Ginger shot recipe

Ginger shot, an immune boosting drink made with fresh ginger, lemon & pantry staples. Learn to make the simplest wellness drink at home with my easy time-tested recipe. Invest just 5 minutes of your daily time into making this ginger shot, you will thank yourself later!! After experiencing the benefits of ginger shots for more than a decade I thought of sharing it here with all the details.

So what is a ginger shot? Ginger shot is a small concentrated, intensely flavored drink that is based largely on the juice of ginger root combined with lemon juice. It is further heightened with black pepper and sweetened with honey. In this homemade version we strike a balance of spicy, sweet and tangy tastes.

While it is certainly flavorful and delicious, some may find the flavor rather intense with a pretty strong kick of heat. But it really lasts just a few moments. Arguably, the benefits certainly outweigh the drawback of their intensity.

Ginger shot is a combination of ingredients that work together to deliver a number of health benefits. Unlike a glass of juice that one might sip to enjoy the flavor, these are swallowed quickly.

Homemade vs. Store Bought

There are a number of pre-bottled ginger shots available on the market. But when you are making a choice between the bottled variety and making them in your home kitchen, the choice is clear. Homemade is clearly better for a number of reasons.

First of all, when making them at home you are able to hand-select the ingredients. As is the case with all juices, organic is the best choice here. Because it limits the amount of chemicals in your diet, namely pesticides, fungicides, and fertilizers.

The second reason is that the benefits of the ginger begin to deteriorate as the juice oxidizes. The very optimal time frame for consumption is immediately after juicing.

For this reason, it is best not to freeze or store ginger shots for extended periods of time so as to derive maximum benefits. Finally, homemade ginger shots are less expensive than the store bought version. In the end, you are getting the most for your money which is always a wise choice.

What are ginger shots good for?

There are a number of reasons to add ginger shots to your daily health regimen. Since they possess powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, they benefit immune health, soothe nausea and digestive issues.

When should you drink ginger shot?

For full benefits, ginger shots are best when taken once a day, first thing in the morning, and on an empty stomach. It is strongly recommended that they be consumed in limited quantities, because they may cause heartburn and stomach acidity. It can be said of ginger shots that more is not necessarily better.

What are ginger shots made of?

Ginger

In India and China, it has long been understood that ginger has a lot of beneficial medicinal applications. Among those are anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It is believed to improve so many bodily functions including the brain and heart.

It is also widely used to treat a variety of digestive issues, such as nausea, while helping to fight colds and flu. Beyond that, it may even lower blood sugar levels when we incorporate it in our diet.

Lemon

Due to the high Vitamin C content of fresh lemon, it is a natural boost for your immune system. It is also believed to contain a number of antioxidants that cleans and detoxify your liver and digestive system.

Beyond those benefits, lemon juice may also aid in balancing your body’s pH level. It brings antibacterial and antiviral properties to the table, making it not only a beneficial ingredient, but a flavorful one.

Honey

Beyond tempering the heat and intense flavor of the ginger and lemon, honey contains amazing properties that help to boost immunity & fight infection. It also improves the digestive system as a natural cleanser. This is a real benefit to ginger shots.

In this recipe I recommend Manuka honey because it offers the best antibacterial/antiviral and antioxidant properties. Manuka honey is simply honey derived from the bees that feed on the manuka plant, which are found in New Zealand.

With that said, it stands to reason that it is more expensive than other widely available honey. If you are unable to get Manuka honey, raw honey is a suitable substitute. It is better than regular honey in that its properties are still intact.

Black pepper

Beyond adding a bit of heat to the ginger shot, black pepper contributes other health attributes. Specifically its active compound, piperine, is believed to enhance the absorption of certain nutrients. It further improves digestive health.

For these reasons, it stands to reason that the benefits are compatible with the other ingredients for optimal digestive health.

3 ways to make

Once you committed to making ginger shots at home, there are a couple of ways for you to get started.

1. Grate and extract the ginger juice manually. Then mix it with lemon juice.
2. Blend in a small grinder with lemon juice and then filter it.
3. Using a slow juicer is good if you are making at least 4 to 5 shots.

By far the first method is the best and I have been making our shots this way.

How to make ginger shots (stepwise photos)

1. Begin by rinsing the ginger well under running water. Scrub with a vegetable brush and rinse to remove any mud stuck there. Pat dry with kitchen papers or air dry.

2. Peel the ginger root with a spoon or table knife to remove the skin. Since I was making 3 servings, I peeled the full root. If making a single serving shot, peel only an inch of ginger (about 5 grams) keeping the rest intact so it can be used the next day.

3. Rinse and cut the lemon. Make sure you use fresh cut lemon every day.

4. Begin to grate the ginger.

5. I grate only as needed.

6. Place strainer over a cup and transfer the ginger to a fine strainer. Press down with a spoon to extract juice. Lastly squeeze the pulp with your fingers to extract as much as possible.

7. You will have clear ginger juice. Measure this as per your requirement. Here is the amount that we follow at home. 15 ml per adult, 5 ml for kids between 3 to 6 years and 10 ml for kids between 7 to 12 years. I separate the portions to small individual cups.

8. Squeeze the lemon.

9. Mix together ginger juice and lemon juice. Ginger shot is ready at this stage.

10. Adding honey and black pepper is optional. But we always add honey as we don’t have any diet restrictions. You may avoid it if you don’t prefer to begin your day with sweetener. I use 1 teaspoon honey per shot.

11. Honey takes a while to dissolve with the other ingredients. Stir it well. The color of your ginger shot depends on the kind of honey used.

Tip: Avoid using more than 15 ml ginger in each shot. You can add more lemon juice but not more ginger juice as it can cause heartburn & acidity.

Consume ginger shot immediately on an empty stomach. We usually do not consume anything for at least 25 to 30 mins after having this.

We don’t consume ginger shots through out year. But seasonally whenever we feel the need. We continue it for 2 to 3 weeks max. Restrict the shots for kids to 5 to 7 days unless it is winter.

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Disclaimer: This post is for information purpose only. It should not be considered for treatment or cure of any disease. Ginger shots are not suitable to everyone so please check with your doctor if you are on medication.