I had an interesting piece of ginger root in my grocery order. As I sliced it, I made heart shapes because of the naturally occurring crease in the side of the root. What a pleasing serendipity.

I sliced the ginger to make Singer’s tea, which is a wonderful tonic for raspy and sore throats. The recipe calls for boiling 8” of ginger, in enough water to cover, for 45 minutes. I did that the first time, but tried the Instapot the second time for 10 minutes on high. Much less water loss. Here is the way I make it:

• 8” ginger root, washed, unpeeled
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, ground
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup honey (or to taste)
• 1/2 cup Apple cider (to taste)

Slice ginger root in approximately 1/4” slices, add to Instapot, add water to cover. Add cayenne pepper. Pressure cook for 10 minutes on high, natural pressure release. Strain out ginger slices. Add honey, lemon juice, and apple cider. If the heat of the ginger is still too much, dilute with water. Keep in fridge. I do not reheat the tea to sip it (and it needs to be sipped). I feel the warmth in my throat, a soothing gentle warmth that also clears mucus. This has been especially helpful for me on high allergen days, and the day after intense chorus practice.

Honestly “to taste” means I don’t really measure, but taste it, add a dollop, stir, taste again. You know, scientific-like. Ha.