Recipe Collection: Electrolyte Concentrate Ice Cubes

Written by Kate Tietje

If you’ve tried my homemade Ginger-Lemon or Turmeric-Lime Electrolyte Drinks, you know they’re great stuff.  Good for exercising, fall sports, and stomach viruses.  Really, any time you need rehydrating.  But, you know…if you’re sick right now, are you going to want to stand up for 10 minutes to make this?  What if you don’t even have the ingredients in the house?  Are you going to run to the store for honey or ginger?  I wouldn’t.

This is my solution.  I’m making a concentrated version of it and freezing it in ice cubes so that when you need it, it’s just a minute away…and really simple.

Another option is Earthley’s Electrolyte Powder, which replenishes fluids naturally.  This natural electrolyte powder is made from three simple ingredients (organic maple sugar, Himalayan pink salt, and cream of tartar).  Simply add the powder to your favorite drink or smoothie for an electrolyte drink that’s easy on sensitive stomachs and completely natural.

Electrolyte Concentrate Ice Cubes

Ingredients:

• 4 – 5 slices of fresh ginger* 
• 6 lemons, juiced*
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup honey
• 1 tbsp. sea salt
• Filtered water

*If you don’t like this ginger-lemon flavor (which is admittedly great for stomach issues), you can try these flavors (other ingredients remain the same):

• Orange-Vanilla: Juice of 8 fresh lemons + 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• Lemon: Juice of 6 fresh lemons (skip ginger)
• Cherry: 1/4 cup cherry juice concentrate
• Strawberry-lemon: Juice of 4 fresh lemons + 1/2 cup pureed strawberries
• Grape: 1/2 cup grape juice

Directions:

Step 1: Boil some water (about 1 – 2 cups) with the sliced ginger.

Step 2: Boil this mixture for 10 – 15 min., then let it sit for about 2 – 3 hours.  You want it to be really strong.  Meanwhile, juice your lemons.

Step 3: Combine your ginger tea (remove the ginger pieces) and honey in a bowl.  I used just under 1/2 cup, but the resulting drinks won’t be very sweet at all.  3/4 cup makes them lightly sweet because this will make 12 24-ounce bottles later.  That’s just 1 tablespoon per 24-ounce bottle if you use the full 3/4 cup  But, you choose.

Step 4: Add your lemon juice to this and the salt.

Step 5: Stir it until the honey and salt are dissolved.  Then, add enough filtered water to make 3 cups total mix.

Step 6: Now, fill up ice cube trays with it.  It should make about 24 ice cubes (assuming your trays are 1 oz. per cube, which most are).

Step 7: Freeze for a good 24 hours.  Because of the relatively high sugar and salt content, they will not be solid like normal ice.  They will be a bit tacky.  That’s okay!  Just pop them out and throw them in a bag.

Usage: When you need it, put one ice cube into 7 ounces of warm water and let it dissolve.  Stir and drink.  You could choose to mix it in 4 ounces of water and add a few ice cubes to cool it back down after mixing the drink if you prefer.  And, of course, you can scale up if you want — 4 ice cubes go in a quart jar.  It’s super simple and quick to make when you need it!

Have you ever tried an electrolyte concentrate?