Lemon and Ginger Ice Cubes

These fresh, zesty little cubes of lemony goodness are so easy to make and offer a much-needed boost for you and your family during the colder months.

Lemon is packed with vitamin C and ginger contains antimicrobial properties that can be used as a home remedy when you have a virus, bacterial infection or fungal overgrowth. Honey is soothing on a sore throat and can help with upper respiratory infections. The freezing method preserves the vitamin C, antimicrobial properties and antioxidants.

Hot lemon and ginger make up a traditional immunity combo to soothe all sorts of ailments, but it can be a faff to make it up every time. Also, sometimes you don’t know when a bug is going to hit you or your family. So, it is handy to have some lemon and ginger ice cubes ready prepped in your freezer, so you don’t get caught out without them. 

Pop a frozen cube or two into a mug and pour over hot but not boiling water for an instant warm and nourishing drink.

High temperatures can affect the goodness. Heating lemon juice over 80 degrees centigrade can significantly reduce the Vitamin C. Standard honey has already been pasteurised to about 65 degrees so try not to go higher than that. And if using raw honey such as Jarrah, then keep the temperature right down to about 45 degrees, to help preserve the lovely enzymes.

For a ginger shot, just melt one ice cube in a glass and drink it down in one. The shot-version will be richer in vitamin C and antioxidants if it has not been heated. But remember lemon juice is acidic so if you have this frequently it can affect your tooth enamel.

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Lemon and Ginger Ice Cubes

5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 10 minutes
Freezing time 3 hours
Course Drinks
Servings 8
Suitable for Special Diet (or adaptable) Dairy-free, Egg-free, Gluten-free, Grain-free, Nut-free

Ingredients
  

  • 3 Lemons (juice only)
  • 40 g Ginger (fresh, root)
  • 1 tbsp Honey (ideally raw, Jarrah or Manuka)

Instructions
 

  • Juice the lemons. Peel the ginger and chop into rough pieces.
  • Put the lemon juice, ginger root and honey into a blender and whizz up until smooth, which takes less than a minute.
  • Pour the mixture into an ice cube tray and put into the freezer for a minimum of 3 hours.
  • To serve, pop one or two cubes into a mug and cover with hot water or melt one in a glass for a ginger shot.

Notes

  • Our favourite honey is Jarrah honey which is raw, has high activity levels and tastes like toffee.
  • You can add extra honey if you have a sweet tooth. Honey is not suitable for babies under 12 months. 
  • Switch the honey to maple syrup if you are vegan and add a couple of pinches of cayenne pepper if you like an extra spicy kick!
  • These ice cubes can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Freezing lemon juice does not spoil its vitamin C levels.
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5 from 1 vote

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  1. 5 stars
    Can’t believe I never thought to freeze these! Such a good idea. I love my lemon and ginger in the morning but am often in a hurry. This will be a game changer! Thank you!

  2. What a splendid idea!! Could you recommend something instead of honey ? Im a bit concerned it would get heated with the hot water and have learned that one shouldn’t heat up hey above 38 degrees. Thank you so much in advance

    1. Hi Irene, you can certainly use maple syrup, which tastes nice and contains a little zinc. But really it is better to use honey. The NHS recommends even just standard honey for helping get rid of coughs faster. Standard honey has already been heated to about 65 centigrade as part of the pasteurisation process, so you can safely heat it to that level again without losing anything extra. If you use raw honey, then the enzymes will be killed above about 45 degrees, so 38 degrees is good to be safe. The active part of honeys such as Jarrah and Manuka do degrade with heat but at higher temperatures and more slowly, and by the time that is reached the enzymes will be long gone.