Making ginger tea?

[African Tiger]

I know this belongs on the medicine board, but it takes too long to get a response over there :D

I'm making a huge batch of ginger tea for the knees (and the stomach I guess), and I need some advice. Obviously you have to bring the water to boil, but should you simmer the tea or keep a rolling boil? And for how long, either way?

Tanks!

[Budokan]

You do neither. You let the tea steep. Long if you want it strong, short if you want it weakened.

[African Tiger]

Ah sh!t! I've been simmering for two hours, per someone else's advice!

Actually, does that apply to fresh ginger as I am using?

Thanks for the help, Budo

[Budokan]

Well, come to think of it, you're using ginger root and not tea leaves so, yeah, you just might have to simmer that a long time...

[African Tiger]

Along those lines, can you reuse fresh ginger slices for another batch, or should they be thrown out?

[GLW]

Fresh Ginger only..

bring it to a boil and let it simmer at a slow boil.

The water will turn yellow with the ginger in it.

You CAN add sugar or honey (this is done with kids to get them to drink it)

It is a common treatement for colds this time of year as well.

Don't bother with the store bought versions...all you need is a grocery store that carries fresh ginger root.

[African Tiger]

(This is all long after my first email - I had to run errands and just got back to the board)

My water turned brown :o The tea has a really pungent odor and pronounced flavor.

I didn't peel off the outer skin - should I have? I also allowed it to simmer uncovered, except for about ten minutes.

This is asian grocery store ginger. It was absolutely fresh. Again, can I reused the previously cooked ginger slices, or should I discard them?

[guohuen]

Peel the ginger. discard after use.

[Taone]

Add 1 or 2 cinnamon sticks to it as well..... mmmmmmm..... :) Makes a decoction good for the stomach, warming and tasty (with honey too) :) ...... if you drink it.

I feel like some tea

[Taomonkey]

Ginger, or any herb for that matter, fresh or dried, should not be boiled, you should bring the water to near boiling, and then add the herbs, cover and keep at a temp so that the herbs dance, (show some slight movement) for about 15 minutes, then let them steep off teh heat for another 10 or 15. The herbs can be reused but next time you have to let them cook longer i.e.20 to 30 min.
Ginger can be sliced for tea without pealing, just be sure to wash it very well, For a very strong brew grate the fresh ginger.
Honey can be added if needed.

[GLW]

Concerning boiling....

Strange....the people preparing the decoctions and things like ginger tea from the Shanghai College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (second largest TCM School in PRC) boil them.

In fact, many decoctions require boiling to turn the water put in into steam so you reduce the liquid...and you do that twice.

Keep it simple. Don't boil things too long...like down to nothing. Don't burn things...but the value is still there.

[Taomonkey]

We'll I guess its a matter of your source, but if you cook many herbs at too high a temperature, the oils volitise, the sugars change forms, etc. just be patient and allow your herbs to dance. and then steep. I too have seen video of hospitals in PRC where they boil the herbs, but they too are looking for the quickest preperation, and understand what herbs are delicate. Regardless, a good general rule is to not let them boil.

There's always one and he's usually from Texas

[GLW]

Yep...and we Texans are strangely proud of that....

As for me...my family came to this place first just before the Civil War...and then moved back just after Reconstruction....So...I got a triple dose of Texas stubborn and troublemaker.

[Taone]

From what I know the optimal is to bring them to a boil briefly and then let it simmer for a further 5-10 minutes (if you don't want it too strong :) ). I peel and grate my ginger.
Make sure you keep the lid on during this - some active constituents, ESPECIALLY volatile oils, will fly off with the water vapour if you don't. That's a bad thing :( .

So bring it to the boil, not violently, and then let it simmer. That's what I've been taught here at the Australian College of Natural Medicine. Of course, it depends on the herb. Differnet constituents require different temperatures and solvents to extract.