Ginger Turmeric Glowing Shots (Blender Recipe)

These intensely flavored ginger turmeric glowing shots will boost your energy and strengthen your immune system. They are made without a juicer and taste delicious, thanks to the addition of fresh oranges!

We recently had our in laws watch our kids for one night while we stayed in a hotel room - 5 miles away from our house. A friend of us initiated this idea and I thought it was absolutely genius.

So here we are, almost walking distance from our house, sleeping away with no kids around. Quiet long evening, slow coffee drinking morning. I bet you get the amazingness from this if you have 2 kids under 5.

So, part of our lazy morning was to go out for brunch at the hotel restaurant. They served us a bright yellow and crisp juice that was just a little bitter with a nice kick. The kind of drink that's not overly sweet with huge flavor, almost too strong, but also hard not to drink all within minutes.

So, this recipe is my intake on that fun healthy juice. It is made with lots of fresh ginger and turmeric but also, fresh oranges to make the shots more pleasant. Also, this recipe is more accessible to everyone as you won't need a juicer to make it, only a blender and a simple straining cloth.

What are ginger turmeric glowing shots

You can usually find turmeric (with or without ginger) shots in health food stores. They are concentrated turmeric juice which brings lots of health benefits that are actually not meant to taste very good, which is why you will drink them like a shot, all at once. It can feel like burning when drinking it and is usually recommended to drink water afterwards to help tame the fire.

Although I love the idea of healthy concentrated drinks, I just cannot bring myself to drink a burning beverage. So, this is my version of a healthy shot: it contains all of the same ingredients, but diluted with fresh orange and lemon juice. You will have to drink a little more of this drink to get the same benefits from a classic hyper concentrated turmeric shots, but the experience will be much more pleasant.

Why you will love these turmeric shots

• Sweet orange-y flavors
• Nice kick from the ginger and turmeric
• Great dose of vitamin C
• Anti-inflammatory and immune boosting benefits
• Easy to make and no need for a juicer
• Stores well, perfect for meal-prep

How do these turmeric shots taste

These healthy shots have a pungent flavor with a predominant turmeric kick. It also taste a little spicy with a mild bitterness, while being also a slightly sweet. The orange juice helps balance the strong flavors from this drink and makes it a lot more enjoyable.

Ingredients and substitutions for ginger turmeric glowing shots

• Fresh turmeric: fresh is better than dried for this recipe. You will find fresh turmeric in most grocery stores, it has the shape of a root, similar to fresh ginger.
• Fresh ginger: you will also need fresh ginger and not the powdery kind.
• Fresh oranges and lemon: look for Navel orange as they are super sweet and very juicy.
• Spices: black pepper and cayenne pepper, for a nice kick and stimulating effect.
• Sweetener: a classic turmeric shot won't contain any sweetener, but I love to add a little maple or agave to help balance for the strong flavor. Optional.

This is a versatile juice recipe and you can swap for other ingredients. Try using pineapple instead of oranges and coconut water instead of water. Also, a dash of cinnamon would add a nice flavor.

Turmeric health benefits

Turmeric is without any doubt one of the trendiest ingredients to include in your healthy lifestyle. Not only does it enhance the flavor of your curry dishes, but is also known to pack a heaping serving of healthy compounds. And even though you might be only recently getting on board with the newish turmeric trend, the health benefits from turmeric is far for being a modern discovery. It has been used in China and India for thousands of years to treat depression, skin condition, breathing issues and reduce stress (source from PubMed).

Turmeric's most active component is called curcumin. Curcumin is what gives turmeric its beautiful bright yellow color on top on most of its powerful health benefits. Just to name a few, curcumin has been shown to fight inflammation, be a great antibacterial, reduce growth or spread of cancer and act as a powerful antioxidant by blocking the action of free radicals (source from healthline).

There is certainly more research to do about turmeric and its health benefits. It does seem like the natural concentration of curcumin in turmeric might be not enough to reach all of these health benefit (unless you consume a lot of it or add concentrated turmeric supplement to your diet). Also, curcumin binds well to fat (lipophilic component) and seems not to necessary distribute very well in your body after consumption (poor bioavailability).

