How to store ginger at home in the refrigerator fresh for the winter

Every housewife should know how to store ginger at home, because it is often not possible to use the whole rhizome. Only a part of it is needed to prepare the dish, and the remaining root must be kept fresh until the next time. The shelf life of ginger will be determined by which storage method is chosen. The root crop can be stored fresh, dried, pickled, in the form of juice or candied fruit.

Ways to store fresh root

The whole root can be kept in a dry cellar or basement along with other root crops at a temperature within 0 … +4 ° C, wrapped in parchment paper or foil.It is important that the vegetable does not come into contact with light. In the absence of lighting and with the appropriate temperature conditions, it is able to lie up to 6-7 months. Approximately once every 2-3 weeks, stocks must be sorted out, rejecting rotten and moldy specimens.

The best way to store fresh ginger is in the refrigerator. If placed in a paper bag, it will keep fresh for 1 week in the vegetable compartment. The following manipulations will help to extend this period to at least 3-4 weeks:

only fresh unpeeled root crops are selected, without foci of spoilage or mechanical damage;
vegetables are gently wiped and dried with a paper towel;
each copy is wrapped in a paper napkin or towel;
vegetables wrapped in paper are placed in special plastic bags with zippers or wrapped tightly with cling film (the air must first be removed from the bag);
packages are placed in the fruit and vegetable compartment.

If the root is already peeled, then ginger is stored in the refrigerator using the following technology:

rhizome cut into pieces;
cut slices are laid out in a glass container;
fill the contents of the jar with cold boiled water (wine, vodka, sake, lime juice);
put in the refrigerator.

In this way, cut root vegetables can be stored for up to 2-3 weeks, while it does not lose most of its taste and useful qualities. Alcohol-containing liquids extend the shelf life up to 7-8 weeks.

To freeze or not?

Ginger can only be stored in the refrigerator for a limited amount of time. Freezing is not the most successful, but popular and longer storage method. The technology is:

the root crop is first peeled (it is better to scrape it like a carrot, since under the thin skin there is the greatest amount of useful substances);
then the rhizome can be chopped on a coarse grater, and also cut into slices or strips;
prepared vegetable is laid out in individual food containers or plastic bags;
storage in the freezer.

Before use, the product does not require defrosting. This method can keep ginger fresh for 10-12 months. It will have all the taste qualities, but it will lose its beneficial properties almost completely. Therefore, it is better to try to find a place in the refrigerator and not freeze root vegetables.

Processing and storing

It is far from always possible to store ginger for a long time at home, sometimes it is urgent to process the excess spice left after cooking a dish.

There are several ways:

Marinating. The root crop must be cleaned, cut into thin slices (plates), then laid out in layers in ceramic or glass dishes. A marinade is prepared from 6 tbsp. l. granulated sugar, 4 tsp. s alt and ½ cup rice vinegar (based on 350 g of ginger). The solution is brought to a boil and pre-prepared vegetables are poured over it. After complete cooling, the workpiece is removed in the refrigerator for 6-7 hours. Then the product can be eaten, it retains freshness and all nutritional qualities for up to 3 months.
Alcohol infusion. Unpeeled ginger (30-40 g) is placed in an opaque dark glass container and poured with 200 ml of medical alcohol (strength not less than 70% vol.). Then insist in a warm and dark place for 2 weeks. The tincture is used only for medicinal purposes as a component for various mixtures and preparations, it must first be diluted with distilled water in proportions of 1:4.
Ginger infused with alcohol. A whole rhizome without skin, filled with strong liquor (vodka, rum, sherry, etc.) in a glass jar or ceramic dish, is stored in a dark and cool room (cellar, basement, pantry, etc.) indefinitely. Such a product is added to pastry dough, meat marinades, sauces, soups and broths.
Decoction. Such a product is stored for no more than 5 hours in the refrigerator and about 3 hours at room temperature, so it is prepared immediately before use. The root is finely cut (4-5 cm), pour 250 ml of clean cold water, then placed in a water bath for 15-20 minutes, boil under a lid. Remove from heat and cool.

Dry storage

If there are a lot of root crops, then they can be dried. With this method of preparation, all useful substances and vitamins are preserved in ginger, since they are not exposed to extremely low or high temperatures.Dry product is stored at room temperature and takes up very little space, which is always lacking in the refrigerator or freezer.

