Health Benefits of Ginger for People and Poultry + Ginger Simple Syrup
As promised when I embarked on my apprenticeship as an herbalist this past fall at The Herbal Academy of New England, I am sharing yet another wonderful concoction with you from my studies.
This one is from Unit Three which focuses on the alimentary (digestive) system and is a recipe for Ginger Simple Syrup that I think you'll enjoy.
Health Benefits of Ginger for People and Poultry + Ginger Simple Syrup
I happen to love ginger and cook with it often. Common in Thai cuisine, ginger is generally thought of in conjunction with nausea - drinking ginger ale has long been a recommended course of treatment -but ginger is also an anti-spasmodic, so it aids in lessening uterine and other muscle cramps.
Health Benefits of Ginger for People
Additionally, ginger is an anti-inflammatory and circulatory system stimulant. Ginger and other herbs rich in aromatic oils that aid in digestion, including chamomile, lavender, lemon balm, mint, sage and thyme, are especially helpful when taken after meals.
Due to the recent cold snap and needing to spend time outdoors caring for our animals, I thought that stimulating my circulatory system was in order, since better blood flow to the extremities means staying warmer and having a lesser chance of contracting frostbite. This ginger simple syrup can be added to a nice hot cup of tea, which is my preferred after-chore winter beverage.
Health Benefits of Ginger for Chickens
Ginger can also be used in your chickens' diet for similar reasons - their circulation is very important also especially in the winter. It's anti-inflammatory properties could also come in handy in flock management.
Try sprinkling some dried ginger over their feed or mixing dried or fresh grated into some cooked oats or scrambled eggs for them. You can also steep some fresh chopped ginger in hot water for the chickens also as described below, just leave out the honey in their 'tea'.
Ginger Simple Syrup
What you Need |
3 ounces of fresh ginger, chopped
3 cups of water
1 cup of honey
What you Do |
- Bring ginger to a boil in a saucepan in the 3 cups water.
- Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let cool to just warm.
- Strain, pressing down on the ginger to extract as much liquid as possible.
- Whisk in honey (add a bit more if you want a thicker syrup).
- Pour into mason jar and refrigerate.
If you are interesting in taking the online Herbalist Course offered by the Herbal Academy of New England, read more HERE. So far, I'm really enjoying it and learning so much that will help not only with our family's healthy but also our flock health.
