Journal 69 Heat, Switchel, Ginger Juice

Hello hello!

I am writing this just as my brain function is returning after an extremely hot and humid week in New Jersey.

95F I can handle for a few days. But this week we entered the triple digits with humidity, and I crossed over into new territory. I have never experienced temperature like this before. I don't know how to live in such heat. I don't know what to eat, how to dress, or how to plan my day.

It was a new and scary experience. It was like my mind and body were moving through sand. I lost my appetite. I got irritable. Violent crime including murders like patricides and matricides increase when the temperature gets very hot. I can see that.

I have experienced these high temperatures before, but only for a few days at a time, and there was usually relief at night because the temperature would drop. In the past, here there would only be a short window in July when you didn't need a warm clothing layer outside at night. Outdoor summer fires were so cozy.

Since this is no longer New Jersey but Warming New Jersey, I need to learn how to live – survive – in this. Hopefully I can learn from peoples who know how to live in hot climates. For example, I read that in some hot places people start their day with a hot beverage to equilibrize their body with the heat. That is interesting, because I also like to have hot coffee in the morning even when it's hot.

I also thought about what people may have consumed here in the past to help themselves with the heat. What local ingredients did they use? Then I remembered one of my all-time favorite drinks: switchel! It's an American drink from the Northeast, enjoyed throughout the country, even mentioned by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

So I have been surviving with switchel. It has made such a difference for me. I can hydrate with much less volume of water. Since my water is filtered, when I drink a lot, it feels like it strips me.

Switchel has extremely simple ingredients. I hope you try this amazing drink!

Switchel

Water

Ginger

Apple cider vinegar

Maple syrup (or honey, or molasses)

Salt

Sometimes people add lemons or limes, fruit juice, herbs, and spices. Apple cider vinegar seems to be the preferred vinegar, but I think another mild-tasting one could do in a pinch. I make my switchel quickly by using ginger juice instead of grating ginger.

At thirty dollars, this is the most expensive juice I have ever bought haha! But worth it! A great ingredient to have on hand for drinks and cooking.

Thank you for reading and please take care of yourself!

Asya Carrino