Ginger is not so common in our kitchens as other products. This root has become popular comparatively recently, however, we have already appreciated its usefulness.
People often ask how to store ginger root to extend its lifespan and keep it usable longer.
Well, here all the information can be found!
Ginger Health Benefits
For the beginning, let’s figure out why this funny twisted root is so popular today.
This root comes from Asia and mostly grows in India, China, Indonesia, etc. It is known for many years, from the Middle Ages, and it was and still is used not only in culinary but also in medicine.
In a kitchen, we use ginger root for making hot drinks like tea, coffee, grog, or mulled wine. Nevertheless, it is the same widely used for Christmas ginger cookies, pies, and biscuits. We store the ginger root for making jams, sauces, and marinades.
And of course, everyone knows ginger as an appetizer served with sushi.
On the other hand, this unsightly root is a source of many health benefits.
- Ginger is perfect for treating many kinds of nausea e.g. post-surgery or chemotherapy nausea
- For relieving muscle pain caused by too intensive training, ginger tea is the best cure
- When having a cold, drink ginger tea since it has a lot of C vitamin and helps us to fight viruses and infections
- This root has a strong anti-inflammatory effect
- Consuming ginger lowers the blood sugar and cholesterol level
- It also protects our heart from any diseases
- Ginger fights chronic indigestion effectively
- Consuming ginger regularly will improve our brain’s health
- And finally, it is a source of vitamins including B1 and B2
Naturally, everyone is obsessed with storing ginger properly for preserving such qualities to their longest!
How to Store Fresh Ginger
Briefly:
Ginger root is quite durable, nevertheless, providing it with proper conditions will extend the lifespan significantly.
There is plenty of methods of ginger storage starting from soaking it in vodka to wrapping in paper towels. However, we will suggest a far more simple but still effective approach.
- For storing fresh ginger, choose the freshest roots that can be found! If you buy old ones, their lifespan will be much shorter no matter how you try to extend it.
- Don’t wash or peel the roots. If there’s any dust or dirt on them, wipe it off.
- Put the roots into a plastic packet that can be resealed, push out the air, and toss it into the crisper drawer.
This is the optimal way to refrigerate ginger without any effort.
How Long Does Ginger Root Last
Of course, a question may occur: how long does ginger last at all?
It’s a good thing to know, the same as to be able to know how to tell if ginger is fresh or not.
In general, the properly packed fresh ginger root will keep its freshness for nearly six weeks when refrigerated. That’s if we don’t peel, cut, or wash it since all these manipulations reduce its durability.
How long is ginger good for when frozen?
Normally, ninety days is the longest term.
How to Tell If Ginger Is Bad
Above all, let’s clarify: does ginger go bad?
Even though we do our best to keep our ginger root fresh, it may indeed still spoil.
The most obvious symptoms will be
- the softness of the root
- discoloration
- dark marks on its skin
- mold
- visible dryness
When is ginger bad? It can happen because the root was stored improperly in an excessively cold environment, for instance. The normal storage condition for ginger is 12-14 C and 85-90% humidity. Colder air or lower humidity level will result in dehydration.
Ginger Use
Ginger root is widely used in our lives and its area of use hangs upon the type of product.
Powdered ginger is good for culinary. Add it to the cookies or muffins dough, when you’re baking a cake or make other bakeries or sauces.
When using fresh root, remember that in certain situations it has to be peeled before consuming.
- For making tea, it’s OK to wash it and slice without peeling. But for other hot drinks (e.g. mulled wine) take off the skin first.
- Peel and grate it before adding to soups.
- It fits any fish dish perfectly, too.
- Peel and finely chop the root for adding it to marinades.
- Hot savory dishes like curry will win if you add a pinch of ginger powder to them.
- Finally, why not try a ginger jam?! Maybe you’ll like it!
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course, there are far more things to learn about this healthy root. Some of them can be found in the answers to the most frequent questions below.
Is there the best way to store ginger?
To keep it fresh longer, store ginger at 12-14 C refrigerated in a crisper drawer hidden in a plastic packet for refrigeration.
Can rotten ginger make us sick?
Intaking bad ginger may indeed make you feel not well but it will hardly cause any bad damage. However, ginger itself can cause side effects if consumed in large amounts (yeah, a ginger overdose is possible!).
Where to store ginger best?
For keeping the ginger fresh, store fresh ginger root refrigerated in a crisper drawer.
How to store ginger root after it’s cut?
Before storing a cut ginger root, blot the cut side with a paper napkin to remove the juice from it, otherwise, it will lead to sooner rotting.
How do you store ginger powder?
Keep it in a tightly closed tank away from sunlight in a cool and dry place, and it will remain usable for several years.
As you can see, storing ginger root is not a complicated task to perform. Just follow these easy-to-follow tips and make sure the roots are initially fresh to preserve them to the longest.
This product is extremely useful and, if being consumed reasonably, it will contribute to our health and immunity a lot.
