Ginger is one of your best friends during chemo, both for its flavor, which can spark even the most jaded taste buds, and for its tummy-soothing properties. A lot of people think store-bought ginger ale will do the trick, but the actual ginger content in most commerical varieties is minimal. Plus, you often get a whole host of other garbage (can you say high fructose corn syrup?) that you’d be better off without. Enter this recipe, which uses straight-up ginger syrup so you can control the amount of zing in your tonic. The frozen grapes serve the same purpose as your basic ice cubes, but also sneak a bunch of healthy minerals and phytochemicals into the brew.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 2 cups syrup

　　4 cups water

　　2 cups sliced unpeeled fresh ginger

　　2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

　　2 tablespoons honey

　　Frozen seedless grapes

　　Sparkling water

　　Mint sprigs, for garnish

　　

Step 1

Bring the water and ginger to a boil in a saucepan, then lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour. Uncover and continue to simmer for 30 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Strain the infusion through cheesecloth and discard the ginger. Stir in the lemon juice and honey and let cool to room temperature.

　　

Step 3

For each serving, add 1/4 cup of the ginger syrup to a glass with frozen grapes, then fill the glass with sparkling water and garnish with a sprig of mint.

　　

rebecca’s notes:

Step 4

You can also use this ginger syrup to make a hot beverage. Just stir 3 tablespoons of the syrup into 1 cup of hot water, then add more honey or lemon if you like.

　　

storage

Step 5

Store the ginger syrup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 7 days. Store the grapes in a resealable plastic bag in the freezer for 3 months.

　　

nutrition information

Step 6

(per serving)

　　

Step 7

Calories: 50

　　

Step 8

Total Fat: 0.2g (0.1g saturated, 0g monounsaturated)

　　

Step 9

Carbohydrates: 12g

　　

Step 10

Protein: 0g

　　

Step 11

Fiber: 1g

　　

Step 12

Sodium: 5mg

　　Excerpted from The Cancer Fighting Kitchen, copyright 2017 by Rebecca Katz and Met Edelson. Published with permission by Ten Speed Press.