Turmeric Ginger Citrusade
Summer calls for something fresh, zingy but soothing for those hot afternoons. The following drink can be made in advance and be kept in the fridge for impromptu entertaining. All you need is some sparkling water.
Nikki Maden
2 x 2-inch pieces of turmeric, peeled and cut into chunks
2 x 2-inch pieces of ginger, peeled and cut into chunks.
One each of orange, lemon and lime, all squeezed
Two tablespoons of Jasmine tea – I used Kettle Leaf tea
Honey to taste – I used 4 heaped tablespoons of our local honey
In a saucepan, combine the turmeric, ginger and the juices. Add the tea and honey to taste. If you are not a fan of tea, you can replace with fresh lemongrass and cinnamon bark quills – a couple of lemongrass stems and about four quills.
Boil water and add about a pint’s worth to the saucepan. Bring the ingredients to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
Strain all the ingredients and you have the liquid base for your drink. You can reduce it in volume by boiling further and use as a cordial or freeze it as ice-cubes to use at a later date.
To serve, add sparkling water to taste. I used about a litre of sparkling water for the cordial made with this amount of ingredients. Serve in glasses with sliced oranges, lemons and limes, and a fresh sprig of mint makes it particularly cheery and fresh.
The merry clinking of ice cubes will make you feel relaxed and carefree as you put your feet up and enjoy the summer breeze. For those who fancy a stronger drink, you can use the drink as a basis for a cocktail with white rum. To make the drink vegan, replace the honey with Agave nectar. Enjoy!
Nikki’s tips
Using a tablespoon to peel the ginger and turmeric, makes things a lot easier, but do be careful with the turmeric as it will stain everything it touches, including your hands! If you have more than enough ginger and turmeric, then peel it now and chop and freeze to use at a later date.