Ginger root is always a good food to have in your home. If you are feeling 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 host of other vitamins and nutrients. Ginger has a good anti-inflammatory effect, helps detoxify the body and strengthen the immune system. And its tart taste perfectly complements many dishes. However, to get the most out of ginger, you need to choose and store it properly.

How to choose ginger: rules for a successful purchase

First of all, carefully examine the root - there should be no signs of mold on it. Fresh ginger's skin is tender and thin, not wrinkled. The color has a pleasant golden hue. Don't buy roots that are dark, earthy. Also, there should be no stains on the root. Avoid sprouting roots - this also indicates staleness.

A good ginger root has a pleasant tart flavor. The older the ginger root, the less odorous it is. Juicy flesh should be visible on the break.

It is very important to buy the freshest ginger possible. There will be little benefit from the old roots, and you will no longer get the desired taste.

So you've chosen a great ginger root in a store or 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. It can be stored longer, but the beneficial properties will be lost. Therefore, it is best to purchase a small root and plan to use it immediately 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 for one use). Wrap each piece in parchment paper or plain paper towel. Then seal it in plastic wrap. In this state, the ginger will not wrinkle or dry out.

If you plan to use the purchased root vegetable in the coming days, simply place it in the fresh fruit and vegetable compartment. You can wrap it in cling film or zip it to prevent the smell of ginger from getting soaked into other foods.

Only peel the ginger root just before eating it. Carefully cut off the top layer of the skins, in the same way as you would peel young squash or potatoes. Do not peel off the peel in a thick layer, as you will lose some of the beneficial properties of the root.

Storing ginger in vodka or alcohol

The root vegetable needs to be peeled and cut into small slices. Then pour vodka or alcohol. White wine or rice vinegar will also work. Cover the container with ginger and put it in the refrigerator. In this form, it will last up to 2 months.

Tincture of ginger with alcohol or vodka is an excellent medicine. In the cold season, add a little of it to tea, this will be a good prevention against colds.

Ginger and honey

An interesting option for storing root vegetables is to cut a piece, chop it finely and mix with honey. It is an excellent remedy for colds. It should be eaten with warm (not hot!) Tea. Honey will perfectly retain the properties of ginger for 1-2 weeks.

How to store ginger in the freezer

This method is not considered optimal, since the useful and taste qualities of the root crop are reduced under such conditions. However, if you like to save time and food, then freezing can be a great solution.

Wrap the whole root or chunks of ginger in plastic wrap or seal in zip bags. Put in the freezer as it is.

If you need to save grated peeled ginger, then do this: take a mold for freezing ice cubes. Put the ginger there and put it in the freezer. Then they take the resulting pieces of ginger ice out of the mold and put them in a plastic container with a lid. Store as it is in the freezer Use the correct amount as needed. Do not re-freeze ginger.

Please note that it is best stored in this form for no more than 3 months.

This method is suitable for those who value the taste of ginger rather than its usefulness. If you want to use it as a natural medicine, avoid freezing it.

Candied ginger

You can also make candied fruits from ginger, but they are less useful due to the sugar content.

The basis of the recipe is as follows. Pour 400 ml of boiling water over a glass of chopped root vegetables, then cook for about an hour. Change the water several times. Then drain and dry the ginger. Dissolve 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 fruits need to be cooled.

Next, you can roll the ginger pieces 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 ajar when doing this.

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 tight-fitting lid. Do not keep them in places with high temperature or humidity.

How to store pickled ginger

It should be stored in a glass or ceramic jar with a tight-fitting lid. Place the container in the refrigerator.

The pickled ginger you made yourself can be stored for up to 3 months.
If you bought it from 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 loose ginger in the refrigerator for more than 2 weeks.

How to dry ginger

Peel the root vegetable and cut 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, place them in a glass jar with a lid. Keep it in a dry and dark place, such as on a closed cabinet shelf. Like spices, dried ginger doesn't like high humidity.

