Do you ever find yourself reaching for a glass of cold water after a particularly hot and sweaty garden weeding session and find that water is not quite thirst quenching enough? This Ginger Honey Switchel Recipe is a refreshingly tart, probiotic beverage that is not only thirst quenching, but easy to make with ingredients you may already have at home.
Switchel, which is a traditional drink also known by the names Haymaker Punch and Ginger Water, is made with only a few simple ingredients – ginger, apple cider vinegar, and natural sweetener such as honey, maple syrup, or molasses. Using apple cider that is homemade or contains “the mother” imparts probiotic benefits, while ginger adds a flavor zing, soothes digestion, among other benefits.
Optional: Juice of 1/2 lime or lemon, herbs to flavor
How to Make Ginger Honey Switchel
1) Place your chopped ginger and water in a pot and bring to a boil on the stove. Turn the heat down to simmer, and cook for about 20 minutes. Turn the heat off and allow the ginger to steep in the water for another hour.
2) Strain the ginger water through a fine mesh sieve (like this one) and add the honey and apple cider vinegar, stirring briskly to combine the ingredients.
3) Place your Switchel in the refrigerator to cool. Dilute with water to your preferred level of tart!For an added twist of flavor, try adding a squeeze of lemon or lime juice, or muddling basil or mint and serving over ice!
4) If you would like to add a bit of carbonation to your Switchel, you can either add some sparkling water, or pour the Switchel into a glass flip top bottle like these, and place the bottle in a safe place overnight to naturally ferment a bit.
*Important Note: Carbonation can build up quickly in the glass bottles and the danger of exploding glass is real. For your safety, place the bottles in a wooden or cardboard box or a cooler overnight, do not forget about your switchel, and “burp” the bottles before bed to release a bit of carbonation.
Enjoy this delightfully tart, refreshing, and probiotic beverage while sitting in the shade! And be sure to comment below and let me know how you enjoyed this Ginger Honey Switchel Recipe!
For more probiotic and thirst quenching summer drinks, try these:
Berry Shrub Recipe Strawberry Chia Water Kefir Homemade Soda: Three Herbal RecipeNettle Beer Recipe
Yield: 2 1/2 cups
This Ginger Honey Switchel recipe combines apple cider vinegar and honey for a drink that is probiotic and refreshing, and also good for your gut!
1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar (I like this brand and this one.)
1/4 cup Raw Honey
Optional: Juice of 1/2 lime or lemon, herbs to flavor
Instructions
Place your chopped ginger and water in a pot and bring to a boil on the stove. Turn the heat down to simmer, and cook for about 20 minutes. Turn the heat off and allow the ginger to steep in the water for another hour.
Strain the ginger water through a fine mesh sieve (like this one) and add the honey and apple cider vinegar, stirring briskly to combine the ingredients.
Place your Switchel in the refrigerator to cool. Dilute with water to your preferred level of tart!For an added twist of flavor, try adding a squeeze of lemon or lime juice, or muddling basil or mint and serving over ice!
If you would like to add a bit of carbonation to your Switchel, you can either add some sparkling water, or pour the Switchel into a glass flip top bottlelike these, and place the bottle in a safe place overnight to naturally ferment a bit.
Notes
Carbonation can build up quickly in the glass bottles and the danger of exploding glass is real. For your safety, place the bottles in a wooden or cardboard box or a cooler overnight, do not forget about your switchel, and “burp” the bottles before bed to release a bit of carbonation.
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Blood sugar balance also gets a boost from apple cider vinegar. Consuming some apple cider vinegar at the start of your meals, like as a switchel, helps to slow down the spike in blood sugar during digestion.
The ginger that makes up a key part of switchel is a natural inflammation reducer. Inflammation, causes physical symptoms like skin problems and digestive issues. So keeping inflammation at bay with the ginger found in switchel can have other unexpected, welcome side effects, like clearing up acne.
Refrigerate overnight to let the flavors meld. Serve over ice, if you like the sound of it clinking in its glass. Variation: Mix in all the ingredients except the water. Store the syrup in the refrigerator for a week or more.
Switchel is a probiotic beverage with a combination of water, apple cider vinegar, a pinch of salt, and, traditionally, sweetened with molasses. Oftentimes ginger is added for flavor, as in the recipe below.
It's the perfect thirst quencher after some hard yakka:
While most of us aren't out toiling the fields these days, the farmers who loved Switchel back in the day were onto something! it's a mighty fine way to rehydrate after going hard, whether that's after a big gym, spin or yoga sesh or even a big night out!
The relationship between vinegar, including apple cider vinegar, and the body's ability to process high GI foods has been studied widely. A 2019 narrative review of research suggests taking 2–6 tablespoons (tbs.)of vinegar (acetic acid) per day can improve the body's glycemic response to high carbohydrate meals.
Gingerol, a natural component of ginger root, benefits gastrointestinal motility ― the rate at which food exits the stomach and continues along the digestive process. Eating ginger encourages efficient digestion, so food doesn't linger as long in the gut. Nausea relief.
Ginger has also been used to help treat arthritis, colic, diarrhea, and heart conditions. It has been used to help treat the common cold, flu-like symptoms, headaches, and painful menstrual periods. Ginger is native to Asia where it has been used as a cooking spice for at least 4,400 years.
Combining apple cider vinegar with honey and ginger creates a powerful boost of antioxidants that aids in digestion and weight loss. This drink can help to combat indigestion, nausea and bloating. Some folks notice a relief in their acid reflux symptoms when they drink this mixture regularly.
Switchel does not contain alcohol or caffeine. As for taste, switchel has a refreshing "zing" and crispness, whereas kombucha is usually tart and fizzy. Kombucha comes in a wide variety fruity and botanical flavors; switchel has a classic flavor that has been savored for generations.
It is a natural and clean way to replenish electrolytes.
By having apple cider vinegar after a workout, it can help rebalance and replenish your electrolytes. It is even a great natural supplement that can enable healing in sore muscles. Make sure to dilute ACV in water before consuming!
Though some types of ACV contain probiotic microorganisms, the vinegar cannot be classified as a probiotic. That's because the type and volume of microorganisms varies too much. Plus, there's no clear health benefit related to the probiotic organisms ACV may contain.
The switchel is a mixture of apple cider vinegar, ginger and a sweetener; it's thought to have originated in the Caribbean and became popular among American colonists in 17th-century New England.
* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contribute to a daily diet. 2000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Help regulate and stabilise blood sugar levels. Aid digestion and improve gut health. Help to regulate appetite. Promote good heart health and help keep cholesterol levels low.
Sprinkling vinegar on a salad or spreading a bit of horseradish on a sandwich can bring healthy flavor to a diet for type 2 diabetes. Enhancing your food's flavors through condiments and spices is key to enjoying a healthy type 2 diabetes diet.
* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contribute to a daily diet. 2000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
People with type 2 diabetes may want to consider consuming diluted apple vinegar cider, as scientists believe it safe to drink. It may also provide some benefit in terms of helping to control blood sugar levels.
Introduction: My name is Domingo Moore, I am a attractive, gorgeous, funny, jolly, spotless, nice, fantastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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