Homemade Ginger Juice – Refreshingly tangy, minty, and sweet with a satisfying zing, homemade ginger juice is a natural drink with only five simple ingredients. Replace sugar with honey, and you have a wholesome detoxifying drink to serve either hot or cold!
When I was young, ginger juice was my aunt’s favorite home remedy. When I had a cold or a stomachache, Auntie would whip up a batch of her famous ginger juice and nurse me back to health. And really, its health benefits are staggering!
But no rules say you can only enjoy this tasty beverage when you’re sick! I love to serve it hot for a cozy afternoon tea. But it’s also super delicious served cold over ice for a refreshing summer cool-down. This fragrant, zippy concoction will absolutely brighten up your day!
What Are Ginger Juice Health Benefits?
I’m no doctor, but Medical News Today has a lot of good information.
- Relieves Cold and Congestion: My aunt knew best! It can relieve the congestion that comes with a cold. Many believe ginger supports the immune system, which may help protect against illnesses like the common cold.
- Improves Digestion: Unlike sodas that make 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. It’s well-known for its anti-inflammatory properties that also act as a pain reliever. You can even massage your skin with ginger juice and olive oil as a remedy for back pain.
- Controls High Blood Pressure: Many health articles and experts claim ginger’s chemical compounds help reduce hypertension. They also say it can lower the bad cholesterol in your body, which causes heart disease.
Recipe Ingredients
- Ginger – The key player in this recipe, ginger is both delicious and healthy!
- Mint provides a bright, herby flavor to the juice.
- Lemons add a little extra zest and a Vitamin C boost.
- Sugar delivers a touch of sweetness and balances well with the tangy ginger.
How to Make Homemade Ginger Juice
- Wash the ginger. Then peel it using a knife or spoon to remove the skin.
- Prepare Mint – Crush mint in a small bowl using a small mortar and pestle. Set aside.
- Chop the Ginger into rough chunks, but small enough to easily blend in a blender or food processor. An alternative would be to use a microplane or fine edge of a grater. Don’t cut ginger into chunks if using a grater to grate the ginger.
- Boil Water – Bring about 7 cups of water to a boil in a kettle or pot.
- Blend – While the water is heating up, place ginger into a blender, cover it with 1 cup of water and blend until the ginger is thick and pasty.
- Mix the ginger paste in a large bowl with mint and boiled water.
- Strain – Sieve ginger using cheesecloth over a large bowl or cup, then squeeze the juice from the ginger and let it drain into the bowl. Discard the remaining paste.
- Flavor – Stir lemon juice and sugar into ginger juice until the sugar dissolves, and serve garnished with mint leaves. Serve hot or cold over ice.
Recipe Variations
- Swap the Sweetener – You can replace the sugar with a natural sweetener like honey. Or swap it with maple syrup for a caramelly richness.
- Go Coconutty – Add a splash of coconut water to your glass to give your juice nutty, slightly salty tones.
- Bring on the Bubbly – Cut the water in half and prepare as usual. Then when ready to serve, replace the other half with sparkling water for a zesty, bubbly soda.
- Go Mellow – Add a touch of vanilla extract to the ginger juice. The mildness of vanilla is a great complement to ginger’s tanginess! Add one teaspoon per cup of juice and gradually increase according to your tastes.
Ginger Juicing Tips and Tricks
Are you wondering how best to juice ginger? There are a few methods to extract juice from the rhizome – 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.
Juicer – You can juice fresh ginger using an electronic juicer. With this method, there’s no need to peel it before juicing it, as the juicer will extract the juice from the skin and pulp. However, please wash and check it for bad or moldy spots.
Food Processor or Blender – Wash and peel the ginger and cut it into rough chunks. Next, blend the ginger with a cup of water until it’s thick and pasty. Finally, add some warm water and strain it using a cheesecloth. Squeeze to extract the juice, and then discard the pulp.
Grater -If you don’t have a juicer or a blender, you can juice the ginger with a box grater. 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.
Garlic Press -If you only need a small amount (you know, for salads or tea), you can use a garlic press. Just peel and cut a small piece of ginger to fit inside the garlic press and squeeze.
