Too Much Fresh Ginger

Nancy G. (Q&A ID 3937)

Please tell me how to preserve my oversupply of ginger. A recipe for ginger paste? Freezing ginger? Candying it? Syrup recipe? Plus length of time each recipe will be good for.

Thank you for everything you have made available during this trying time. Cooking is a tonic and I won't forget what you have done here for everyone!

April D. (Q&A ID 3634)

Nancy - I'm glad to hear that you have plenty of ginger on hand and that you are thinking about how to make it last. Here are some favorite options:

• Peel your ginger and cut it into thin (about 1/4 inch) slices. Place the slices on a parchment paper-lined sheet and freeze until very firm, then transfer to a tightly sealed plastic baggie. When you need fresh ginger, simply pull out a few discs from the freezer, let thaw for 10-20 minutes, then cut as needed. These are good for a year or more.
• If you frequently use ginger in curries in soups, then you could make frozen ginger paste. Peel and finely grate the ginger, then pack it into the cubes of an ice cube tray. Freeze until solid, then transfer to a tightly sealed plastic baggie. These are good for a year or more.
• Make a snack of candied ginger. I love this recipe from David Lebovitz: https://www.davidlebovitz.com/candied-ginger/. Just save the syrup from this recipe and use it for cocktails or homemade sodas. This stays good for up to two weeks in a sealed container in the fridge.

Hope that helps! - April D.

Lynn F. (Q&A ID 3929)

How important is it to peel ginger before using it? I sometimes just trim the touch knobby parts off and then grate away, leaving the thin peel in place. I have not noticed a poor outcome and the peel never seems visible in the finished product. Seems no different than potato peel or apple peel...

Thoughts?

Lynn C. (Q&A ID 662)

Hi Lynn - This is an interesting question. We often call for knobs of ginger that are smashed and just thrown as-is into the pot. For grating we do recommend peeling the skin since sometimes those harder bits of peel can be off-putting to the diner, but if you are happy with the results and not getting any pushback from your diners, I'd say, "go for it!" Just make sure to scrub the exterior of the ginger clean with a vegetable brush or clean sponge. Molly Baz over at Bon Appetit wrote a very funny article on this very topic (spoiler alert: she's in the no-peeling camp too). Best, Lynn C.

Lynn F. (Q&A ID 3929)

Dear Lynn C,

Thank you for clearly responding to the six questions I posted in the last few weeks. I appreciate your thorough responses and now feel empowered. Love all things Milk Street.

BTW, my monthly cooking club friends and I are planning a trek from California to MSK to attend a class, post COVID, to celebrate our longevity (15 years?). I am the one in the group that usually selects a "test kitchen" theme, whether it be creamless cream of broccoli soup, chocolate chip cookies, rolled/cutout sugar cookies, quiche, etc. I state specific prep/baking methodologies to standardize and remove as many variables as possible, and make spreadsheets comparing the ingredients/amounts. When we meet for lunch, each item is numbered and we taste in order, circling back to discuss the differences, and possible reasons for the variation in the end product. During the tasting I keep copious notes as I usually end up baking another round or three, using the knowledge I gained in the first tasting to curate recipes that will help me achieve my goal of having one awesome recipe, so nevermore shall I have to try another recipe for that item. (Of course, I do succumb to my curiosity and end up diving back in on occasion when I come across a recipe with a twist, or from a source I particularly trust. The never ending quest...)

Stay healthy! Thank you for opening MSK up during COVID.

Warmly, Lynn F.