This time of year is one of dichotomies for me: gorgeous weather, terrible allergies; cooling temperatures, aching bodies; falling leaves, scratchy throats. It’s a wonder I love this season so much considering its horrific after-effects. But not so very long ago, I stumbled across a homemade, witchy ginger tea recipe that is one of those rare finds: both helpful and delicious. It is my all-time favorite tea to drink warm (because let’s face it, we southerners drink our tea iced and in mason jars. It’s how God drinks it, too). Not only is it delicious, it is also extremely helpful, beneficial, and soothing.

Natural, Herbal Remedies

Ginger alone is known to boost the immune system, heal the digestive system, lower cholesterol, and balance blood sugar, to name a few. Of course the vitamin C in the orange doesn’t hurt at all this time of year. Let’s just say, this is a go-to for a reason. Sometimes the natural route really is best.

Witchy Ginger Tea

  • 1 palmful Fresh Ginger Root, diced
  • 2 cups Water
  • Juice of 1 clementine (or juice of 1/2 orange), fresh squeezed
  • Juice of 1 lemon, fresh squeezed
  • Honey, to taste
  • Grated Cinnamon, to taste
  • Grated Cloves, to taste

Dice the ginger into 1/2″ cubes and place in a microwave safe dish (I use a glass measuring cup). Add water, cover with a paper towel, and microwave on high for 2-3 minutes. Allow to steep in the microwave for another 2-3 minutes afterward. Carefully remove from the microwave (even after steeping for several minutes, it will still be hot). Use a strainer to filter out ginger chunks and any bits that fell off. Set aside (I’ll explain why later). Pour the hot ginger water into your favorite mug and add rest of ingredients. Stir well. Enjoy!

If you want to get fancy, you can garnish your cup with a few cinnamon sticks and a slice of orange.

I’ve found that you can reuse the ginger chunks at least once more for the same process. There is still a lot of flavor in them, so when you’re ready for another round, just cover with water and repeat the whole process again!

Side note: I have found that I prefer the flavor of clementines over oranges in this tea, simply because they are a bit sweeter than a regular orange, and will counter the bitterness of the lemon and the tang of the ginger. Of course, honey helps, too.

Another side note: I like to buy ginger root and keep it in the freezer until I’m ready to use it. It lasts much longer that way!

Happy Autumn, witches.