Immune-boosting ginger turmeric tea cubes are frozen orange, lemon, ginger and turmeric puree, ready in about 4 hours 15 minutes. One batch makes about 20 cubes, so a cup is always a minute away.
Why This Recipe Works
Peeling the fruit and cutting away the white pith matters more than it looks. The pith is where the bitterness lives, and once it is blended in, nothing hides it. Clean fruit gives you a bright, sweet-sour cube.
Black pepper looks like an odd guest in a tea, but it belongs with turmeric. The two are traditionally paired, and the pepper also adds a little warmth that goes well with the ginger and cinnamon.
Freezing the puree in a tray gives you a ready portion for each cup. You do not chop ginger every morning. You drop one cube in a mug, add hot water, and stir until it melts.
Immune-Boosting Ginger Turmeric Tea Cubes Ingredients
- 1 orange
- 2 lemons
- 1 large piece fresh ginger (about 3 ounces / 85 to 100 g)
- 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons honey (optional)
How To Make Immune-Boosting Ginger Turmeric Tea Cubes
Prep the fruit and ginger
- Peel the fruit: Peel the orange and both lemons. Cut away all the white pith, because it turns the cubes bitter.
- Peel the ginger: Peel the fresh ginger and cut it into chunks. Smaller chunks are easier on the blender.
Blend and freeze
- Blend: Put the fruit, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, black pepper and honey in a blender. Blend until the puree is completely smooth.
- Strain if needed: If your blender is not strong, pour the puree through a strainer. This takes out any stringy ginger bits that did not break down.
- Freeze: Pour the puree into ice cube trays. Freeze until the cubes are solid.
Make a cup
- Melt and sip: Put 1 cube in a cup and pour hot water over it. Stir until the cube melts, then drink it once a day.
Recipe Tips
- Keep the honey for the mug: Leave the honey out of the puree and add it to each cup as you drink. That way you sweeten every cup to your own taste.
- Strain for a smoother cup: Straining takes a minute and gives you a clearer tea with no ginger fibers at the bottom of the mug.
- Fill the trays evenly: Pour the same amount into each cube, so every cup tastes about the same strength.
- Use fresh ginger: Fresh ginger gives the cubes their sharp, warm bite. Dried ginger will not taste the same.
What To Serve With Immune-Boosting Ginger Turmeric Tea Cubes
Drink one cube melted in hot water once a day. A cup of this tea goes well with a plain biscuit or a slice of toast with honey on a cold morning.
How To Store
- Freezer: Keep the cubes frozen in the tray. Once they are solid, you can move them to a freezer bag so the tray is free for the next batch.
- Make ahead: Make the whole batch at once. One batch gives about 20 cubes, which is about 20 days of daily cups.
- Reheat: Do not thaw the cubes first. Drop a frozen cube straight into a cup and add hot water, then stir until it melts.
FAQs
Can I leave out the honey?
Yes, the honey is optional. You can leave it out of the puree and sweeten each cup as you drink it. Without it, the cubes are vegan.
Are these tea cubes vegan and gluten free?
Without the honey, yes. Every other ingredient is a fruit, a root or a spice, and none of them contain gluten or dairy. With honey they are vegetarian, but not vegan.
Do I need to strain the puree?
Only if your blender is not strong. A good blender breaks the ginger down completely. If you see fibers in the puree, pass it through a strainer before you freeze it.
Why do my cubes taste bitter?
The white pith of the orange and lemons is almost always the cause. Peel the fruit and cut away all the pith before you blend.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving (1 of 20), worked out from the ingredients.
- Calories: about 15 kcal
- Total Fat: 0g
- Total Carbohydrate: 4g
- Dietary Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 0g
Immune-Boosting Ginger Turmeric Tea Cubes
20
servings15
minutes4
hours255
minutesFrozen cubes of orange, lemon, ginger, turmeric and cinnamon that melt into a warm tea in hot water. One batch makes about 20 cubes to keep in the freezer.
Ingredients
1 orange
2 lemons
1 large piece fresh ginger (about 3 ounces / 85 to 100 g)
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons honey (optional)
Directions
- Peel the fruit: Peel the orange and both lemons. Cut away all the white pith, because it turns the cubes bitter.
- Peel the ginger: Peel the fresh ginger and cut it into chunks. Smaller chunks are easier on the blender.
- Blend: Put the fruit, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, black pepper and honey in a blender. Blend until the puree is completely smooth.
- Strain if needed: If your blender is not strong, pour the puree through a strainer. This takes out any stringy ginger bits that did not break down.
- Freeze: Pour the puree into ice cube trays. Freeze until the cubes are solid.
- Melt and sip: Put 1 cube in a cup and pour hot water over it. Stir until the cube melts, then drink it once a day.
