How to properly store ginger at home

Sometimes housewives have a question about how to store ginger root. After all, it is used in small quantities, since this seasoning has a very rich taste and aroma. Ginger can be kept intact or cut into pieces and then dried, pickled or frozen. The root stays fresh for a long time if stored in a dark, cool place.

Features of ginger root storage

Ginger has an amazing composition, rich in essential vitamins, microelements and amino acids, as well as a pungent, tart, spicy-sweet taste and rich aroma. Ginger root, dry or fresh, is used as a seasoning for various dishes or for medicinal purposes, as an expectorant, anti-inflammatory, bactericidal, immunostimulating agent.

Ginger will retain its beneficial properties for a long time if stored correctly. The fresh root is wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in the refrigerator. Ginger, cut into quarters, can be vacuum-packed and sent to the freezer.Powdered ginger seasoning can be stored in the spice drawer at room temperature.

After opening the jar, it is best to keep a pickled snack purchased from a store in the refrigerator and consume it within a week.

How to choose the right one

All supermarkets sell dry powder or fresh ginger root by weight. The spice powder has a pungent taste. The fresh root is juicy, pungent, aromatic and contains all valuable substances. On sale you can find pickled ginger in cans.

Costs

A fresh tuber has a smooth, pink or light brown skin, dense, juicy, slightly golden flesh. If you break the ginger, you can hear a resounding crack. If you pick the skin lightly with your fingernail, you can smell a pleasant smell. A fresh root on the surface should not have spots, rot, it should not smell of mold.

Ginger should not have eyes and growths, they usually appear during prolonged storage in a warm room. Such a root loses some of its beneficial properties. But it can be planted in a pot and grown as a houseplant. Better to choose a large root with light brown thin skin and light yellow flesh.

Powder

Dry ground ginger is sold in small paper bags in the spice section. Regardless of the manufacturer, this powder has a light brown color and a pungent taste. When buying seasoning, you should pay attention to the date of manufacture and the expiration date.

Marine

Pickled ginger is often served with sushi or rolls, so you can find it at the Japanese sushi ingredient store.This spicy spicy seasoning is sold in small jars. Young ginger is pickled with added sugar and vinegar. The natural root has a pale yellow or pink color. Sometimes ginger is pickled with beetroot juice or artificial coloring.

When choosing a seasoning, you should pay attention to the expiration date and composition, so that there are no harmful additives.

Optimal conditions and shelf life

Store the fresh root in a cool, dark place. In the heat and in the light, it will quickly dry out or become covered with mold, and with high humidity, dormant buds will bloom.

Temperature

Ginger root is best stored at a temperature of 0 ... + 5 degrees Celsius. As a rule, these conditions are maintained in all refrigerators. In the cold, the tuber wrapped in cling film will remain fresh and juicy for 1 to 3 months. If ginger is frozen in the freezer, it will not spoil for 1 year. If stored at room temperature, it dries within a week.

Humidity

Suitable air humidity is 70 to 80 percent. In drier conditions, ginger root dries out quickly. It is better to wrap the tuber stored in the refrigerator in plastic wrap so that it does not lose moisture.

Lighting

Ginger is best stored in a dark place. In a warm and humid environment, light can awaken dormant buds.

Home Storage Methods

Ginger is used in small quantities for the preparation of vegetable, meat, fish dishes, for bakery products or drinks. Leftover roots can be placed in the fridge or freezer, dried or pickled.

How to freeze

In the freezer, ginger root will keep for almost a year. Before placing the tuber in the freezer, it should be wrapped in cling film or placed in a plastic container.

Vacuum pack

You can peel the ginger, cut it into pieces and put it in a vacuum bag, seal it tightly and pump out the air. In this state, in the freezer, the root will retain its beneficial properties for 3-6 months.

On a platter

Usually the whole root is frozen or cut into pieces.

If the housewives use chopped ginger, you can first chop it on a grater, and then send it to the freezer.

To do this, take a tray and cover it with parchment paper. Next, spread the chopped ginger in small portions with a spoon. The tray is covered with cling film and sent to the freezer. Frozen portions of ginger are transferred to a plastic container and sealed with a lid.

How to Store Ginger in Honey

Fresh ginger root can be peeled and finely grated or chopped in a blender. Then this mass should be mixed with liquid honey. This remedy is used in case of colds, to strengthen immunity, or in cooking.

Drying

The ginger tuber is peeled, cut into slices, cubes, strips. You can grind it with a blender or a coarse grater. Then, for 2-4 hours, they are dried in an oven preheated to 50 degrees on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.

In the fridge

The whole root can be wrapped in cling film and placed in the fridge. In the cold, ginger will retain its juiciness and freshness for 1 month. Longer storage times will cause the root to dry out.

In vodka or liquor

From ginger root, you can prepare a tincture with vodka or alcohol.Ginger is chopped on a grater or in a blender and put in a jar. Then pour in the vodka. You can add a spoonful of honey to the tincture. For half a liter of vodka take 20 grams of ginger root. The tincture is kept in a dark place for half a month, then strained through cheesecloth.

Candied ginger

The root is peeled, cut into thin slices and boiled in sweet syrup until tender. Then it is taken out of the water, dried, soaked in sugar syrup and sent to drying in the oven for 2-4 hours.

How to keep marinated

Fresh ginger tuber can be marinated in sugar and rice vinegar. First, the ginger should be peeled, rubbed with salt, then rinsed and cut into the thinnest plates. Then the quarters of ginger are blanched in boiling water for 5 minutes (you can add a piece of beetroot for a pink color). Then it is poured with a marinade of rice vinegar and sugar. After 1-2 days the dish is ready. Pickled ginger in a glass jar can be stored for about 3 months.

Costs

It is better not to cut the tuber of ginger into slices, otherwise it will quickly dry out. It is advisable to wrap a whole piece of cling film and send it to the refrigerator. The ginger will stay fresh and juicy for 1-2 weeks.

Purified

Peeled ginger root can be placed in a jar and sprinkled with vodka, sherry or rice vinegar. The whole tuber can be hidden in a vacuum bag. It is best to store the peeled root in a cold place.

Sliced

Ginger, cut into wedges or strips, can be placed in a ziplock food bag and sent to the freezer.If there is no bag, you can wrap the pieces in plastic wrap.

In the ground

Fresh ginger root can be placed in soil composed of peat and sand. It should be stored in a dry and cool place. If the soil is moist, the root can sprout.

Common Mistakes

Ginger cannot be stored at room temperature, as it will dry out after 3-4 days. Before putting the root in the fridge, wrap it in cling film. For tea, it is better to use fresh ginger rather than dried ginger. You need to put a small slice in the water. You can make tea with ginger juice, after grinding the tuber on a grater.

Additional tips and tricks

Ginger root will not dry out if it is not peeled, but wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated. Even better, it retains its beneficial properties in honey or vodka. In the freezer, the tuber loses a lot of vitamins, but the aroma and taste remain the same.

In pickled form, ginger root retains most of the nutrients, becomes sweeter and less pungent. Ginger is not recommended for people suffering from ulcers and other stomach diseases.