Soak the product for 6 hours before use. It is more convenient to pour boiling water over the ginger 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.

And finally: a recipe for healthy ginger tea

Heat a liter of water in a saucepan. When it boils, add 3 tablespoons of finely grated ginger and 4-5 tablespoons of honey (to taste). Stir and cook for a few minutes. Then add 3 tablespoons of lemon juice (can be substituted with orange or grapefruit). You can also toss in a pinch of ground black pepper for zest. Drink hot or chilled.

Ginger has been cultivated in South Asia since time immemorial and has conquered the entire planet ever since. Outwardly, it is quite beautiful - its general appearance resembles a reed, and its flowers are similar to orchids. But people did not appreciate him for that.

Ginger came to Europe in the Middle Ages, where it was used as a spice, and each spice in those days was, first of all, a medicine, and not just a culinary additive. In particular, ginger was considered as one of the means for the prevention of the "blackest death" - the plague. Its price was appropriate. In those days, the question of how to store ginger root could literally become a matter of life and death.

"Ginger root" is traditionally called the part of the plant for which it is grown. From a biological point of view, however, this is not a root as such, but a rhizome - an underground shoot. But historically, this name was assigned to it.

Ginger as a medicine and as a seasoning

Ginger is still used for medicinal purposes, both internally and externally.
For colds, ginger tea with honey and lemon is useful; for a wet cough, cloves or cinnamon are also added. This remedy has a general strengthening character: it helps to overcome stress, supports with bodily or mental fatigue. Ginger in tincture or powder form helps with stomach ulcers, blood vessel diseases and even seasickness. To normalize digestion, according to ancient Indian Ayurveda, you need to eat 1 tsp. salted ginger root mixed with lemon juice.

When applied externally on the basis of ginger root, compresses are made, in particular for headaches, as well as for joint aches and back pain. At the same time, the likelihood of allergic reactions is much lower than with the use of factory anesthetic ointments.

It should only be borne in mind that ginger root is a powerful remedy: in late pregnancy and during breastfeeding, it is contraindicated. However, in most cases, ginger is used simply as a seasoning. It is used in relatively large quantities. For 1 kg of dough or meat, you need at least 1 g of ginger.

But its beneficial substances and flavoring properties can suffer during intensive heat treatment, and therefore, if possible, they try to reduce it. Ginger root is added to meat dishes 20 minutes before readiness, to jams and other sweets - in 2-5 minutes. In sauces - after cooking. In the dough - at the very end of the batch.

To get ginger oil, in a regular vegetable oil, heat the ginger slices until they start to darken. This product is used in salads or complex seasonings.

To prepare classic ginger tea with cardamom, you need a finely chopped 3-4 cm piece of ginger, two cardamom pods and half a liter of regular green tea. Ginger and cardamom are boiled with green tea for 20 minutes, then half a lemon and 3 tsp are added. honey (if desired - cloves, cinnamon or mint). After another 5 minutes, the drink is removed from the heat and infused for at least a quarter of an hour. Drinking ginger tea is possible both hot and cold.

Ginger ice cream is also known: regular ice cream, melted to the consistency of sour cream, is mixed with grated fresh ginger root (a piece of 4-5 cm per 500 g), and then frozen again.

How to keep ginger fresh: ways

In most cases, it is preferable to use fresh ginger, rather than dried, which contains much less nutrients. But how to keep the ginger fresh is not such a simple question.

Of course, for a while, the ginger root, like any product, can lie in the refrigerator. Fresh ginger can last for about a week. To do this, it must be wrapped in plastic wrap - in no case in a plastic bag! The root must be dry.

The peeled ginger root can be poured over with boiled water and refrigerated as such. This method also allows you to preserve the product for a week. A certain amount of nutrients will pass into the water, but very little.

The only thing that should be taken into account: when cleaning it is necessary to cut off as thin a layer of the skin as possible, because the main culinary and pharmacological riches of ginger are located directly under the skin. It is best to gently scrape it off with a knife rather than cutting it off.

