Ginger is a versatile ingredient used in many cuisines around the world. It adds a spicy, zesty flavor to both sweet and savory dishes. One of the best ways to enjoy the benefits of fresh ginger is by juicing it and drinking the juice on its own or adding it to other juices and smoothies. Extracting the juice from ginger root is simple and requires minimal equipment.
Benefits of Ginger Juice
Before getting into the extraction methods, let’s first look at why you may want to make ginger juice in the first place. Here are some of the top benefits:
- Anti-inflammatory properties – Compounds like gingerols and shogaols in ginger have anti-inflammatory effects which can help relieve joint pain, muscle soreness, and other inflammatory conditions.
- Supports digestion – Ginger increases production of digestive fluids and helps relax the intestinal tract, making ginger juice helpful for nausea, gas, bloating, and constipation.
- Immunity boost – Ginger contains antioxidants that can help strengthen your immune system and fight infections.
- Heart health – Ginger juice has been shown in some studies to help lower cholesterol and blood pressure.
- Morning sickness relief – The anti-nausea effects make ginger juice a safe, natural way to find relief from morning sickness during pregnancy.
Sipping some ginger juice on its own or adding it to a smoothie can be a great way to gain all these powerful health benefits.
Choosing the Ginger
When selecting ginger root for juicing, you’ll want to look for roots that are firm with smooth, tight skin. Avoid ginger that feels mushy or has wrinkled skin as this is a sign of dryness. The best time to juice ginger is when it’s young and fresh rather than old. Older ginger tends to be fibrous and not ideal for juicing.
When it comes to color, the inside of the ginger root can range from yellow to white. A more intense yellow color tends to indicate a stronger flavor, but the juice and health benefits are typically the same regardless of the internal color.
Cleaning and Prepping the Ginger
Before juicing, the ginger needs to be cleaned thoroughly since the skin will not be removed. Use a vegetable brush under running water to scrub away any dirt. You don’t need to peel the ginger since the skin contains beneficial nutrients and won’t affect the texture or taste.
Once cleaned, you can slice the ginger into smaller pieces, which can help it fit through your juicer more easily. Thinner slices or cubes of ginger will also increase the surface area and result in higher juice yield.
Juicing Methods
There are a few different options for extracting the maximum amount of ginger juice efficiently at home.
Electric Juicer
Using an electric juicer is the quickest and most efficient way to make ginger juice. Both centrifugal and masticating juicers will work well. Centrifugal juicers tend to be more affordable options and can quickly juice large batches of ginger root. Masticating juicers work a bit slower using a churning and crushing motion, but they tend to yield a bit more juice from the ginger. With either juicer, just feed the sliced ginger through the chute and collect the resulting juice.
Garlic Press
A garlic press can also be used to squeeze out the potent liquid from ginger. Simply place the slices into the garlic press and close the handles to crush the ginger, catching the juice in a cup or bowl below. You may need to press the ginger a few times to extract all the juice. This method allows you to easily juice small amounts of ginger at a time.
Grater and Strainer
Grating the ginger on a microplane or fine grater will break it down into a pulp that you can then strain to separate the juice. Be sure to catch the grated ginger over a bowl and then pour it into a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Gather the strainer around the pulp and squeeze tightly to press out all the moisture. Compared to the other methods, this one tends to result in less juice and can be more time consuming.
Blender
Using a powerful blender is the most hands-off approach. Simply add your ginger slices to the blender with a small amount of water. Blend on high speed until completely pulverized and strained. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer, nut milk bag, or layers of cheesecloth. Gather and squeeze the strainer to press out all the moisture. With the addition of water, this method may dilute the ginger flavor slightly but still produces an excellent juice.
Storing Ginger Juice
Fresh ginger juice will only keep for up to 2 days when refrigerated in an airtight container. For longer storage, the juice can be frozen for up to 3 months. Ice cube trays are useful for freezing the juice in individual portions that can be easily added to recipes.
To freeze, first pour the strained juice into your desired freezing containers. Leave a small amount of space at the top for expansion. Seal tightly and place in the freezer immediately. Defrost just what you need rather than the whole batch to prevent degradation of the juice over time.
Tips for the Best Ginger Juice
Follow these tips when making ginger juice for maximum yield, flavor, and health benefits:
- Choose young, fresh ginger for juicing rather than old
- Clean the unpeeled ginger thoroughly before juicing
- Cut the ginger into thin slices or cubes to increase surface area
- Use a masticating juicer or blender for highest juice yields
- Press or squeeze the pulp thoroughly after juicing to get all the moisture out
- Only make what you will use within 2 days or freeze the rest
- Mix with lemon, apple, or carrot juice to mellow the flavor if desired
Potential Side Effects
When consuming moderate amounts, ginger juice is very safe and should not produce any adverse side effects. However, in some cases it’s possible to experience:
- Heartburn – The spicy components in ginger may aggravate heartburn in those prone to the condition.
