GINGER SYRUP FOR TEA RECIPES

Steps:

• Place grated ginger into a 2-cup glass measuring cup.
• Fill to the 1-1/2 cup line with boiling water.
• Set timer for 10 minutes.
• When timer goes off, strain into a large mug and stir in sugar (you may need more or less, depending on how sweet you want your tea).
• Taste; if it's too strong (too gingery) for you, add a little more boiling water to your mug, but I found the strong taste really grew on me, so I hope you try it this way first!
• Sip and enjoy!
• Note#1: If that's too much, you can use just 1 tsp grated ginger and just 1 cup of boiling water, but I like a big mug.
• Note#2: a squeeze of lemon can be added, and maple syrup is an interesting replacement for the white sugar.
• Note#3: If you triple or quadruple this recipe, you can make a lovely pot of ginger tea instead of a single serving.

Steps:

• Take a 1.5-liter plastic bottle of spring water and empty it into a clean pitcher. Use some of it to make simple syrup by stirring 1/2 pound sugar into 1 cup hot water until fully dissolved.
• In a large measuring cup, mix all ingredients and stir well. Funnel back into the plastic bottle and cap tightly. Store in a warm, dark place for 24 to 48 hours. (I put mine inside a box, to contain it if it should blow.) The top of the bottle will expand and become tight. Check it and very slowly release the pressure if it’s looking groaningly tight. Some people ferment it with no top, or with the top on loosely, to allow gas to escape. I suppose if you wanted to get fancy you could spend $1.50 on a fermentation lock and stop worrying about it. If the temperature is quite warm, above 80F, a single day may be sufficient. The longer you let it ferment, the drier the final mix will be.
• After 48 hours, refrigerate it to stop the fermentation. Once chilled, you can strain out the pulp and dead yeast, which will have made a sediment on the bottom. Makes 1 liter and will keep up to a week in the refrigerator.