Make-Ahead Instructions
Fresh juice is best when consumed immediately after preparation. However, ginger juice is magic because it’s delicious hot or cold. You can prepare the juice ahead and let it cool in the fridge from 30 minutes to a couple of hours before drinking.
Serving and Storage Instructions
You can store homemade ginger juice in a glass bottle or pitcher in the fridge for up to 5 days. Remember to shake well before serving.
Are you looking for creative ways to use leftover ginger juice? I like to freeze it in ice cube trays. Then pop the frozen juice cubes into a smoothie, cup of hot water, cold tea, or a cocktail. It brightens up any beverage!
FAQs
I’m not a doctor, but most health websites recommend consuming no more than 4 grams of ginger per day and less if you’re pregnant. And of course, it’s always good to see a doctor if you have questions or specific medical conditions. But don’t worry, anywhere between 2-4 grams will give you all the health and taste benefits of this mouthwatering drink!
Yes, washing is highly recommended. Although the juicer will extract the peel, ginger is a root, so washing is essential to removing dirt and debris.
Oh yes, you can! A shot of rum or tequila is wonderfully warming whether your ginger juice is hot or cold. And a splash of cranberry-flavored vodka isn’t bad, either.
What to Serve With Ginger Juice
Ginger juice and savory snacks are a magnificent combination! I love sipping juice while munching homemade pita chips dipped in creamy hummus. Or try crispy plantain chips dipped in mango salsa for an exotic twist.
If you’re in the mood for cozy, hot ginger juice pairs nicely with cranberry orange scones and strawberry banana bread for a comforting afternoon snack.
More Thirst-Quenching Drink Recipes to Try
Conclusion
A handful of flavor powerhouses come together to create a delicious, refreshing, healthy beverage guaranteed to cool you off in the summer and keep you cozy in winter! Do you prefer to drink ginger juice hot or cold? Cast your vote in the comments below!
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”9vjDwuqb” upload-date=”2019-10-17T11:55:10.000Z” name=”Homemade Ginger Juice” description=”Homemade Ginger Juice – refreshingly tangy, minty and sweet with a zing natural drink made with only 5 simple ingredients.”]
This blog post was originally published in July 2019 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
Homemade Ginger Juice
Ingredients
- 4 ounces (113g) ginger root (about 1 cup chopped and peeled)
- 14-16 leaves fresh mint
- 6-7 cups (1.5-1.7ml) water (adjust to the desired strength with more or less)
- 2 large lemons, juiced
- 1 cup (200g) white sugar (sub with honey)
Instructions
- Peel the ginger using a knife or spoon to remove the skin.
- Crush mint in a small bowl using a small mortar and pestle (I used a wooden lemon juicer). Set aside.
- Then chop ginger into rough chunks, small enough to blend easily in a blender or food processor. An alternative method would be to use a microplane or fine edge of a grater. (Don't cut ginger in chunks if using a grater to grate the ginger.)
- Bring about 7 cups of water to a boil in a kettle or pot.
- While water is heating, place ginger into a blender, cover with 1 cup water, and blend until the ginger is thick and pasty.
- Add the ginger paste to a large bowl with mint and boiled water.
- Strain ginger in cheesecloth over a large bowl or cup, then squeeze the juice from the ginger paste and let it fall into the bowl. Discard the remaining pulp.
- Stir lemon juice and sugar into ginger juice until the sugar dissolves, and serve garnished with mint leaves.
- Serve with ice if desired. Some people like it hot.
Tips & Notes:
- It’s so delicious hot in the winter.
- Honey is a great replacement for sugar if you want natural sweetness.
- Juicer – You can juice fresh ginger using an electronic juicer. With this method, there’s no need to peel the ginger before juicing it, as the juicer will extract the juice from the skin and pulp. However, please wash and check it for bad or moldy spots.
- Food Processor or Blender – Wash and peel the ginger and cut it into rough chunks. Next, blend the ginger with a cup of water until it’s thick and pasty. Finally, add some warm water and strain it using a cheesecloth. Squeeze to extract the juice, and then discard the pulp.
- Grater – If you don’t have a juicer or a blender, you can juice the ginger with a box grater. 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.
- Garlic Press – If you only need a small amount of ginger juice (you know, for salads or tea), you can use a garlic press. Just peel and cut a small piece of ginger to fit inside the garlic press and squeeze.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.