- Mouth or throat irritation – High amounts of pure ginger juice could cause mild mouth or throat irritation.
- Drug interactions – Ginger may increase the risk of bleeding and bruising if combined with blood-thinning medications.
Drinking excessive amounts of pure ginger juice on a frequent basis may also cause mild diarrhea or stomach upset in sensitive individuals. Moderation is key, with no more than 2-4 ounces of juice per day.
Due to the blood-thinning effects, it’s a good idea to stop ginger juice at least 2 weeks before any scheduled surgeries.
Pregnant women should consult their doctor before regularly consuming ginger juice, as it may possibly increase the risk of bleeding, miscarriage, or other complications.
The Easiest Ginger Juice Recipe
If you’re new to juicing ginger at home, this simple recipe is a great place to start:
Ingredients
- 8 oz fresh ginger root, unpeeled
- 1 lemon, peeled
- 1 apple, cored
Instructions
- Wash the ginger thoroughly under running water.
- Slice the ginger and lemon into thin rounds. Core and quarter the apple.
- Feed the ginger, lemon, and apple through an electric juicer according to the manufacturer’s directions.
- Alternatively, you can blend all the ingredients with 1 cup of water on high speed until pulverized. Strain through a fine mesh strainer, pressing out all the liquid.
- Enjoy the resulting ginger lemonade immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
This creates a refreshing ginger juice with the added flavor of lemon and apple to balance the spiciness. Adjust the ratio of ginger to lemon and apple to suit your taste preferences. Other possible additions include carrots, orange, mint, cucumber, and turmeric.
How to Use Ginger Juice
There are many ways to use your homemade ginger juice. Here are some of the most popular options:
Morning Tonic
Add 1-2 tablespoons of ginger juice to warm water each morning and drink as a digestive tonic to start your day.
Juice Blends
Mix ginger juice with a variety of other juices such as apple, carrot, beet or celery juice for a nutrition and antioxidant boost.
Smoothies
Add fresh ginger juice along with fruits, veggies, greens, yogurt or milk of choice for a wide variety of healthy, anti-inflammatory smoothies.
Sauces and Dressings
Use ginger juice as part of salad dressings, sauce bases, marinades, and drizzles for roasted vegetables or proteins.
Soup and Broth
Add freshly extracted ginger juice to bone broth, miso soup, vegetable soup or congee for extra flavor and health benefits.
Baked Goods
Replace some or all of the water in muffin, quick bread, cake or cookie recipes with ginger juice.
Tea and Coffee
Stir a spoonful of ginger juice into hot coffee, black tea, matcha, turmeric tea, or chamomile tea.
With all these possibilities, there are so many ways to use that nutritional ginger juice in both sweet and savory recipes across all parts of your daily menu.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does juicing ginger lose nutrients?
Juicing ginger allows you to consume a concentrated dose of its many nutrients, especially the bioactive compounds. There is some fiber lost through juicing, but research shows that juicing does retain most of ginger’s beneficial antioxidants like gingerols.
Is juicing or blending ginger better?
Juicing extracts a more concentrated, intense ginger juice compared to blending. However, blending retains the fiber content of the whole ginger root. Both provide health benefits and can be used in similar ways.
What’s the best time to drink ginger juice?
The anti-inflammatory benefits can be helpful any time of day. Some people enjoy ginger juice first thing in the morning to aid digestion and metabolism. It can also be used as an energizing afternoon or pre-workout beverage. For heartburn sufferers, ginger may be best tolerated in the middle of mealtimes.
Can you juice ginger peel?
Yes, the outer skin of fresh, organic ginger root is safe to juice. Scrub it thoroughly but don’t peel. The skin contains antioxidants and oils that complement the interior flesh. Leaving it on results in higher juice yields.
Does ginger juice need to be strained?
If using a blender, you’ll want to strain the mixture through a mesh strainer or cheesecloth to separate out the fiber. With a juicer or garlic press you can simply collect the extracted juice without straining.
Conclusion
Extracting fresh ginger juice at home is simple and rewarding. An electric juicer makes quick work of juicing larger batches of ginger root. You can also use a garlic press, grater, blender or other tools. Mix with lemon, apple or other juices to balance the intense flavor. Store ginger juice for up to 2 days refrigerated or freeze for longer duration.
Drink ginger juice on its own or add it into an array of healthy recipes. Use it to gain powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits. Just be aware of possible interactions with blood thinners or acid reflux medications. When enjoyed in moderation as part of balanced nutrition, fresh ginger juice is an easy way to add a little zing and great health to your day!
