Ginger is one of your best friends during chemo, both for its flavor, which can spark even the most jaded taste buds, and for its tummy-soothing properties. A lot of people think store-bought ginger ale will do the trick, but the actual ginger content in most commerical varieties is minimal. Plus, you often get a whole host of other garbage (can you say high fructose corn syrup?) that you’d be better off without. Enter this recipe for homemade ginger ale, which uses DIY ginger syrup so you can control the amount of zing in your tonic. The frozen grapes serve the same purpose as your basic ice cubes, but also sneak a bunch of healthy minerals and phytochemicals into the brew.
Recipe information
Yield
makes about 2 cups syrup
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Bring the water and ginger to a boil in a saucepan, then lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour. Uncover and continue to simmer for 30 minutes.
Step 2
Strain the infusion through cheesecloth and discard the ginger. Stir in the lemon juice and honey and let cool to room temperature.
Step 3
For each serving, add 1/4 cup of the ginger syrup to a glass with frozen grapes, then fill the glass with sparkling water and garnish with a sprig of mint.
rebecca’s notes:
Step 4
You can also use this ginger syrup to make a hot beverage. Just stir 3 tablespoons of the syrup into 1 cup of hot water, then add more honey or lemon if you like.
storage
Step 5
Store the ginger syrup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 7 days. Store the grapes in a resealable plastic bag in the freezer for 3 months.
nutrition information
Step 6
(per serving)
Step 7
Calories: 50
Step 8
Total Fat: 0.2g (0.1g saturated, 0g monounsaturated)
Step 9
Carbohydrates: 12g
Step 10
Protein: 0g
Step 11
Fiber: 1g
Step 12
Sodium: 5mg
