Healthy Recipes Drink Frozen Lemon-Ginger-Turmeric Shots 4.6 (5) 4 Reviews When hot water is poured over these frozen lemon-ginger-turmeric ice cubes, they melt to create a soothing hot beverage that's perfect for cold and flu season. Both ginger and turmeric are packed with anti-inflammatory compounds, which have been shown to support immunity. Bright, strong and punchy, you'll want to sip on this beverage all day long. By Alex Loh Alex Loh Alex Loh is EatingWell's food editor. As part of the food team, she creates healthy, delicious recipes for the EatingWell audience. Alex also writes informative food and cooking articles that range from how to store ground beef to the best picks from Trader Joe's. Alex conducts product and taste tests to find the best options, from salad spinners to salsas. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Updated on February 19, 2025 Reviewed by Dietitian Christa Brown, M.S., RDN, LD Reviewed by Dietitian Christa Brown, M.S., RDN, LD Christa Brown is a registered dietitian and business owner with a practice focus on diabetes management and content development for brands and fitness influencers. She is a licensed dietitian with a Master of Science in Nutrition Education and a certification in gut health by the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Save Rate PRINT Share Jump to recipe Active Time: 10 mins Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Servings: 8 Nutrition Profile: Diabetes-Friendly Nut-Free Dairy-Free Soy-Free Heart-Healthy Vegetarian Egg-Free Gluten-Free Jump to Nutrition Facts These Frozen Lemon-Ginger-Turmeric Shots are just what the dietitian ordered to give your immune system a much-needed boost. Punchy, antioxidant-rich lemon adds a bright acidity to these shots, while ginger and turmeric come in with a soothing warm, earthy layer. The black pepper adds a little spicy undertone while sweet honey balances all the flavors out. Keep reading for our expert tips, including what to use if you don't have a mesh strainer. Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too! Depending on your preferences, you can use peeled or unpeeled ginger. Unpeeled ginger yields a slightly pulpier drink, which can be skimmed off if desired.Turmeric can stain your hands and blender, so be careful when handling it. Consider wearing gloves, and if your blender has turned bright yellow, try placing it in the bright sunshine for a few days.We suggest straining everything through a fine mesh metal strainer, but if you don’t have one handy, you can use a thin dish towel that you don’t mind staining or a nut milk bag.You can add room-temperature water instead of hot water to your shot, but your cube will take longer to melt, so plan accordingly. Nutrition Notes Turmeric and ginger are both rhizomes—stems that grow underground and produce shoots off their sides. Both have been used for centuries in Asia and India as spices for cooking and herbal medicine. They are known for their rich antioxidant content and anti-inflammatory properties. Black pepper is often combined with turmeric because it helps your body better absorb its nutrients. This is thanks to the active component in black pepper, called piperine, which enhances the bioavailability of antioxidants in foods like turmeric. Black pepper also has anti-inflammatory properties of its own. Honey is used to balance out the spicy and earthy notes in this shot but it, too, offers some health benefits—including adding another layer of anti-inflammatory antioxidants to this shot. And honey's antibacterial properties may encourage the growth of beneficial gut bacteria while also reducing the number of potentially harmful bacteria. This is just another way this shot bulks up your immune system, which will help your body fight off infections, including cold and flu viruses. Brie Goldman Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 4 lemons) ½ cup chopped fresh ginger (about 9 inches; see Tip) 2 tablespoons chopped fresh turmeric (about 3 inches) or 2 teaspoons ground turmeric 3 tablespoons honey 1 tablespoon water ⅛ teaspoon cracked black pepper Directions Combine 1 cup lemon juice, 1/2 cup ginger, 2 tablespoons turmeric, 3 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon water and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a blender; process until smooth, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Photographer: Brie Goldman Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco Strain the juice through a fine-mesh strainer into a large measuring cup, pressing solids with a spoon to extract juice; you should have about 1 cup of juice. Discard solids. Photographer: Brie Goldman Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco Evenly pour the juice into a 9-ounce silicone ice cube tray. Freeze until solid, at least 1 hour. Photographer: Brie Goldman Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco To make 1 serving: Bring 8 ounces water to a boil. Place 1 frozen cube in a mug or heatproof glass; add the hot water. Serve immediately. Photographer: Brie Goldman Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco Equipment 9-oz. silicone ice cube tray Frequently Asked Questions Can I use bottled lemon juice in place of fresh lemon juice? Bottled lemon juice can be a handy swap when cooking, but it may not be the best solution for this beverage. The pasteurization process gives bottled lemon juice a muted taste and aroma compared to fresh-squeezed, and some bottled lemon juice contains additives to keep it shelf stable. We’re “#teamfresh,” but If you do buy the bottled stuff, look for a bottle labeled “100% pure juice” with lemon juice as the only ingredient. Is the honey necessary, or can I leave it out? Turmeric and ginger contribute earthiness and a hint of bitterness, while lemon juice adds acidity. A small amount of honey perfectly balances the overall flavor profile. While you can reduce the honey or omit it entirely, doing so may make the other flavors more pronounced and intense. How long can I store ginger-turmeric shots? We prefer freezing the shots in an ice cube tray, as this method keeps them fresher for longer—up to 3 months. Alternatively, you can prepare a week's worth of shots and store them in 2-ounce glass bottles in the refrigerator. However, keep in mind that the potency of refrigerated juice will diminish after 48 hours. Can I add an extra flavoring? We recommend trying our recipe as it is for your first batch. Experiment with it in your next batch. Consider sweetening it with coconut water or agave syrup instead of honey or adding an herbal touch with lemon balm or mint. You might even add a little hot sauce if you enjoy drinks with a kick. Alternatively, you can incorporate the shot into a delicious smoothie or iced tea. Can I use the leftover pulp? You will have some leftover pulp from making this recipe. While you can certainly add it to your compost bin like any other fruit pulp, consider getting a bit creative with it! You can use the pulp in baked goods, soups, spreads or smoothies. Recipe developed by Catherine Jessee EatingWell.com, December 2022 Save Rate Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 38 Calories 10g Carbs Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 8 Serving Size 1 (1-oz.) cube Calories 38 % Daily Value * Total Carbohydrate 10g 4% Total Sugars 8g Added Sugars 0g 0% Vitamin A 2IU 0% Vitamin C 11mg 12% Folate 6mcg 2% Sodium 1mg 0% Calcium 3mg 0% Magnesium 2mg 0% Potassium 40mg 1% Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate. * Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.) (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs. Additional reporting by Carrie Myers, M.S., Carrie Myers, M.S. Carrie Myers is a portfolio entrepreneur with more than 30 years of experience in the health and wellness space. As a writer and editor, Carrie has worked for both consumer and trade print and online publications. She's been quoted in several articles as a health and fitness expert. Carrie is also a certified life and wellness coach and exercise physiologist, and the founder of CarrieMichele Co., a lifestyle company that helps women create lives they love where they can be authentic. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Sara Haas, RDN, LDN, Sara Haas, RDN, LDN Sara is a food and nutrition expert with formal training in culinary arts. She has been a registered and licensed dietitian since 2002 and a professional chef since 2008. She works as a consultant chef and dietitian with a focus on writing, recipe development and food photography. Sara is the author of the Taco! Taco! Taco! cookbook and co-author of the Fertility Foods Cookbook. Her cooking, nutrition and food expertise have been featured in all forms of media. She also loves conducting cooking demonstrations and enjoys speaking at conferences, expos and other engagements. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines and Linda Frahm Linda Frahm Linda Frahm has been a copy editor and fact checker working with food and nutrition content for the past 30-plus years for consumer print and online publications. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines