How to Shop for and Cook with Ginger
We love the bright heat of our organic ginger juice sourced for our Ginger Zest. We encourage you to start incorporating more fresh ginger into your culinary adventures!
There are a few good-to-know tips for how to shop for ginger and prepping this root to get the most zing for your tastebuds.
HOW TO SHOP FOR GINGER
First of all...we talk about ginger “root” because it kind of looks like a twisty root system, but what we’re eating is really the stem of a ginger plant.
Look for ginger with shiny, taut skin. The ginger skin should be thin — never thick and fibrous. You should be able to easily nick the skin with your nail. Any ginger that is wrinkly or seems old and neglected should be passed over.
Also do a quick smell test. You are looking for pungent and spicy scents. Avoid ginger that has any soft spots or seems wilty — that’s a sign it’s been sitting on display for far too long.
The big bins where ginger is usually stored in the grocery can seem intimidating. But they’re bulk roots so you can literally snap off however much you need for your recipe. Typically called “hands” of ginger, treat them like banana bunches--those are displayed in bunches of 5 or 6, but you can always separate a bunch and take 3 bananas. The same is true for ginger.
HOW TO STORE GINGER
The basic rule of thumb is to store ginger according to how often you use it.
If you use ginger pretty frequently (two or three times each week), you can keep it on your counter or stored in a resealable bag (with all the air removed) in the crisper drawer of your fridge.
If ginger doesn’t show up as often in your cooking, store it in the freezer and grate it whenever you need it.
HOW TO WORK WITH GINGER
Don’t grab a knife or peeler...the magic of a simple spoon will quickly and easily scrape off the skin leaving the bulk of the stem for your culinary dreams.
Sometimes grated into recipes like stir fries or sliced for recipes like hot tea, there are myriad ways to use this versatile speciality produce.