Immunity Shots & Cubes.
Ginger, turmeric, lemon, honey. The one I make in big batches every fall and freeze into cubes to grab whenever someone feels something coming on.
Every fall I make a giant batch of these and freeze them into cubes. When anyone in our house feels a tickle in their throat, I pop a cube into hot water with a little extra honey and they sip it like tea. It's not magic, but it might be close.
The three power players: ginger fights inflammation, turmeric pairs with black pepper to boost absorption, and raw manuka honey is antibacterial. The lemon adds vitamin C and makes it taste like something you'd want to drink.
I make these in a big jar in the fridge to take as straight shots, and freeze the rest in silicone cube trays for later. They keep their potency for months.
What you'll need.
- 1 largepiece fresh ginger (about 4 inches), unpeeled
- 1 piecefresh turmeric root (or 2 tsp ground turmeric)
- 4lemons, juiced (about ¾ cup)
- ¼ cupraw manuka honey (I use Manukora)
- ½ tspfreshly cracked black pepper (for turmeric absorption)
- 1 pinchcayenne pepper (optional, for kick)
- 1 cupfiltered water
- 1 tspacerola or rosehip powder (optional, vitamin C boost)
— InstructionsHow it comes together.
- 01Prep your ginger and turmeric. Roughly chop both (no need to peel — just give them a good scrub). The skins have nutrients you don't want to lose.
- 02Blend. Add ginger, turmeric, lemon juice, water, and black pepper to a high-speed blender. Blend on high for 60-90 seconds until completely smooth.
- 03Strain. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer or nut milk bag into a large bowl. Press down with a spoon to extract every drop. Discard pulp (or compost).
- 04Stir in honey. Add the raw honey and acerola powder if using. Whisk until fully dissolved. Add a pinch of cayenne if you want extra heat.
- 05Bottle and freeze. Pour into a glass jar for fridge storage (good for 1 week), and pour the rest into silicone ice cube trays. Once frozen, transfer cubes to a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
- 06To use. Take a 1-2 oz shot straight, OR drop a cube into a mug of hot water with extra honey for a soothing tea. We do shots daily at the first sign of sickness in our house.
Aneesa's tip
Wear gloves when handling fresh turmeric, or your hands will be stained bright yellow for two days. Ask me how I know.
