Peach arches filled with stacks of oranges and lemons, ginger, and an immunity shot made from the above ingredients.

Amazing Homemade Ginger and Turmeric Immunity Shots

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Cold and flu season is here, and with a baby and a preschooler, I’m pulling out all the stops to keep us healthy. Step one: making a batch of these immunity shots.

Last year was my daughter’s first year of preschool, and the viruses hit her hard. Poor thing was sick on and off (but mostly on) for a good 9 months. I’m hoping that this year won’t be as bad since she’s built up more immunity. But I’m not too optimistic so I’ve already frozen a batch of these immunity shots and also some homemade chicken stock. Because when sickness hits, the last thing I want to do is cook. Especially if I catch it too. Which is highly likely with two little girls coughing and sneezing in my face.

Do these immunity shots actually work?!

Look, I can’t say whether or not these work definitively. Every sickness is different, and every body is different. And these simply aren’t medicine. But what I can say with certainty is that these definitely won’t hurt (unless of course you’re allergic to one of the ingredients). The ingredients are extremely healthy, so it’s worth a shot. I will say that when I consistently drink these while sick the cold usually doesn’t last long. But that’s purely anecdotal, so you shouldn’t take it as any sort of evidence.

Monochromatic yellow photo filled with citrus, ginger, turmeric, and immunity shots.

Ingredients

I’ll provide more information on each of the ingredients below, so if that interests you keep reading. But before we get into that, I want to talk about when to use fresh vs when to use dried. I would recommend using fresh ginger, turmeric, lemon juice, and orange juice in this recipe. You’ll get the most benefits that way, plus it’ll taste better. You may be tempted to use pre-squeezed lemon and orange juice, but I promise fresh is best. (Actually, you can get away with using a high quality store bought freshly squeezed orange juice, but I wouldn’t recommend one of those lemon squeeze bottles.) The black pepper and cayenne pepper can be dried, though!

Ginger

Ginger is pure magic, in my opinion. I’ve always been prone to motion sickness, and ginger is my go-to drug of choice. Which is lovely since it isn’t even a drug, so it doesn’t come with pesky side effects. Apart from its ability to settle a stomach, ginger is anti-inflammatory, packed with antioxidants, and contains chemical compounds that help your body fight off germs. So you can see how it’d be a helpful ingredient for a recipe like this. In addition to using fresh ginger for these immunity shots, I love using it to make a tea when I’m feeling under the weather!

Turmeric

Turmeric is a relative of ginger, and can be used to treat a lot of the same ailments. It’s anti-inflammatory and contains antioxidants. But in addition to containing antioxidants, it’s said to be able to increase the body’s capacity for antioxidants. It’s used medicinally in cultures all over the world, including but not limited to India and China.

Lemon

Lemons contain a high amount of vitamin C, which we all know is great for fighting off a cold. Lemon can also improve digestive health, and it tastes great.

Oranges

Oranges are another great source of vitamin C. In addition to that, though, they’re anti-inflammatory and contain a multitude of other vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. All great things for immunity. And again, delicious. The oranges really make these shots taste a lot better, so you don’t want to skip them.

Cayenne pepper

Did you know that cayenne pepper is a natural decongestant? I guess it’s not too surprising – I always reach for spicy foods when I’m feeling congested. Pretty cool, though. It’s also high in beta carotene, antioxidants, and vitamin C.

Black Pepper

Including black pepper in this recipe might seem a bit strange, but I promise I’ve got a good reason. So remember how beneficial turmeric is for your body? Well, the ingredient that gives turmeric most of its power is called curcumin, and it’s not well absorbed in the human body. Boo. But that’s where the black pepper comes in! It enhances the body’s ability to absorb curcumin. So don’t skip it.

Honey

Ok, so I mostly added the honey for a touch of sweetness, but it’s also got some great benefits! Honey contains antioxidants and can help suppress coughing, especially in children. It’s also anti-inflammatory, and extremely soothing if you’ve got a sore throat.

As you can imagine, all of these ingredients pack a punch when working together!

They’ve all got other benefits too, by the way. I just focused on the ones that were relevant to fighting off sickness. But look them up if you’re curious about them. It may motivate you to work them into your diet on a regular basis.

Purple backdrop, yellow surface, peach arches. Immunity shots and their ingredients in front of the arches.

How to store these

If I’m actively sick when I make this, I like to keep a little jar of this in the fridge and then put the rest in the freezer. If I’m just making it preemptively, I freeze immediately. I love freezing them in my 2 tbsp Souper Cubes. That way I’ve got perfect little 1 oz portions for later!

How to drink these immunity shots

It goes without saying that you can take these like a shot. 1oz or 2oz portions both work here. If you’re not a fan of spice, that might be the best move. I also love adding this to a mixture of carrot and tangerine juices (I buy both from Trader Joe’s)! It makes for a delightfully spicy sip, and takes your store bought juice to the next level.

If I’m using frozen immunity shots, I’ll either thaw them in the microwave for about 30 seconds or add them to my carrot tangerine concoction as ice cubes. I think it’s great both ways, but I’m also biased.

A quick note on preparation

You don’t really have to peel ginger or turmeric. It’s probably cleaner to, but the skin is totally edible. Do with that information what you will. It’s easy to peel using either a spoon or a peeler.

Also! I enjoy a bit of pulp or sediment in my drinks, so I don’t strain this. I figure more is more, right? Well, if you’re not a fan of pulp, strain it through a fine mesh sieve before drinking or freezing.

Peach arches against a yellow surface and purple backdrop. The arches contain stacks of citrus, ginger, and a small container with immunity shots.
Print

Amazing Homemade Ginger and Turmeric Immunity Shots

Course Drinks
Keyword Amazing Homemade Ginger and Turmeric Immunity Shots, ginger shots, healthy drinks, immunity shots, turmeric shots
Servings 16 1 oz shots

Equipment

  • Blender

Ingredients

  • 3 inch Knob of ginger
  • 3 inch Knob of turmeric
  • 1 cup Lemon juice (Freshly squeezed)
  • 1 cup Orange juice (Freshly squeezed)
  • 1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper
  • 1/8 tsp Black pepper
  • 2 tbsp Honey

Instructions

  • Add all the ingredients to your blender and blitz until fully blended. If you're a fan of pulp, it's ready. If not, strain through a fine mesh sieve before drinking.

And that’s it! These immunity shots are a bit labor intensive because of all the lemon and oranges you have to juice, but I’m always glad I did it. Hopefully you feel the same way.

Looking for more soothing recipes for when you’re not feeling great? This blood orange and earl grey hot toddy will hit the spot. Or maybe this roasted strawberry and tomato soup? Pair it with a grilled cheese for comfort food at its finest. And if I’ve caught you with a nasty cold, feel better!!

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