If you dry the ginger a little in the sun, the shelf life can be extended. After drying in paper parchment in a dark, cool place (not necessarily in the refrigerator, you can also in the cellar), he can lie for at least a month.

If you need to store the product for a long time, for example, you want to stock up on ginger for the winter, then the easiest way to do this is in the freezer. Its taste properties will not suffer from freezing, medicinal ones will suffer slightly. For this, the root should be washed, dried and packed in a container for storage. In this way, ginger can be stored for a whole year.

There is another way, almost as reliable, but more expedient from a practical point of view. It is not necessary to freeze whole pieces of the root. You can recycle it first: wash, peel and grate on a fine metal grater. From the resulting gruel, make portioned "tiles" of the desired size, wrap them in edible paper and now freeze them.

In this case, the storage container turns out to be much more compact, which is important, since space in the freezer is always in short supply. In addition, you do not have to cut through the hardened root with a knife when using a knife, if you need quite a bit, and it will be easier to cook - anyway, the ginger root is used in grated form. True, the shelf life in this case is reduced to 8 months, but usually this is quite enough.

If you sacrifice perfect freshness

Before deciding how to store ginger, you need to decide what you will need it for. Perhaps no complications are needed. If you store ginger in the refrigerator, not filled with boiled water, but with dry white wine (it is advisable to not just peel the root, but cut it into thin slices), then it can be stored in this form for about two months. Of course, a significant part of the nutrients will pass into the wine, but the taste will change little. For purely culinary purposes, ginger will still be useful, especially for making sauces.

You can also add alcohol or vodka to the ginger instead of wine. Then, after two months, it will again be possible to use it for culinary purposes, but besides it, you will also get ginger tincture, which can be added in small quantities to syrups, fruit drinks or tea, or used for medical purposes.

This unique product has come to our menu from oriental cuisine. For a one-time preparation, take a very small portion of ginger so as not to drown out the aroma of other ingredients. You can store ginger in several ways, it all depends on the type of product and the subsequent purpose. With the right savings, all of its unique and desirable properties are preserved.

What kind of ginger is there?

It is a plant in tropical latitudes. In Russia, it is cultivated only by specialists in agronomy and not on an industrial scale. The bulk of Russians buy ginger root in retail outlets.

The following types are actively used, for various purposes:

1. Fresh is a smooth, hard tuber, light beige, with no dark spots, traces of mold and flabbiness.
2. Dried is the dense root of the plant, without flaws, dried either in the sun or using warm air. This product has the richest taste in comparison with other types.
3. Ground is processed and dried. So it is used in cooking.
4. Marinated - fresh, cut into thin strips and aged in a special liquid composition.
5. Grated ginger root is not sold in stores. But it is easy to cook it at home by chopping it on a grater.
6. Black ginger is the same light, but supplied to the outlet, dried and unpeeled. It is characterized by significant aroma and increased pungency.
7. Ginger oil is an essential oil made from ginger tuber. Sold in pharmacies.

How to choose

The quality of a fresh root can be easily determined visually. Ginger with a smooth, light skin that does not have black spots, eyes, damage or flabbiness is the best option. It is preferable to store a fresh root, since it is in it that useful substances are more reliably stored.
If it is necessary to store a dried product or a peeled product, it is also necessary to carefully approach the choice of raw materials, by analogy with choosing a fresh root.

How to store at home

In any form, the ginger spice can be stored for some time and is suitable for use, the main thing is to comply with certain conditions.

Fresh

Fresh root stays well exclusively in a cold, dark place, such as in the refrigerator and cellar. Before storage, you do not need to peel the tubers, cut off the skin from them, as this will lead to quick deterioration. The preparation is as follows:

• dry well with a towel or napkin;
• fold in a bag of paper or film.

Purified

The storage options for the peeled root are varied. The most popular are three of them. In all cases, the prepared root should be placed in a washed glass dish.

1. Pour the prepared product with vodka or white wine. Seal the container tightly and store in a cool, dark place.
2. Squeeze out the lime juice, as needed, to completely cover the prepared ginger. Pour juice over the prepared product. Close the jar tightly and store in a prepared place.
3. Pour the prepared product with boiled hot water. Cool to room temperature. Close the glass jar well and store in a cool, dark place.

Sliced

Ginger root, chopped, is stored in a manner similar to peeled ginger.

Dried root

Ground

Powdered ginger, or in another way - ground, is stored in a tightly sealed container, in the dark, in a room. This is if you ground the root yourself in a coffee grinder. And if purchased in a store, you need to store it in its original packaging.

Marinated

You can also store pickled ginger in several ways:

1. In the refrigerator, for example in a glass jar. If the product was purchased in a vacuum bag, you must transfer the entire contents to a jar.
2. In a bag with a zip lock. Fold the pickled spine into the indicated bag and store in the freezer. Since it is not recommended to freeze this plant twice, the entire volume should be divided into small portions and only after that freeze.

Rubbed

Store grated ginger in the same way as for peeled ginger.

Ginger oil

In any pharmacy chain, ginger oil is sold. The price is high. This oil is used for cosmetic procedures, in cooking. You need to store it in a tightly closed jar, in a dark cabinet, at room temperature.

Decoctions and infusions

Decoctions and infusions are prepared from ginger, which are impractical to store for a long time. They are used in treatment. The drink should be prepared fresh every time. It should be remembered that the longer the drink is infused, the brighter and sharper the taste of the main ingredient. To reduce the severity, you can strain the infusion (broth).

Ginger for tea

The root is used in various forms for brewing tea. Can be brewed fresh, sliced, or grated. In the absence of fresh root, dry ginger, and even ginger powder, is suitable for brewing. Storage conditions are similar to those for each specific species.

Mix with lemon and honey

As a remedy for colds and to improve immunity, a mixture of lemon, ginger and honey is used. To do in large quantities, in reserve, and there is no need to store such a mixture for a long time. The finished concentrate is placed in a glass container with a tight lid and stored in the refrigerator.

How long can ginger be stored

For each type of spice, certain storage conditions and periods are required, under which the beneficial properties are maximally preserved.

Is it possible to freeze ginger

All experts agree that it is better not to freeze ginger in any form. When exposed to very low temperatures, the product loses its beneficial properties and vitamins. However, completely retaining the aroma and taste. Due to this circumstance, frozen ginger can only be used in cooking to add spice to dishes.

You can freeze the peeled tuber, whole or processed. There are two popular storage methods in the freezer:

• Fold the prepared whole ginger into a vacuum bag or container. Put in the freezer.
• Divide the ginger into small portions with a knife, or grate. Add to a dish and freeze. Then put the frozen root into bags and store. Finely grated root is best frozen in ice cube trays. Then it is convenient to use, taking out not the whole product, but a small cube.

How to dry

You can dry ginger root in the oven or an electric fruit and berry dryer, or naturally in the sun.

When harvesting in a dryer, the attached instructions must be followed.

Preparation progress of dried spices in the oven:

1. Peel fresh tubers.
2. Cut into thin slices.
3. Place on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.
4. Put in an oven heated to 50-60 degrees. Dry for at least two hours. Do not close the oven door during drying to evaporate moisture.
5. If the plate breaks easily, the product is ready.

Drying ginger in the sun is not difficult. You should act like this:

• wash;
• dry;
• cut into slices if needed;
• fold on a baking sheet;
• put the baking sheet in the sun.

You don't need to cut the spine, but dry it whole.

How to pickle

A variety of sauces, vinegar, alcohol-containing liquids, lemon juice, dry wine are used as a marinade for this plant. These components are used for the marinade in different combinations.

