Ginger root is a super popular vegetable root and a very important ingredient in Asian cooking. Not only this, it has serious health benefits and can be enjoyed in so many different ways, such as in meals, drinks, and even baking! This is your complete guide to how to choose and prepare your ginger, and of course how to cook it.
Table of Contents
- What Do You Use Ginger Root For?
- How to Choose and Store Ginger?
- How Do you Prepare Ginger Root?
- How to Chop Ginger?
- How Do You Cook With Ginger Root?
- How To Boil Ginger Root To Make Tea
- How do you cook ginger root – FAQs
- How To Cook Ginger Root – Your Questions Answered!
What Do You Use Ginger Root For?
The number of ways in which you can use ginger root is countless. It is an ingredient I will always have to hand, as it truly goes so well in so many drinks, meals, biscuits, and more!
The sweet and spicy robust flavor is like none other and truly helps to elevate the taste of any dish and add depth to your food.
Not only does it give so much flavor and is a must-have for cooking any Asian cuisine, ginger root also provides a wealth of health benefits. Ginger contains anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidant properties. It also has fantastic abilities to help with any stomach issues, and can help to fight symptoms of cold and flu. It is great for sore throats too.
How to Choose and Store Ginger?
Next I will guide you through the best ways to pick your ginger and store it. This will help to extend the shelflife of your ginger.
Choosing
When choosing which ginger to purchase, you should always make sure that you choose a firm root that is heavy for its size. The skin should be taut and slightly shiny looking, without looking shriveled or dry with any spots that are soft. Some younger ginger roots sometimes have a slight pink tinge to the skin and can sometimes be thinner and paler than more mature ginger roots.
Storing
Two to Three Days
When storing your ginger, it is best to keep it in either the fridge or the freezer.
If you are storing your ginger in the refrigerator, you should keep it in the crisper drawer in an airtight bag. The best way to do this is remove all the excess air before sealing it because the less air present, the slower the ginger will be to disintegrate. You can leave your ginger here for two to three days like this.
Up to Two Weeks
Another way of storing your ginger is by filling a jar with water and some acidic liquid, such as lemon juice or vinegar. Next, pop your ginger into the jar, making sure the water level is right at the lid. Then, you can seal the jar so that there is no air within it.
In this way, you will truly extend the shelf life. Your ginger will probably keep for up to 2 weeks if you were to store it like this!
Up to 6 Months
Sometimes you may need a little bit more time to keep your ginger. Then I would suggest storing it in an airtight bag (with all air removed before sealing) in the freezer.
This way, you will be able to keep your ginger for up to 6 months!
How Do you Prepare Ginger Root?
Before you chop or prepare your ginger root, it is easiest to peel at this stage. It is not always necessary to peel your ginger, but if you are using younger ginger, it should be okay. Particularly if you are making a large meal such as a curry.
If you are planning on eating the skin you should probably purchase organic ginger. If you are using organic ginger and eating the skin, make sure to clean your root in water with a vegetable brush.
When it comes to peeling your ginger, it is actually super easy. You won’t even need a knife or vegetable peeler. The easiest way of peeling your ginger is using the back of a teaspoon or spoon.
If you do come across come hard to remove bits, you can just use a paring knife at the end.
How to Chop Ginger?
There are four main ways in which you can prepare ginger which i will run through below.
Slice Into Disks
Using a sharp knife or mandoline, chop your ginger into thin slices.
If your recipe requires the ginger to be a little thicker, then chop them a little thicker.
Julienne The Ginger
This is the easiest to do after slicing it. Next, lay two to three slices on top of each other and, using your knife, chop fine matchstick pieces. You can alternatively use the julienne slicing blade if you own a mandoline.
Finely Chopped
The easiest way to do this is by using your julienned pieces from before. Using a knife, dice the pieces very finely to give you a finely chopped result.
Minced/Grated
you can use a garlic grating plate to mince your ginger, which will provide you with a soft ginger paste result. If you use a Microplane grater (Parmesan cheese grater) this will help to reduce the fibrousness of the ginger.
If you are using one of the latter methods, either mincing or grating there will be excess juice. Make sure you put your Microplane over a small plate to catch the juice and prevent a mess.
How Do You Cook With Ginger Root?
Ginger is a super versatile ingredient and if you are looking to use it in food, it can be prepared in the aforementioned ways.
It can be added to so many different foods and you really can cook with it in so many different ways.
Here are just some of the recipes that feature ginger as a main ingredient:
- Stir fried beef with ginger
- Ginger chicken
- Braised beef with ginger
- Carrot ginger soup
- Gingered salmon
- Ginger beet soup
- Ginger-miso asparagus
- Ginger scallion ramen
How To Boil Ginger Root To Make Tea
If you want to prepare ginger root for making ginger tea, then follow these simple steps in order to make the most delicious and curing drink! It is a great hot drink and alternative to orange juice if you’re feeling too acidic.
Ingredients
- 50 g ginger
- ½ lemon or 1 tsp lemon juice
- honey (optional, to taste)
Instructions
How to Make Ginger Tea
Prepare Your Ginger
Take a 50 g piece of ginger per cup of tea. After peeling your ginger, chop it into disks. The smaller pieces the better as you will get more flavor from more surface area.
Boil In Water
Once you have prepared your ginger, in a pot or pressure cooker, bring the water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, then you can add the ginger.
Add Lemon Juice
Remove the water from the heat once it has reached boiling point. At this stage, you can add lemon juice to add an extra burst of flavor. Just add the juice from half a lemon. If you find it it is too sour to the taste you could also stir in a teaspoon of honey.
Serve
Before serving, chop the other half of the lemon. Pour your tea into the serving cup and you can then add the sliced lemon as a garnish to your tasty drink. Add more honey if you need it. Serve and enjoy!
How do you cook ginger root – FAQs
What Is The Best Way To Eat Ginger?
If you are trying to get more ginger in your diet, you can chop or grate it into sauces, or you can even add it into salad dressings to add a little kick to your salad. Pickled ginger is a great condiment. You can also drink freshly brewed ginger tea which is steeped using a thumbnail piece of chopped ginger.
What Is The Best Way To Use Ginger Root?
The best way to incorporate ginger root into your diet is by adding a few pieces of fresh ginger to hot water to make tea. You can also add finely chopped ginger or ginger powder to curries or stir-fries, you can add some ginger into your morning smoothie, or even use it in baking into cookies, cakes or pastries.
Can I Eat Raw Ginger Root?
Raw ginger root is completely fine to eat and millions of people around the world swear by it. It can be eaten whole, ground, cooked, or raw. Ginger is sweet and has a spicy kick to it, which is commonly known to be an effective remedy for some common diseases.
How Do You Prepare Ginger Root To Eat Raw?
The easiest way to prepare ginger is by using the back of a small teaspoon and scrape the skin from the root. The skin will easily pull away from the flesh using this method.
How To Cook Ginger Root – Your Questions Answered!
Ginger is an amazing type of food and has huge versatility. It is super healthy and has some amazing antioxidant properties. It is great for improving digestion. Hopefully the aforementioned ways will help you to choose and cook ginger in the best way possible.
If you think I have missed out on anything or have any questions, let me know in the comments section below!