Sub zero says
I have been drinking ginger juice for some years now and it has really helped me alot. I normally dont peel the skin but I make sure it’s well washed and clean. I use to be very bad in bed but when I started drinking this ginger juice, it has really improved my sex life and its really good for men and lots of it benefits.
Dennis Edward says
Early morning I have a ginger tea.It is very healthy.Some times I make ginger lemon juice.You can have it any time.
Some times I use ginger extract also.
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome!! Thanks for sharing, Dennis!
Crazyjuicer.com says
can i use turmeric with ginger?
ImmaculateBites says
Sorry, I haven’t tried turmeric in ginger juice.
Melenie says
Yes absolutely. I have a tsp of tumeric powder with my ginger juice and lemon every morning. I have it hot like a cup of tea. My powder has peppering to aid absorption. You can add a small pinch of black pepper if you use the root or plain powder.
Leslie says
Thank you I was wondering the same thing I’m trying find different ways to use turmeric and I’ve found that using it in a beverage is the best way for me I’ll definitely try this
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome! Do let me know how it turns out for you, Leslie :).
Chloe pringle says
I have a great peeler for my Ginger root it’s works great. And then I juice the fresh ginger, and then I poured into my ice cube trays. When I want to fresh ginger juice in my tea or my fruit juices I pop out a cube of frozen ginger juice is truly great I love it hope this helps others. Thank you God bless
ImmaculateBites says
Genius!!! Thank you for the tip Chloe! Thanks for stopping by!
Barbara says
what’s the great peeler for the ginger root?
Randall says
Did not see Chloe’s reply. The best peeler that I have found is by Meissermeister- a serrated edge vertical swivel peeler around $8.00- you will never use another peeler again!
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome! Thanks for sharing :).
andrea Heath says
I leave the honey and suger out and just add it to my cup as needed YUMMY
Wixie Woodard says
Can I buy the lemon juice instead of a lemon
ImmaculateBites says
Yes you can.
Joan says
Can I use dates in place of honey or sugar
ImmaculateBites says
Yes you sure can.
Yvonne says
Hello can I please leave out the mint? I don’t have some
imma africanbites says
Hi, Yvonne. You can, but the taste won’t be the same. You can try this Pineapple Ginger Juice, though.. >> https://www.africanbites.com/pineapple-ginger-juicewest-african/
Osachu eses says
Can an ulcer person take it?
imma africanbites says
Hi. I’m in no position to provide a medical answer to your question. But you can check out this article though >> https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322740.php Thanks for stopping by!
Balikiss says
Thanks so much for enlightens, Pls how can I preserve it and can it last for 3month
ImmaculateBites says
Hello, Homemade Ginger juice is best served fresh. Can be refrigerated for a couple of days.
Shola Oyedokun says
Instead of honey or sugar you can also try freshly pressed sugarcane syrup.Addition of lemon grass is also a plus.
#celebrationsugarcane
#celebrationwaterandnaturalbeverages
Adaku Onyemelukwe says
I just came to this website for the first time looking for homemade Ginger juice recipe and I am really glad to find it. I know we have been using it in Africa, Nigeria to be exact. I am doubly thrilled to find a website I can connect with African and Caribbean recipes to try out. I am sure these recipes will make me so very much healthier. Keep up the good work and God bless.
imma africanbites says
Hello!Welcome to my blog! Looking forward for you to try out my recipes here. God bless you, too and enjoy weekend! =)
RD says
Use the back of a spoon to peel off the skin. It makes it much easier!
imma africanbites says
Yes, indeed. I did include there either using a spoon or knife.
Sim says
This drink is delicious nice and refreshing on a nice hot day ,I’m going to have to try it in the winter time
imma africanbites says
Agree! It’s great both hot or cold. 😉
Kate says
I actually have a juicer that I have used a total of one time! heh. Sooo, maybe this recipe would make good use of this juicer. How would I do it? Just wash the ginger root and put it through the juicer, or do I have to do something else? Thanks!
Dee says
Peel off the skin off the ginger for a better taste. The skin throws off the taste. Cut the roots into single pieces and feed through the juicer. this lady I work with makes this drink and it’s amazing
Md.Nazrul Islam says
Can I drink every day and have side effects.