen.
- Once frozen, transfer the ice cubes to a freezer-proof container or bag and place them n the freezer.
- The Lemon, Ginger, Turmeric Tea Ice Cubes will maintain their efficacy for up to 6 months.
- To make an iced beverage, place 4 ice cubes in a tall glass and fill the glass with sparkling water. Sweeten with simple syrup made from a whole sweetener, if desired. Stir well and enjoy!
- To make a hot beverage, place 1 ice cube in a tea cup or 2 ice cubes in a mug and fill with hot water from a tea kettle. Stir until the ice cube(s) dissolve. Sweeten with a whole sweetener such as honey or Sucanat, if desired. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Substituting powdered ginger (also known as ground ginger): In place of fresh ginger, use 1 1/2 tablespoons of powdered ginger.
Substituting powdered turmeric (also known as ground turmeric): In place of fresh turmeric, use 3/4 tablespoons of powdered turmeric.
Substituting lemons: You can use 6 limes (8 if they are small), 4 oranges, or 2 grapefruit.
What to do with solids removed from liquid:
- Working in batches, blend all the solids with water to create a slurry.
- Line two half-sheet baking pans with parchment paper and divide the slurry between the pans.
- Spread the slurry across the parchment paper as thin as possible using a spatula.
- Dry the slurry in an oven set to its lowest setting.
- Dry the slurry till it becomes crisp. This may take 6 hours or longer.
- Break crisps into shards and grind into a powder.
- Store powder in a glass jar in a cool dark pantry.
- Add up to a tablespoon of the powder to smoothies or to a teacup or mug to which you add hot water to make a tea.
Nutrition
Calories: 27kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 170mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 3IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 2mg