Viva! Health Tonic

Name: Viva! Health Tonic
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: One and a half gallons
Ingredients: 1 half-gallon organic apple juice; 1 5-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped; 1 ounce whole dried ginseng root; 6 frozen lemon leaves (available at Asian markets); peel from 1 orange, all white removed; 1 stick Chinese cinnamon; 1 pint cranberry juice or raspberry juice; 1 gallon seltzer water

Recipe from Robert A. Barnett

Adapted by Molly O'Neill

Total Time: About 1 hour 30 minutes
Rating: 4(12)
Comments: Read comments

Robert A. Barnett, author of ''Tonics, More Than 100 Recipes That Improve the Body and the Mind,'' defines a tonic as a food, an herb or a thought that improves your well-being. In traditional Chinese medicine, tonics are used to enhance immunity, with specific herbs prescribed for specific problems. In Europe, tonics are given to stimulate digestion, while here in the West, Barnett says, we think of them as anything that you put in your mouth that makes you feel better. —Molly O'Neill

Featured in: To Your Health!

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Ingredients

Yield:One and a half gallons

1half-gallon organic apple juice
15-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
1ounce whole dried ginseng root
6frozen lemon leaves (available at Asian markets)
peel from 1 orange, all white removed
1stick Chinese cinnamon
1pint cranberry juice or raspberry juice
1gallon seltzer water

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Place the apple juice in a large pot along with the ginger and the ginseng and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Add the lemon leaves, the orange peel and the Chinese cinnamon and simmer for 45 minutes more. Strain and cool.
Step 2
When the liquid has completely cooled, add the cranberry or raspberry juice and the seltzer. Serve over ice, and experience a sense of well-being.