The root is marinated like this: thin slices of peeled ginger are put in a clean glass container and poured with the selected liquid. Leave ginger in the marinade for half a month.

Unusual storage methods

Ginger is gaining great popularity in Russia. Housewives are mastering many ways to store this spice, including unusual ones.

With alcohol

Store using alcohol like this:

1. Clean the root by scraping off a thin layer of the skin. For this purpose, you can use a teaspoon or a potato peeler.
2. Cut into small pieces or chop on a coarse grater.
3. Put prepared raw materials in a clean glass container.
4. Top with liqueur, vodka or sherry.
5. Cork the container tightly and store.

In vacuum cans and bags

Ginger, grated, chopped, pickled, is stored in the refrigerator or in the freezer in vacuum cans and bags. Raw materials in containers should be stacked in small portions, so it is more convenient to use it. And the grated seasoning can be frozen in cubes in small tins, and then folded into a vacuum container.

With sugar

This is the most elegant way to store a spice. The aromatic candied slices are reminiscent of numerous oriental sweets and are well suited to be eaten with tea.

Cooking method:

• dissolve brown sugar in warm boiled water, in a 1: 1 ratio;
• put thin plates of ginger tubers in an enamel bowl and fill with syrup;
• cook for at least 15 minutes over low heat;
• cool;
• roll each slice in sweet powder and put on a baking sheet;
• bake for 30 minutes in a hot oven at 80 degrees;
• store as dried ginger.

Storage in the ground

The ginger root is well preserved in the soil, consisting of equal parts of peat, sand and humus. The pot with soil and ginger should be kept in a dry, dark place, so the plant will not germinate. Fresh leaves are used for sprouting.

The use of ginger in cooking

Ginger is eaten both with meat dishes and with fish and seafood. Numerous sauces are prepared using ginger root and ginger marinade. The dishes become spicy and piquant.

Bakers also love ginger and use it in their work. Gingerbread cookies are widely known, which are prepared for the numerous winter holidays, painting them with glaze. In addition to gingerbread, cakes and rolls are baked with ginger.

This spice is absolutely indispensable in the preparation of warming and immunity-boosting drinks: sbiten, teas, liqueurs and liqueurs with the addition of berries and herbs.
A unique dish is also prepared from this root - jam.

Ginger is good in many ways, but nevertheless, it has contraindications, so it is worth paying attention to possible complications on the human body.

Most often, housewives use ground ginger, which can be bought at any store. But people who know a lot about spices, seasonings and spices argue that fresh ginger in taste and aroma is many times better than dry ginger.

Ginger root, from which dry seasoning is made, is quite an affordable spice. Of course, its price is high, but in order for the dish to acquire a piquancy, a slightly pungent and at the same time spicy taste, a lot of ginger is not needed.

Therefore, any housewife can always buy a small ginger root, use some of it for food, and put the rest in the refrigerator until next time. Moreover, ginger is well stored there. The main thing is that all storage rules are followed.

What ginger can be stored

Ginger is a thick, dense root covered with a light brown thin skin, with a pleasant, strong odor and a pungent peppery taste. Inside, he is light yellow or bright yellow, which directly depends on his age.

When buying a root on the market, you first need to pay attention to its appearance.

• The root should be dense, elastic, covered with a thin skin. A dry, dense peel suggests that the root is not the first freshness and has already been lying somewhere for a long time. A shriveled, faded look will also tell about prolonged and improper storage. Indeed, like any root vegetable, ginger loses moisture over time and from this it becomes less juicy and aromatic.
• There should be no darkening at the root. And if it is stored in a damp room, then it soon becomes stained, its light flesh darkens, the aroma and taste deteriorate.

How to store ginger root

Ginger is kept in the refrigerator. After all, only a low above zero temperature and high humidity will help keep ginger fresh. And then for a short time.

So that the ginger root does not dry out and shrivel, it is packed in plastic wrap, but so as to completely exclude air access. A small plastic bag with a zip fastener or a bag designed for freezing food is suitable for this.

