reading time: 2 min

Hey friends! I hope you are doing well 💛 Not gonna lie, I feel a bit out of practice with blogging after my unexpected "autumn hiatus". How do you use a camera again?!

After visiting friends last weekend and being surrounded by a very sick kid and his equally sick mum for an entire day, I looked around in our fridge and decided to try my hand at homemade ginger shots. I made them again a couple of days ago, and wrote down the measurements to share here on my blog in case you could also use some!

This immune-boosting recipe is super easy to make, sugar-free, and uses only 4 ingredients:

Ginger: anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antioxidant, warming, strengthens immune system, provides relief from cold and flu, reduces blood sugar and blood pressure, improves digestion, soothes nausea and morning sickness.

Apple juice: natural sweetener, improves gut health, increases hydration, good source of vitamin C and potassium.

Turmeric: antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-septic, boosts immunity, promotes digestive health, balances all Ayurvedic doshas.

Sage: anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immune-strengthening, aids in digestion, helps control blood sugar levels, improves oral health, high in vitamin K, antidepressant.

(I'm happy to report that after an entire week has gone by, we're still healthy and fit as a fiddle! yay for homemade ginger shots! 🥳)

 IMMUNE-BOOSTING GINGER SHOTS

Preparation time: 3 mins
Main ingredients: apple juice, ginger, turmeric
difficulty level: easy
serves: 2-4
suitable for: vegan, lactose-free, gluten-free, oil-free, sugar-free, yeast-free, nut-free

Ingredients

400 ml (or about 1 and 2/3 cups) organic apple juice, naturally cloudy
a walnut-sized chunk of organic fresh ginger (or more for more fire!)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
a few fresh or dried sage leaves
(optional) a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Instructions

Roughly chop the ginger, leaving the skin on. Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend for about 1 minute until smooth. If your blender isn't as high-power as mine, you might want to strain everything with a fine colander.

Serve immediately.

The ginger shots can be stored in the refrigerator in air-tight containers for up to 48 hours, but should be consumed as quickly as possible for maximal nutrient retention.

TIPS:
- Use a pea-sized piece of fresh turmeric instead of powdered turmeric.
- Add a pinch of black pepper to enhance the turmeric's bioavailability.
- Add a fresh orange for a more citrusy flavour and more vitamin C.
- Add a spoonful of local raw honey for more sweetness and some additional antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory benefits. To keep it vegan, use vegan dandelion honee instead.

♥

Maisy

  reading time: 6 min

It's citrus season where I live. Since excess citrus isn't good on a compost pile, and I am always looking for ways to reduce waste, here are five ways that I make use of citrus peel.

1. Citrus Peel as Seasoning

Whenever a recipe calls for freshly squeezed orange juice, I first peel the orange using a potato peeler. The strips of peel will be very thin and perfect for drying. Only use organic oranges for this! Only then do I go on to juice the orange for the recipe - it doesn't work the other way around, because the peel will be too wobbly once the orange is juiced.

To dry the orange peel strips the "natural" way (i.e. not in a dehydrator or oven), place them on a cooling rack for cookies, or a proper herbal drying rack, or - as I usually do - place them in a metal sieve on top of a small plate. 

Once the peel has dried, store it in an air-tight jar or small bottle for culinary use. 
I regularly use small pieces of it in my oatmeal (especially paired with cacao and cinnamon) as well as in cookies, cakes and smoothies. Or you can use it to make a lovely citrus tea, or mix it with sea salt to make a zesty salt blend. It's also a great addition to vinaigrette salad dressings. For it to be used in a dressing, either use fresh peel, or soak the dried peel in some water for a short while for it to soften up before adding it to the dressing. 

You could also do this with lemons, however I personally don't enjoy the taste of lemon peel in desserts as much, so I usually don't do it. I can imagine it tasting great in a Moroccan stew, though!

Freshly peeled orange peel prior to drying.

Fully dried orange peel. Store in an air-tight jar.

A common cleaning agent in the zero waste / eco / sustainable / minimalist / natural-living / vegan (?) community (yes, writing it like that feels a tad bit sarcastic, but I guess I fit into all of these categories, so it's fine) is vinegar. Plain white vinegar. By adding citrus peel, you get the benefit of a nice(r) smell and an enhanced cleansing effect due to their citric acid that breaks down grease and lime, as well as their essential oils with antibacterial and antifungal properties. Again, this can be any type of citrus fruit, from Meyer lemon to tangerine.

To make a Citrus Vinegar, simply place the rinds of any type of citrus fruit, or a mix of all, in distilled vinegar. Alternatively, you could use dried citrus peel for this. You could also add fragrant herbs such as rosemary, lavender or lemon balm to the mix. 

Allow to soak for 1-2 weeks before straining it. Transfer to a bottle, preferably one with a spray top, and use for cleaning around the house. Do not use on marble surfaces as they might be damaged by the acids in this cleaner!

5. Citrus Peel as Cutting Board Cleanser

Similar to the previous point, used citrus halves can be used to remove strong odors and unpleasant bacteria from wooden cutting boards. Sprinkle some coarse salt over the surface of the cutting board and use the leftover citrus half to scrub it in. Again, lemons and limes work best for this. 

I also like to spray some white vinegar or homemade citrus vinegar on the board as well for a stronger sanitizing effect. Rinse the cutting board with hot water once you're done scrubbing.

Easy peasy lemon squeezy! 

(Sorry, I just had to.)

NOTES:
If you are looking for recipes that call for citrus, I have some suggestions for you:

Hot Fruit Punch

Upside Down Orange Cake
Earl Grey Cupcakes with lemon buttercream frosting 
"Mojito" Ice Cream
Orange & Chocolate Loaf Cake
Lemon and Elderflower Buttercream Layer Cake

Do you know of any other ways to use citrus peel?? If so, please share!

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10 Foods You Can Use 100 Ways

60+ Ways to Homestead Anywhere You Live

♥

Maisy