Recipe of the Week: Ginger Root Tea

Ginger root can be a flavorful and healthy addition to tea. There are many ways to prepare it. Below is the one that is easiest for me. I like it either hot or cold.

Buying the ginger root. I buy a larger piece of ginger root at the grocery store. It keeps well without refrigeration and the larger pieces are easier to grate. The root in the picture has a part that has already been used (lower left of the picture); the raw end dries out very quickly and is simply grated away next time you need to grate more from the root.

Preparing the ginger. I use 1-2 teaspoons of grated ginger for each pot of tea and I usually grate enough for several pots at one time - storing what I don’t use immediately in a small container in the freezer. I don’t bother peeling the ginger before grating it since I am going to put it in a filter anyway (i.e. not directly in the tea). The tough fibers and pulp from the ginger will stay in the filter - not in the tea.

Making the tea. I use a coffee maker that has never made coffee to make tea. I put loose tea or tea bags in the filter along with the ginger. If you use a pot where the tea and ginger are immersed in the water instead of a coffee maker, simply strain the leaves/gratings while pouring into your cup or glass.