Ginger Zingiber
officinale Ginger has been used for centuries, until now,
extensive folk lore & mysticism surrounds it. In 1597, John Gerard wrote:
"It is of an heating digesting quality, and is profitable for the
stomach." Ginger is said to be associated with fire, ruled by Mars, have a
masculine energy, and it's powers are said to be: Love, Money, Success &
Power! (I like Ginger a lot) J Ginger actually originates in Asia, having a long medicinal & cooking
history there, though it quickly spread through to many other countries via the Silk
route trading. The Spaniards took Ginger to the Americas & more
importantly, the West Indies, where it now grows profusely.
Growing
- Ginger can be grown from a piece of the fresh root - any good
grocery store should be able to supply you. It likes a good composted
soil, with a neutral to alkaline ph level. Ginger does not like frost or
ice, so choose the warmest, most protected place in your garden &
experiment! Remember to keep Ginger moist, for if you don't, you won't get
the plump juicy rhizomes. The foliage grows over 1 meter in height &
is quite attractive, so you could try growing Ginger indoors as well - a
conservatory would be perfect. After about 10 months you can dig some
roots up and use fresh for teas, baths & cooking!
Uses
- Ginger is wonderful for warming up the entire body & fighting off
all/any nasty germs. It is high in vitamins A, B complex & C,
minerals, calcium, phosphorus, iron, sodium, potassium & magnesium - no
wonder our ancestors used Ginger! J
Ginger's therapeutic actions are: anti-nausea, stimulant,
circulatory stimulant, vasodilator (opens up blood vessels to improve blood
flow), anti-spasmodic, anti-inflammatory, rubefacient (warms tissue externally)
and diaphoretic (stimulates perspiration to increase elimination through the
skin and can help reduce fevers). It can also help to lower cholesterol
levels & reduces the risk of heart disease & stroke. It can assist
to lower blood pressure & helps stop coughing!
Ginger can help most digestive system problems, especially with
nausea & colic (it can stimulate digestion and aid assimilation, so that you
get better nourishment out of the food you eat). You can use it for travel and
morning sickness, (when pregnant, use only a small quantity, as Ginger is also a
uterine stimulant) painful or irregular menstrual periods, though it's best to
avoid if you have a tendency to "flood". Use also for coughs,
colds, flues, fevers, chest complaints, arthritis & rheumatism, bad
circulation, chilblains and cramp.
Recipe -
External - Ginger can be used as a compress or as a foot bath (foot, hand or whole body),
to stimulate circulation or for aching joints. Simply take a slice or two
of fresh Ginger, pour over boiling water, cover (which stops the essential oils
evaporating with the steam), & then pour into the bath water. This
bath will be very beneficial for internal complaints like colds & flu'ss
also!
Recipe
- Internal
- I use fresh Ginger tea at the first sign of any sore throat, mucus, cold or
flu - it works every time. The relief at having the nose cleared &
throat soothed is wonderful, so I end up nearly living on it while the cold
lasts! To make a tea, simply grate approx two Tblspns of fresh
Ginger, place in a non-aluminum pot, cover with two cups of water, & leave
to steep for at least 10 minutes. When ready, strain into a cup, add a
tspn of Honey & sip. You can also add some lemon to taste. This
tea is great to take after a meal if you have digestive problems, or eat some crystallized
ginger, drink some ginger beer or wine!
You can also use powdered Ginger in the same way (simply add 1
tspn to a cup, add boiling water & honey if desired). It is not as
nice as the fresh tea, but is fine for a ginger bath or compress - you can grate
fresh ginger for this also.
Ginger Beer - The Original Recipe!
Plant - In a screw top glass jar, put: I cup cold water,
1 tspn ground Ginger, 1 tspn Sugar, 1/2 tspn Echo (or "Inka", type of
coffee substitute), 1 tspn Honey. Combine all in a screw top jar,
feed for seven days with the following:
1 tspn Sugar, 1 tspn Ground Ginger, 1 tspn Honey, 1/2 tspn
Echo. After seven days, strain the mixture in the glass jar through a fine
silk cloth and add:
3 cups Honey, 4 cups hot Water, 3 1/2 Liters cold Water, 1/2 cup
strained Lemon Juice. Mix together well, place in bottles & leave in a
dark place for 3-4 weeks before opening. Beware, they sometimes have a tendency
to explode if you use too much sugar! But it is delicious anyway - my
younger brother grew up on it; we have pictures of him with many ginger beer
bottles J
Makes approx 5 liters.
To keep plant working: Take 1/2 the residue left from
straining the glass jar & return to screw top jar. Add 1 cup Water
& feed each day as above. Leave to stand for one week before straining
& bottling again!
