With the arrival of the cold-and-cough season, you may be thinking about cooking up a big batch of chicken soup as a cure for what ails us. I love the stuff, too, but I suggest you stock up on some fresh ginger root instead. Of all the home remedies out there, I have found tea, prepared with fresh ginger, to be the most effective.
Ginger Tea is easy to make (and is much cheaper than chicken soup). Essentially, there's nothing to do but chop up some fresh ginger root, combine it with water and let it simmer. When you're done, you're looking at a potent, clean-out-your-sinuses beverage that's ready to sip. I've provided a recipe below, but there's no need to be so formal. You can wing it and you'll be fine.
If one potful of the tea doesn't entirely vanquish your cold, you can return the chunks to the saucepan, add fresh water and repeat the process. A single crop of chopped ginger can keep a pot going all day.
Ginger Tea
4 ounces fresh ginger root
1 1/2 tablespoons honey, divided, or to taste
4 lemon wedges
Rinse the ginger, cut off any bruised spots and cut it into (roughly) 1/2-inch pieces.
In a medium saucepan, combine the ginger with 4 cups cold water and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover partially and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste, and if strong enough, strain and pour into mugs. Add 1 teaspoon honey or more if desired to each portion and serve with a wedge of lemon.
Makes 4 servings.
Food on 02/07/2018