How To Store Ginger Root: Professional Tips For Storing And Preserving

A large ginger bulb often lasts for a long time. We explain how to store ginger root and show ways to preserve it.

Summer vacation beckons and the rest of the ginger is still not used up? No problem, because there are wonderful ways to make ginger last longer. As carrot-ginger soup, in Asian curries or baked into ginger cookies, fresh ginger (Zingiber officinale) already has a wonderful taste, but it only gets really interesting when it comes to preservation.

Storing Ginger

While you can only harvest your own ginger in the fall, that doesn’t mean you have to go without it for the rest of the year. Over the winter, you can easily store the rhizome fresh. Then for the summer months, there are countless ways you can continue to enjoy your homegrown ginger. Even if you prefer to buy ginger fresh from the store, here are some tips for proper storage and delicious utilization.

Shelf Life Of Ginger: How Long Does It Stay Fresh?

If stored properly, ginger can stay fresh for several weeks. The most important thing is that it doesn’t dry out and become fibrous because then it’s probably only good for tea.

Proper Storage And Preservation Of Ginger

You can store intact ginger rhizomes outside the refrigerator without any problems. To do this, wrap the ginger in a paper towel and place it in a cool and dark place. Ginger that has already been cut dries out more quickly. You should put it in a small screw-top jar and store it in the refrigerator. This will keep the rhizome fresh for at least three more weeks.

Preserving Ginger

Although ginger can be kept fresh for quite a long time, there are countless ways to preserve ginger in the long term, depending on your taste.

Dry Ginger

Cut the ginger, peeled or unpeeled, into thin slices and lay it out on a baking sheet to air dry in dry weather. Alternatively, you can dry ginger in the oven, but this is quite energy-consuming. To do this, place the tray with the sliced ginger in the oven at about 104 °F convection and check regularly every ten to twenty minutes whether the ginger is already completely dry. You can use dried ginger for tea, for example.

Freezing Ginger

Ginger can also be frozen without any problems. Whether peeled or unpeeled you must decide for yourself. However, unpeeled ginger can only be kept frozen for up to three months, while peeled ginger will keep it for at least half a year. Of course, you can also freeze ginger directly in portions. To do this, cut the ginger into thin slices or grate the rhizome. Now place the pieces or rasp on a plate and freeze the whole thing. Once the ginger is frozen through, you can now place it in a dated can or freezer bag and freeze it permanently.

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Pickle Ginger In Vinegar

Sushi connoisseurs in particular are likely to be familiar with this way of preserving ginger – also known as gari. To make ginger pickled in vinegar, you should first peel the rhizome and cut it into thin slices. Now sprinkle them with salt and let them infuse for about an hour. Meanwhile, you can prepare the vinegar. Boil rice vinegar in the pan and add about two tablespoons of sugar per 100 ml of rice vinegar. Next, briefly scald the salted ginger slices with boiling water and then pour the sweetened vinegar over them. The whole thing should now be properly bottled and can be kept for at least half a year.

Candied Ginger

For sweetness, candied ginger is just the thing. For every 100 grams of ginger, you’ll need about 150 grams of sugar and a piece of organic lemon. Peel the ginger and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Now boil the ginger slowly. You only need enough water to cover the ginger. It should simmer until it is done. After about 20 minutes, you can add about a fifth of the sugar and bring the broth to a boil again. The ginger must now be left to infuse for at least twelve hours before it is allowed to simmer again for about 20 minutes with the addition of a further fifth of the sugar.

You will need to do this step three times in total, always with a break of at least five hours. For refinement, you can add a few slices of lemon, which you remove in the last pass. In this last pass, let the ginger simmer until it is glazed. Now you can free it from the pot and dry it on a baking sheet. It will be really pretty if you now roll it in sugar.

Ginger Syrup

To preserve ginger in syrup, follow the same procedure as for candying. However, instead of drying the ginger at the end, simply leave it in the thickened syrup and fill the whole thing into screw-top jars.