Ginger root is a product that is always useful to have at home. If you feel the first signs of a cold, ginger tincture or tea will be your savior. This spice contains a shock dose of vitamin C, as well as a lot of other vitamins and useful substances. Ginger has a good anti-inflammatory effect, helps cleanse the body of toxins and strengthen the immune system. And its tart taste perfectly complements many dishes. However, it all depends on how to store the ginger root correctly. It can be stored fresh or pickled.
How to choose ginger: rules for a successful purchase
First of all, carefully examine the root:
- There should be no signs of mold.
- The skin of fresh ginger is delicate and thin, not wrinkled.
- The color has a pleasant golden hue. Do not buy roots with a dark, earthy shade.
- There should be no spots on the root.
- Avoid ginger with sprouts – this also indicates staleness.
- A good ginger root has a pleasant astringent aroma. The older the ginger root, the less fragrant it is. Juicy pulp should be visible at the crack.
It is very important to buy as fresh ginger as possible. There will be little benefit from the old roots, and you will not get the desired taste qualities.
So, you have chosen an excellent ginger root in the store or on the market: young, fresh, tart. Let’s talk about how to preserve these properties for a long time.
Storing ginger in the refrigerator
When buying ginger, you should come to terms with the idea that its shelf life in the refrigerator is only a couple of weeks. You can store it longer, but the useful properties will be lost. Therefore, it is best to purchase a small root and immediately plan its use in the coming days.
Please note that you cannot put a wet root in the refrigerator. If water gets on it, first dry it thoroughly, and only then put it away for storage.
If you bought a large root, you can do this: cut it into several pieces (each one is for one use). Wrap each part in parchment paper or a regular paper towel. Then pack hermetically in cling film. In this state, ginger will not shrivel and dry out.
If you plan to use the purchased root crop in the coming days, just put it in the compartment for fresh vegetables and fruits. To prevent other foods from being permeated with the smell of ginger, you can wrap it in cling film or pack it in a zip-top bag.
Peel the ginger root only immediately before eating it. Carefully cut off the top layer of skin, in the same way you peel young zucchini or potatoes. Do not remove the peel in a thick layer, otherwise you will lose some of the useful properties of the root.
Storing ginger in vodka or alcohol
- Peel the root and cut it into small slices.
- Pour vodka or alcohol. White wine or rice vinegar will also work.
- Close the container with ginger and put it in the refrigerator.
In this form, it will be preserved for up to 2 months.
Tincture of ginger in alcohol or vodka is an excellent medicine. In the cold season, add it little by little to tea, it will be a good prevention against colds.
How to store pickled ginger
It should be stored in a glass or ceramic jar with a tightly closed lid. Put the container in the refrigerator.
Pickled ginger that you have prepared yourself can be stored for up to 3 months.
If you bought it in a store, then follow the instructions on the package. As a rule, the shelf life of the purchased product does not exceed 1 month.
It is better not to store undiluted ginger in the refrigerator for more than 2 weeks.
Ginger and honey
An interesting option for storing root vegetables: cut off a piece, finely chop it and mix it with honey.
This is an excellent remedy for colds. It should be eaten together with warm (not hot!) tea. Honey will perfectly preserve the properties of ginger for 1-2 weeks.
How to store ginger in the freezer
This method is not considered optimal, as the useful and tasty qualities of the root crop decrease in conditions of low temperatures. However, if you like to save time and products, then freezing can be a great solution.
Wrap the whole root or pieces of ginger in cling film or hermetically pack in zip bags. Put it in the freezer in this form.
If you need to save grated peeled ginger, then do the following:
- Take a mold for freezing ice cubes.
- Put ginger there and put it in the freezer.
- Then they take out the resulting pieces of ginger ice from the mold and put them in a plastic container with a lid.
Store in this form in the freezer. Use the right amount as needed. Ginger cannot be re-frozen.
Please note that it is best to store in this form for no more than 3 months.
This method is suitable for those for whom the taste properties of ginger are more important than its usefulness. If you want to use it as a natural medicine – avoid freezing.
Candied ginger
You can also make candied ginger, but they are less useful because of the sugar content.
The basis of the recipe is as follows:
- Pour 400 ml of boiling water over a glass of chopped root vegetables.
- Cook for about an hour. Change the water several times.
- Drain the water and dry the ginger.
- Dilute 200 g of sugar in 100 ml of warm boiled water.
- Pour the resulting syrup over the ginger and cook until the mixture becomes thick and transparent.
- Then the blanks for candied fruit need to be cooled.
- Next, you can roll pieces of ginger in powdered sugar and dry them. This can be done naturally or in the oven at a temperature of 60-70 degrees. The oven door must be open.
There are also more complex recipes with the addition of other spices.
It is better to store candied ginger in a dark jar with a tightly closed lid. Do not keep them in places with high temperature or humidity.
How to dry ginger
- Clean the root vegetable and cut it into very thin slices.
- Heat the oven to 60 degrees.
- Dry the ginger for 2 hours – 1 hour on each side.
- After the slices have cooled, put them in a glass jar with a lid. Keep it in a dry and dark place, for example, on the shelf of a closed cabinet. Like spices, dried ginger does not like high humidity.
- Before use, soak the product for 6 hours. It is more convenient to pour ginger with boiling water in the evening – and in the morning it will be ready for use.
You can also grind dried ginger and use it as a spice. The storage conditions will not change.
A recipe for healthy tea with ginger
- Heat a liter of water in a pan.
- When the water boils, add 3 tablespoons of finely grated ginger and 4-5 tablespoons of honey (to taste).
- Stir and cook for a few minutes.
- Add 3 tablespoons of lemon juice (can be replaced with orange or grapefruit). You can also throw a pinch of ground black pepper for piquancy.
Drink the drink hot or chilled.
Be careful with ginger if you have problems with the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys or cardiovascular system. If your health condition requires a special diet, you should first ask your doctor if you can eat this root vegetable.
Do you have any favorite ginger tea recipes or tinctures? If so, share with us in the comments!