With its hot, spicy taste and valuable ingredients, ginger can be used in a variety of ways. And the forms in which it is offered commercially are just as numerous. But since you usually only need small pieces of the root with the finger-like side shoots, many people shy away from buying fresh ginger. With the right method it can be stored for many weeks.
Selection when purchasing
The spicy ginger roots are actually rhizomes that spread in the soil beneath the ginger plant and serve both as a storage organ and for reproduction. Since it is hardly possible to use a whole tuber in one go, you should pay attention to freshness when purchasing. The fresher the tuber is, the longer it can be stored. There are a few characteristics to recognize high quality products.
Sign of freshness and good quality:
- plump, light brown skin
- dry and firm
- no or only minimal defects
It is not advisable to purchase ginger roots whose skin looks moist, badly bruised or wrinkled. If the fingers are soft and can be bent or even feel mushy, that doesn't exactly indicate freshness.
Tip:
Buy small quantities more often instead of storing the ginger for a long time.
Store at room temperature
With its bark-like outer skin, ginger root lasts significantly longer than many other vegetables and fruits when stored at room temperature. However, storing it at room temperature only makes sense if you want to use the aromatic spice immediately or within a few days. Place the rhizome on a plate or in a fruit bowl in the kitchen or pantry, preferably in a place where it is protected from direct sunlight. This keeps the ginger bulb fresh for about a week before it loses large amounts of moisture and ingredients and begins to woody.
- preferably store intact ginger root
- in a cool and dark place
- not peeled
- not cut across a large area
Once the ginger bulb is cut, it can only be stored in a warm room for a short time. The interface dries up and the flesh becomes fibrous or even woody. It also loses its essential oils and thus its hot, spicy taste.
Longer-term storage
If you want the ginger root to stay fresh for longer, it should be stored in a cool, dry and dark place.
1. Storing in the cellar
In an unheated and dark, but still dry basement, the conditions for the preservation of the ginger bulb are significantly better than in a warm, bright living room. Placed on a cloth or piece of kitchen roll, a fresh root will stay fresh for about two to three weeks under these conditions.
2. Store in the fridge
For longer-term use, we recommend storing it in the refrigerator. To protect the tuber from drying out, it is a good idea to place it in a sealable plastic bag and squeeze out as much air as possible. The unpeeled ginger root stays fresh in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator for about four weeks. Make sure the ginger rhizome stays dry. The humid environment in the refrigerator poses a risk of moisture and condensation forming. To prevent mold or rot from forming, it is recommended to pack the roots in an airtight and dry place.
- preferably in one piece
- unpeeled
- washed and dried
- wrap in a sheet of kitchen roll
- place in a sealable plastic bag or fresh-keeping box
3. Storing in the freezer
If you have bought larger quantities of ginger, you should not wait until it slowly ages and loses its valuable ingredients. Leftovers can be easily frozen and used when needed. Although you can put the whole tuber in the freezer, it is particularly easy to remove the spice if it has been peeled and portioned in advance. Whether you grate the rhizome before freezing is a matter of taste. Frozen pieces can easily be grated without thawing first. The freezing procedure looks like this:
- wash with clean water
- pat dry
- cut off dried ends
- cut off fingers
- peel
- cut into pieces or grate
So that the individual portions do not stick together when freezing, you can first place them in the freezer on a small tray, an ice cube tray or on aluminum foil. After about one to two hours, the portions will be frozen enough that they can be placed in a freezer box or a resealable bag. When frozen, the spicy ginger root retains its freshness for around six months.
Peeled Ginger
Once the fresh ginger bulb has been peeled or cut, you should, if possible, no longer store it at room temperature. However, you can wrap any leftovers tightly with foil and put them in the fridge or freeze them straight away. If the protective skin is missing, the root dries out within a very short time and becomes discolored. Therefore, only cut off as much of the ginger bulb as you really need and keep the cutting surfaces small. If you have peeled too much, you should use the leftovers as soon as possible.
- wrap in foil
- alternatively place in freezer bags
- include as little air as possible
- keeps in the vegetable drawer of the fridge for a few days
Tip:
The interfaces quickly become dry and fibrous. Therefore, you should remove them generously before consumption.
Preparation tips
When buying ginger, preferably choose a piece with a large main stem without many narrow fingers. This is because it is difficult to peel the skin from these thin side shoots and you will end up producing unnecessary waste. In general, ginger roots are much easier to peel when they are still plump and fresh. The flesh becomes soft as it ages, making it difficult to peel off the shell. It is therefore advisable to peel the tuber sooner rather than later. It is best to remove the skin within a week of purchase.
Tools:
- kitchen knives
- Vegetable peeler
- Spoon
First, use the knife to remove dried ends and cut off large pieces. The vegetable peeler is perfect for peeling larger areas. You can use the spoon to scrape off any small, hard spots that are difficult to reach with the vegetable peeler.
