At a glance

Prep time	5 minutes
Makes	about 4 shots
Cost per shot	under 50p
Best time to take	morning

I make a batch of these every Sunday so I have one waiting in the fridge each morning. They are sharp, spicy and genuinely good at what people take them for. A homemade ginger and turmeric shot is also a fraction of the price of the ones in the supermarket chiller, and you know exactly what is in it.

What is in a ginger shot and why it works

The ingredients are not there for decoration. Each one earns its place.

Ginger carries a compound called gingerol. It is what gives ginger its heat, and it is the part most studied for easing nausea and settling the stomach. That is why a ginger shot is the first thing plenty of people reach for when they feel a cold coming or a travel-sickness rumble.

Turmeric gets its bright orange colour from curcumin, a natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. The honest catch is that curcumin is poorly absorbed on its own, and it is fat-soluble. That is the reason the recipe below has two small but important additions: a pinch of black pepper and a little fat.

Black pepper is not there for flavour. It contains piperine, which slows the liver from breaking curcumin down and can dramatically increase how much your body actually absorbs. Research has put the boost as high as 2,000 percent when the two are taken together.

Lemon and orange bring vitamin C and make the whole thing drinkable. Straight ginger and turmeric juice is harsh. The citrus rounds it out so you can actually knock one back without grimacing.

The fat (a teaspoon of olive oil) matters because curcumin dissolves in fat rather than water. It is a small detail most recipes skip, and it makes the turmeric noticeably more useful.

How many shots should you take?

One a day is plenty for most people. If you are fighting something off you might take two, morning and afternoon. There is no magic number, and more is not automatically better. Ginger is strong stuff and can irritate an empty stomach if you overdo it, so start with one and see how you feel.

What you need

Fresh ginger (about 60g, roughly a 6cm knob). Fresh is far better than the jarred paste, which has less kick.
Fresh turmeric (about 40g, a 4cm piece). If you can only get powder, use half a teaspoon and accept it will be a little chalky.
2 lemons and 1 orange, for vitamin C and balance.
A pinch of black pepper, for the absorption.
1 teaspoon of olive oil, to help the curcumin along.
A splash of water, only if you are using a blender.

How to make it

You can use a juicer or a blender. The juicer gives a cleaner, smoother shot. The blender needs a quick strain but works fine if that is all you have.

Juicer method

Scrub the ginger and turmeric (no need to peel, but give them a good wash).
Peel the orange and lemons, then run everything through the juicer.
Stir in the black pepper and olive oil.
Pour into small bottles or a jar and keep in the fridge.

Blender method

Roughly chop the ginger and turmeric, peel the orange and lemons, and add everything to a blender with a small splash of water.
Blend on high until completely smooth, about a minute.
Pour through a fine sieve or a nut milk bag and squeeze out every drop.
Stir in the black pepper and olive oil, then bottle it up.

A warning: turmeric stains everything it touches, so rinse the blender and anything else straight away and be careful with light worktops.

Homemade vs shop-bought: the cost

	Shop-bought	Homemade
Cost per shot	£2.50 to £4	under 50p
You know the ingredients	sort of	exactly
Taste	pasteurised, muted	fresh and sharp

The fancy cold-pressed shots in the supermarket chiller run two to four pounds each. The same batch made at home costs pennies and you make it in five minutes.

How to store them

Keep the shots in a sealed jar or small bottles in the fridge for up to five days. Give the bottle a shake before you drink because the juice separates as it sits.

For longer, pour the mixture into an ice cube tray and freeze it. Each cube is roughly one shot. Drop a cube into hot water in winter and you have a warming ginger and turmeric tea.

Common questions

Can I use turmeric powder instead of fresh?

Yes. Use about half a teaspoon of powder for this recipe. The flavour is slightly more bitter and it does not dissolve perfectly, so give it a stir before drinking.

Do I need to peel the ginger and turmeric?

No. Scrub them clean and use them skin and all, especially if you are blending and straining afterwards. The skin is fine to eat and it all gets strained out anyway.

When is the best time to take a ginger shot?

Morning on an empty stomach is the usual choice, and it is a decent wake-up. If your stomach is sensitive, have it with a little food instead.

Can ginger shots upset your stomach?

They can, mainly because of the ginger. If you are new to them, start with one a day and do not take one on a completely empty stomach if you are prone to heartburn.

Are ginger shots actually good for you?

The short version: ginger is genuinely useful for nausea and has real anti-inflammatory compounds, and turmeric plus black pepper is a well-studied combination for inflammation. They are not a cure for anything, and they are not medicine. Think of them as a cheap, whole-food way to get those compounds into your day.

Three ways to change it up

Add a pineapple chunk for natural sweetness if the ginger is too much for you.
Swap the olive oil for coconut oil, which does the same job for the curcumin.
Add a small piece of fresh cayenne if you want extra heat and a circulation kick.

The recipe