A switchel is a blend of ginger, honey, and vinegar that is used as a summer beverage.ย It is rich in potassium, glucose, and sodium to replace electrolytes during heavy physical activity.ย Switchels were the first Gatorade.ย You can easily make this ginger switchel at home using just 4 ingredients.ย And it’s better for you, too.
Working in the summer heat or playing hard can leave you faint, weak, and feeling off your game.ย When you’re in the garden weeding and there’s a breeze blowing you might not realize you’ve over done it, until you come inside and grab a glass a water.ย Then the sweat starts poring.ย That’s a sign that you need more than plain water.ย This ginger honey switchel will replenish the electolytes you lost quickly and restore your stamina.ย Plus its very easy to make.ย Even a child can be taught the recipe.
Drinking vinegar and shrubs are also useful for replenishing electrolytes during exertion in the heat.ย But where shrubs and drinking vinegar rely on infusing vinegar with fruit or herbs over a few days to a few weeks, a switchel is made fresh, as you need it, or infused just overnight. They are quick quick to make and taste great.
Why drink a switchel?
Switchels have their roots deep in American history. Also called a switzle or Haymakers Punch, these vinegar-based drinks were the original Gatorade, full of probiotics, healthy electrolytes, sugar, and fluid to support field workers at the peak of haying season or harvest. Soldiers and sailors also used switchel to maintain their energy after a hot day at work.
Switchels didn’t just quench thirst and prevent heatstroke, they also provided safe drinks when water could be tainted with bacteria and promote diarrhea.ย The vinegar with it’s rich probiotics supported healthy digestion and prevented the seasonal malady, prevalent as farm workers traveled from farm to farm to help with the harvest.ย The added ginger meant that a person could stay hydrated without nausea, common when you drink huge amounts of water after you get hot and thirsty.
Switchel can be made with dried, powdered ginger, but if you can get fresh ginger root, the flavor is even better, and you’ll get more healthy antioxidants in your drink.
Use the edge of a spoon to peel the ginger root before grating it on the side of a box grater.
Hint: Peeled ginger can be kept in the freezer for long term storage.ย Just grate off what you need as you need it.
Ginger Honey Switchel to Quench Summer Thirst
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 32 unces 1x
- Category: beverage
Description
A switchel is a blend of ginger, honey, and vinegar that is used as a summer beverage.ย It is rich in potassium, glucose, and sodium to replace electrolytes during heavy physical activity.ย Switchels were the first Gatorade.ย You can easily make this ginger switchel at home using just 4 ingredients.ย And it’s better for you, too.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon local honey
- 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 4 cups of water
Instructions
- Peel and chop the ginger
- Zest and juice the lemon
- Place all the ingredients in a glass quart Mason jar and give it a good shake.
- Place the jar in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, but overnight is even better.
- Shake or stir and then strain the switchel through a fine sieve or cheesecloth before serving over ice. ย Straining is optional, chewing the fresh pieces of ginger also has its benefits
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
Ginger Honey Switchel
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon local honey
- 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 4 cups of water
Directions:
Place all the ingredients in a glass quart Mason jar and give it a good shake.ย Place the jar in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, but overnight is even better. Shake or stir and then strain the switchel through a fine sieve or cheesecloth before serving over ice. ย Straining is optional, chewing the fresh pieces of ginger also has its benefits.
Other Healthy Drinks
Shrubs are the fruity cousins to the switchel. These are made with fruit, herbs, and vegetables that have been soaked in vinegar and sweetened with sugar.ย Shrubs are a good use of overripe fruit. Lemonade, the traditional fourth of July drink got its start with switchels and shrubs. ย The tart-sweetness of lemons holds the same electrolyte benefits as switchels and shrubs.
Check out my new class
For more thirst quenching, healthy drinks that are low on sugar and high on flavor, check out my new class.
Learn more about making healthy and nutritious shrubs, vinegar drinks, ice pops, sherbet, botanical drinks, herbal tea, fruity lemonades, liqueurs, and bistro drinks healthier at home using wholesome ingredients, less sugar, and more fun.ย My new class Inspiring Botanical Drinks will help you turn your garden produce and easy to find ingredients into beautiful beverages and frozen desserts easily.
Break the pop and sweet tea habit with these healthier options.ย You’ll save money, reduce food waste, and enjoy delicious and nutritious hot and cold drinks year-round when you use herbs, garden fruit and berries, and even weeds to make healthy tea, drinks, and beverage syrups.
Make the most of your garden harvest AND kick the unhealthy drinks out of your diet with the tips and tricks you’ll learn in my new class.
This looks good, but I am curious as to how it is rich in sodium. Do we need to add sea salt or baking soda? Thanks.