I absolutely adore ginger and use it regularly both in cooking and for medicinal purposes.

Buying ginger in the supermarkets is really expensive and you only get a tiny amount for your money. If you love ginger as much as I do, consider heading to your local fruit and veg market or farm shop to get the very best quality and quantity of fresh ginger for your money.

I got my amazing ginger from “Stacey’s Fruit and Veg” at the Frome Saturday Market. I only paid £3.20 per kilo and the ginger was so fresh with enormous pieces. Amazing value for money.

Ginger has been used as a food source and medicine for centuries with the earliest being in India and China where ginger has been used in this way for over 5000 years. Even to this day, it is widely used in cooking, cosmetics and natural medicine.

The unique properties in ginger are made up of oils with the main compound being gingerol. It is the gingerol that contains all the natural medicinal goodness. Gingerol has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects reducing the excess amount of free radicals in the body. Free radicals perform many essential functions in our bodies – from controlling blood flow through our arteries, keeping the brain alert and fighting infection, to name a few. Ginger supports the balance of free radicals and antioxidant levels to maintain proper physiological function.

Ginger has unique anti sickness properties and is widely used to treat nausea, pregnancy-related sickness and travel sickness. It is also commonly used to support people suffering from chronic indigestion.

Ginger is excellent for muscle pain due to its anti-inflammatory properties. Ideal if you hit the gym regularly or suffer from any conditions that cause inflammatory flare up’s.

Ginger, taken regularly can even support methods to improve brain function. Ginger increases levels of dopamine and serotonin which are in charge of keeping us focused, happy and productive.

There is a lot to be said for adding ginger to your diet. Many believe it has a wealth of other benefits including helping to lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, promotes good gut health, and can help to fight infection.

I like to make a tonic in winter months using lots of fresh ginger. I take a bottle of cold pressed, organic apple juice and grate fresh ginger into it. I then add fresh or dried turmeric, freshly squeezed orange and lemon juice and a pinch of cayenne pepper. I keep this in the fridge and drink a glass of it whenever I feel I need a pick-me-up

Here I share my favourite winter warming soup recipe where ginger takes the centre stage.

Butternut squash, ginger and coconut soup

Ingredients

4 tablespoons of fresh ginger

1 butternut squash

4 garlic cloves

2 sticks of celery

2 carrots

1 onion

1 can of coconut milk

2 pints of vegetable stock

1 teaspoon of chilli

Oil and butter for frying/roasting

Salt and pepper

 

Method

Peel and chop the butternut squash and cut into chunks. Transfer to a roasting dish and drizzle with oil. Add the garlic and bake in a medium heated oven until the butternut squash is soft.

Peel and chop the celery, carrot and onion and fry in a little butter until the vegetables soften. Add the cooked butternut squash, the tin of coconut, the ginger and the chilli and stir. Add enough stock to completely cover the vegetables and simmer for 10 minutes. Blitz in a blender so the soup is silky smooth. If the soup is too thick, add more stock. Season to your liking.

If you don’t want to waste the squash seeds, soak in a bowl of salted water for 2 hours. Blot on a kitchen towel and transfer to a roasting tin. Drizzle with oil and bake until the seeds go crispy. Eat as a healthy snack or sprinkle onto the top of your soup for a delicious zero waste meal.