The take away here is that turmeric has a lot of potential to improve your health and although we still need to learn more, we would benefit from including more of this root in our diet.

More turmeric recipes you might like

• Turmeric fried rice
• Superfood turmeric granola
• Turmeric oatmeal
• Tofu tika masala
• Jackfruit coconut curry
• Tofu scramble
• Vegan egg bites

Why adding black pepper

As described, turmeric active component curcumin isn't easily absorbed by the gut. There are some ways to help the body absorb it and one of the most common one is by added some black pepper to it.

Combining black pepper to turmeric has been shown to enhance its absorption by 2000%. This is due to the active component called Piperine that's present in black pepper (and also cayenne pepper) (source by healthline). So, whenever cooking with turmeric, don't forget to add a generous dash of ground pepper so you make sure to get the most of the turmeric.

Can I use dried turmeric powder to make this recipe

I use powdered dried turmeric when making tofu scramble as it give it a nice yellow color or when making turmeric oatmeal to boost my breakfast with health benefits. But, to make this healthy juice, I recommend you use fresh turmeric roots.

If you cannot find it in your regular grocery store, then look in a health store. The roots store very well for a little while in the fridge, so get more than needed, especially if you had to go out of your way to find it. If you have a Whole Foods grocery store in your area, then you will find some there.

If you really cannot find it, then you can still make it using dried turmeric. Although less potent, the dried spice is still a powerful healthy ingredient. Start with about 1 tablespoon of the dried spice and taste to adjust how much you want.

How to make these ginger turmeric shots

This is an easy recipe, using only 6 ingredients and done within 10 minutes.

1- Prep: Start by getting all the ingredients ready: peel the orange and lemon + clean and sliced the ginger and turmeric.

2- Blend: To a blender, add all the ingredients and blend for about 30 seconds or until mostly smooth.

3- Strain: Use a nut milk bag to strain the mixture.

Transfer the juice in a container and chill in the fridge until ready to drink.

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Watch how to make them

Can I use a regular blender to make this turmeric juice?

Although a high speed blender will crush the ingredients into a fine texture quicker, there are no reasons not to use a regular blender if that's what you have. In that case, make sure to blend for a little longer and straining the juice will make sure you don't end up with pieces into the mix.

How to strain the blended juice

I like to use a nut milk bag to strain this juice. I find it to be the easiest method and also the least messy. It is not expensive and you can find one online. I also see them in many grocery stores these days. I buy these nut milk bags from Bellamei online.

You can also use a few layers of cheesecloth layered over a fine mesh colander (more messy and slower technique, but works).

You can also filter this juice using a large french press.

Tips when making this recipe

• You don't need to peel the ginger and turmeric roots. It will save you time and is simply unnecessary. You can use a brush to make sure you clean the skin very well.
• Turmeric can stain, so just be aware of it when blending and straining the juice. I usually rinse my blender immediately afterwards and I keep one of my nut milk bags for this juice, as it will turn yellow permanently.
• The flavored of this juice is intense, so play around with the sweetener or even add an extra orange to the blender if you are looking for a sweeter version or want to serve to your kids.
• When peeling the orange and lemon, make sure to remove all of its white parts as they can be on the bitter side.

Storage

After straining, you can either transfer the whole juice to large container or divide right away into individual glass jars for single portions to enjoy during the week. Mix or shake well before enjoying/serving and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Eventhough this might not be the typical way to serve a turmeric shot, we love enjoying this juice with lots of ice.

If you make more juice than you can enjoy, then transfer to a ice cube mold to freeze for later (don't forget, it might stain the mold). Throw a cube once in a while in your smoothies for added kick flavor.

Other healthy drinks or smoothies you might like

• Hibiscus chia seed tea
• Dragon fruit lemonade
• Watermelon smoothie
• Blackberry zucchini smoothie
• Virgin strawberry mojito
• Strawberry acai lemonade
• Cranberry orange mocktail
• Blueberry lavender lemonade

I hope you enjoy these healthy shots as much as we do! If you try them, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how they were. Your feedback is so helpful!

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