Ginger, Ginger, Gingerol!

Our Ginger Lime Pepper Jelly is one of our best sellers! It is one of the first pepper jellies that customers want to taste when they visit us at the farmers' markets or events. They love the winning combination of the ginger with the lime! Today we will be looking at ginger and exploring its wonderful qualities as an ingredient in our pepper jellies.

Ginger is a root or a rhizome which is actually the seed that the ginger plant grows from. It is an aromatic spicy flavouring that we use when cooking. It has a beige thin skin that houses the knobbly aromatic and fat matter that while young, is juicy, crisp, and pale yellow inside. The ginger plant has hardy stems with long, slim pointed leaves and produces beautiful waxy flowers of which there are many varieties, according to the species of ginger. It’s interesting to know that ginger and tumeric are in the same plant family, named Zingiberaceae; while ginger itself is called Zingiber officinale.

Ginger has a history that extends 5000 years and more! This popular spice was first seen in ancient China, and through the spice trade, was bought to India, eventually arriving into Europe in the 1st century. There it was known to be used by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Although it was transported to many countries, including Jamaica and the West Indies, India has been the most prolific producer of ginger.

Ginger has an age-old history of being incredibly beneficial to us. During the spice trade, sailors transported it in pots and used it to prevent scurvy. It was also used to flavour sweets during medieval times.

Today’s research has proved that ginger has many health benefits for us in modern days, most importantly for the strengthening of our immune system. Ginger has dynamic antiviral and antibacterial properties making it a great ingredient to help boost our immune systems in the wake of a Covid -19 pandemic! It has a compound called gingerol, which has powerful medicinal properties, aiding digestion and helping to ward off cancer. It is a great source of antioxidants that prevent damage to our DNA and helps us fight off chronic diseases like high blood pressure and heart disease. The benefits of ginger are such that it can treat nausea, and morning sickness in pregnant women, and it can even help with weight loss!

Ginger is so friendly and warming to the body that here at GENNY GRAHAM we use our Ginger Lime Pepper Jelly in a hot toddy during the winter months to help to nurse a cold. Just put a generous teaspoon of GENNY GRAHAM Ginger Lime Pepper Jelly in a cup, pour on some hot water and stir! Sip at your leisure! You can pimp it up by adding some honey or even a shot of whisky! Well, whisky and ginger is a great combination in my books!

Need your daily dose of ginger? Click here to get your hands on our double award-winning Ginger Lime Pepper Jelly! It was awarded both the Great Taste Award in 2013 and Great British Food Award in 2018! Thanks for checking in! Jenny x Published 10th September 2021