Citric Acid Free Lemon Ginger Tea
Fresh ginger simmered low and slow is the backbone of this warming tea, filling your kitchen with a spicy, aromatic steam before you've even taken a sip. The honey rounds out the heat beautifully, and a squeeze of fresh lemon brightens the whole cup without any of the additives or preservatives hiding in store-bought versions. For anyone navigating a sensitivity to citric acid as an additive, that distinction matters — commercial lemon-flavored drinks and packaged teas often sneak in manufactured citric acid as a preservative, but here the only lemon involved is freshly squeezed from an actual lemon. Naturally occurring citric acid in whole fruit behaves very differently in the body than the fermentation-derived additive, and many people who react to the latter tolerate fresh lemon juice just fine. The technique is straightforward: boil, simmer, strain, and sweeten — no specialty equipment or hard-to-find ingredients required. It comes together in under 20 minutes and feels genuinely restorative, whether you're fighting off a chill or just craving something soothing and clean.
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Learn more →Ingredients
2 servings
- 2 cups water
- 1 oz fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced (about a 2-inch piece)
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
- 1–2 tsp honey, or to taste
For serving
- 2 thin lemon slices, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the water and sliced ginger in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, until the liquid is fragrant and pale golden.
- 2
Remove from the heat. Stir in the lemon juice and honey, adjusting honey to your preferred sweetness.
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