Recipe: Turmeric Switchel
This bright new riff on the classic switchel features turmeric, which is a powerful anti-inflammatory and antiviral agent. I love sipping turmeric switchel after a workout, or using it as a cocktail mixer with fresh sugarcane spirits like cachaça and rhum agricole.
I highly recommend using fresh turmeric, which has a livelier flavor than the dried version. Look for the fresh rhizomes, which resemble orange knobs of ginger root, at health food stores or at well-stocked grocery stores and Asian and Indian markets.
For an extra-spicy kick, add a tiny pinch of black pepper to the turmeric switchel — it’ll increase the bioavailability of curcumin, an anti-inflammatory compound found in turmeric.
Tip: Fresh turmeric can stain clothes and other items, so be careful if you’re grating it on or around porous kitchen surfaces and tools. Wear an apron, too!
Turmeric Switchel
Serves1 to 2
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon
(20 grams) honey, or more to taste
- 1 tablespoon
(15 milliliters) apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon
freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 teaspoon
grated fresh turmeric or 1/3 teaspoon dried
- 1 teaspoon
grated fresh ginger
Tiny pinch of freshly ground black pepper (optional)
- 1 cup
(235 milliliters) water
Ice
Instructions
Combine the honey, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, turmeric, ginger, and black pepper in a jar or glass and stir to dilute the honey. Add the water and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to a day. The longer it steeps, the stronger the turmeric and ginger flavors will be.
Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer; discard the solids. Taste and sweeten with additional honey, if desired. Serve over ice.
Recipe Notes
Reprinted with permission from Wild Drinks & Cocktails: Handcrafted Squashes, Shrubs, Switchels, Tonics, and Infusions to Mix at Home by Emily Han, copyright (c) 2015. Published by Fair Winds Press.