Before sending ginger for storage, it is inspected for tainted spots. Wipe it off with a paper towel so that it does not get wet. The ginger is not peeled off. Firstly, it is thin, and secondly, it prevents the root from drying out.

Peel the ginger just before placing it in the dish. Moreover, the skin is not cut off, but only peeled off with a knife in the same way as peeling young potatoes or carrots.

So that the ginger root does not start to deteriorate and become moldy during storage, you can first wrap it well in a paper napkin, and then just put it in a plastic bag, be sure to release air from it. In this form, it can lie in the refrigerator for several weeks.

If you only need to keep the ginger for a week, then you can put it in the refrigerator without packaging. But in this case, there should not be any other products nearby, since ginger has a strong odor that can easily be passed on to them. The best place in the refrigerator for storing ginger is the fruit and vegetable compartment.

How to freeze ginger

If ginger needs to be stored for a longer period, for example, for 2-3 months, some housewives resort to using the freezer. Although connoisseurs of this spicy plant claim that ginger cannot stand temperatures below 0 °. And they say that its beneficial properties when frozen are significantly reduced.

Recipe for the occasion::

Method 1

• So that in the future there are no difficulties with the use of frozen ginger, it is cleaned and grated in advance.
• Then they are laid out in small portioned heaps on a tray covered with parchment and put into the freezer.
• When the ginger is completely frozen, it is transferred to sachets or plastic containers.
• If you need chopped ginger to prepare any dish, you just need to get a frozen piece out of the bag and use it as intended. And you don't even need to defrost it.

Method 2

Ginger root can be frozen by cutting into slices or cubes.

• The chopped ginger is laid out on a tray and frozen.
• Then they are transferred into small bags and tied tightly.

Frozen ginger can be stored in the freezer for about 6 months.

How to store ginger in honey

Everyone knows the medicinal properties of ginger. It works well for colds. Therefore, it can be grated and mixed with honey. Firstly, honey is a good preservative and ginger will definitely not disappear in it. And secondly, with such a combination, the beneficial properties of one and the other product will be enhanced.

How to dry ginger

If there is a lot of ginger, for example, a rich harvest of this root has been dug out, then it can be dried. After all, dried ginger retains all its beneficial properties and taste. At the same time, prepared at home, it turns out to be much more aromatic than the ginger powder that is sold in the store.

• The ginger root is washed, spread on a towel and dried from moisture.
• Scrape off the skin with a knife.
• Ginger is cut into thin slices. This is a must, as thick slices do not dry well and can become moldy during storage.
• The chopped ginger is laid out on a baking sheet covered with parchment and sent to the oven.
• Dry it at 50 ° for one hour. Then the slices are turned over to the other side and again sent to the oven for another hour.
• Drying is complete if the slices do not bend, but break.
• Store dried ginger in a hermetically sealed glass container in a dry place at room temperature for about two years.

The use of ginger in cooking

• Dried and fresh ginger is added to meat and fish dishes. Thanks to it, the smell of fish becomes weaker, and the taste of meat improves.
• Ginger is used for pickling vegetables and making vegetable salads. This spice is often found in Japanese, Korean, Chinese cuisine.
• Ginger is added to baked goods: cookies, muffins, gingerbread.
• A very tasty tea is obtained with the addition of this spice. Ginger improves digestion, increases appetite, and reduces bouts of nausea.
• It is found in many spice mixtures. For example, in Indian curry it is a must.
• If there are dried slices of ginger available, then it is ground into powder as needed, since in the crushed form its essential oils evaporate faster and it loses most of its aroma.
• Dry ginger can be replaced with fresh ginger. But you need to remember that ground ginger is put in food in smaller doses than the root crushed on a grater. If the recipe states that you need to put a tablespoon of fresh ginger, then put only a quarter of a teaspoon of dry powder instead.