Cooking with Fresh Ginger Root

Written by Doris Donnerman (last updated July 19, 2019)

Ginger root has been said to do just about everything from curing nausea to reducing inflammation to preventing cancer. I can't personally vouch for it in any of these situations, but I can say that it is the perfect flavor for many meals, especially Asian dishes.

If you use fresh ginger on a regular basis, you're probably looking for a way to store it. You can store fresh ginger and use it in your cooking all year round. All you need to do is cut off the amount of ginger you need when you have a fresh ginger root and then wrap the rest in wax paper. Don't peel the skin off the part you're saving. Place the wrapped ginger root in a sealed baggie and put it in the freezer. The next time you want a bit of fresh ginger, just take it out and cut a bit off. Put the rest back in the freezer to use again later.

You will also find that frozen ginger can be easily grated. Freezing fresh ginger also stops all of those stringy and lumpy bits from showing up in whatever you are cooking, and there is no loss in flavor. It should keep for up to six months in the freezer when stored properly.

You can also store fresh ginger in the refrigerator for about three weeks.

Fresh ginger is always more nutritious and tasty than other types, but if you absolutely can't find it in your area, dry powdered ginger is a good substitute. Be sure to keep your package of powder in a cool, dry, dark place.

Before using fresh ginger root in a recipe, double check that you don't actually need crystallized ginger, candied ginger, or pickled ginger, all of which are used in certain types of food that rely on the type of used ginger for the right flavor. Don't try to substitute one of these kinds of ginger for another.

Author Bio

Doris Donnerman

Doris is a jack of all trades, writing on a variety of topics. Her articles have helped enlighten and entertain thousands over the years. ...

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