Ginger Water

On a trip to Belize we happened upon this local "fruit water". While technically ginger in not a fruit, it gets thrown in with other waters such as Jamica, Watermelon, and Lime.

We have developed a love of these different water drinks. They are particularly appealing in that they are all natural. No dye, no flavors, no artificial flavors. 

My husband is extremely fond of ginger in any and all forms, so when the waitress said that one of the drinks specials was ginger water he could not wait to try it. Once we did we had to ask how to make it ourselves. Turns out it is super easy.
There are many health benefits attributed to ginger, here are a few:
1. Ginger clears the ‘microcirculatory channels’ of the body, including the pesky sinuses that tend to flare up from time to time.
2. Feeling airsick or nauseous? Chew on ginger, preferably tossed in a little honey.
3. Tummy moaning and groaning under cramps? Munch on ginger.
4. Reeling under joint pain? Ginger, with its anti-inflammatory properties—can bring relief. Float some ginger essential oil in your bath to help aching muscles and joints.
5.Stir up some ginger tea to get rid of throat and nose congestion. And when there’s a nip in the air, the warming benefits of this tasty tea are even greater!
Our family has been using ginger for years to control car sickness, it works like a charm!

For all of you that like a natural drink with a clean and refreshing taste here is how to make it at home.

Start with about 3 or 4 good size pieces of fresh ginger.

Peel and chop into small pieces.

Place in a pan with the sweetener of your choice and about 4 cups of water. We use raw or turbinado sugar. You can use agave, stevia, honey, or processed sugar. Be cautious of using artificial sweeteners as they have a tendency to become bitter when heated. Bring this to a boil and cook until the water is reduced by at least 50%. We usually go down to about 25% to make a ginger flavored simple syrup. Stir occasionally to avoid burning the syrup.

Once your water has reduced, remove from heat and let sit for a while to cool. Pour through a strainer and store syrup in a container in the refrigerator. We usually make a couple of batches and put the first batch right into a half gallon pitcher with cold water. For us, we use about 1 cup of syrup to 3 cups of cold water. Give it a taste and adjust accordingly. I add a bit more water for mine, Todd likes his with more "bite" from the ginger. I also like to add a splash of the syrup to my iced tea for a more exotic tasting tea.