To properly dry ginger, proceed as follows:

wash rhizomes in running water, remove dirt and plaque;
Using a small knife or teaspoon, carefully scrape off the peel;
cut into thin strips, slices or plates (as transparent as possible so that the product dries better);
lay a baking sheet with baking paper or parchment paper and put ginger pieces on it in 1 layer;
dry in the oven for 1 hour at a temperature of about +45 … +50 ° С;
remove the pan from the oven, then turn each piece over to the other side;
put in the oven for another 1 hour.

You can dry ginger naturally. To do this, the chopped vegetable is laid out on a flat surface (baking tray, tray, cutting board), then put in a well-ventilated dark room for 3-4 days.

Ready dry slices break well. They can be left whole or ground into powder. How long dried ginger can be stored depends on the storage location. At room temperature in a container with a tightly closed lid, the dried product is stored for up to six months. You can keep it in the refrigerator for more than 2 years.

Before use, the slices are soaked for 15-20 minutes in cold water. They can be added to tea, various drinks, salads, meat dishes and desserts.

As an addition to desserts and drinks

Spicy root vegetable, finely chopped and mixed with an arbitrary amount of honey, can be used as an additive to desserts and various homemade drinks.For those people who do not like sweets, there is an alternative recipe for ginger with lemon. This interesting combination is well suited for making unusual sauces for meat and fish dishes, as well as for the production of drinks. You need to store such blanks in the refrigerator for no longer than 10-14 days.

During the off-season, when the risk of colds increases, you can use ginger to strengthen the immune system. The recipe for a delicious healing remedy is as follows:

120g fresh root vegetable peeled and grated;
4 lemons peeled and cut into cubes;
mix both products and grind with a blender;
transfer to a glass jar, then add 250-280 g of honey.

After cooking, the mixture is kept in the refrigerator, consumed 1 tbsp. l. per day.

Storage in the ground

Unpeeled ginger can be stored in a soil mixture prepared from humus, peat and dry river sand, taken in equal parts. The rhizome is laid out in a pot or box, covered with this soil and left in a dark and cool room (cellar, basement, pantry). If you move the container to a warm and lit place, then the root stored in the ground will sprout. Greens are used in salads and as an additive to tea drinks.

Production of candied fruits

From peeled and cut into slices, strips or slices of ginger root, you can make an exquisite delicacy - candied ginger. They are prepared as follows:

rhizome (200-250 g) is peeled and cut as needed (cubes, slices);
pieces are laid out in a saucepan, poured with 0.5 liters of water and simmered for 1 hour;
sugar syrup is boiled separately from 200 g of sugar and ½ cup of water;
cooked root pieces should be thrown into a colander or sieve and allowed to drain;
then put them in a container with ready-made syrup and cook for another 1 hour until transparent;
line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place slices of boiled ginger on it in 1 layer;
pieces are slightly dried in the oven at a temperature not higher than +40 … +45 °С;
then each slice is flipped to the other side and dried a little more in the oven;
now roll the slices in powdered sugar or sand.

Ready-made candied ginger is placed in a tightly closed jar and stored in the refrigerator for no more than 30 days. Homemade sweets are great for motion sickness and nausea.

The right purchase is half the success

Fresh ginger, which can be found in stores, is a dense thick root covered with a thin peel. The color of the skin can be dark brown (almost black) or white. It depends on how the vegetable is pretreated. If the root crop after digging was mechanically cleaned and simply washed with water, then it retains a dark natural shade.

When treated with chlorinated solutions, the rhizomes become almost white.

The freshness of ginger root directly affects the preservation of its original taste, aroma and useful consumer properties. The fresher the ginger, the longer the shelf life will be.

A quality vegetable should be:

elastic and dense (the sluggish soft rhizome was dug out a long time ago, has been stored for a long time and during this time has lost most of its useful qualities);
heavy (flabby light root has lost moisture and become less fragrant);
smooth, dry and even, uniform in color, no damage, dents, dark spots, mold, rot;
the peel is thin and smooth (too thick dense skin indicates that the root crop has been lying somewhere for a long time and is not fresh);
the color of juicy and dense pulp varies from light greenish-yellow to deep dark yellow (the older the plant, the darker the rhizome inside), the presence of coarse thick fibers in the pulp also indicates a great age of the ginger bush.

The decision about how fresh a product is and how to store it must be made in the store. Vegetables that do not meet the required requirements will have poor taste and will not store well.

Possibility of use

Ginger can be stored at home in several different ways, which predetermine its further use. In cooking, ginger is used as follows:

meat and fish dishes are seasoned with dry and fresh spices;
marinated and dried slices are used in sauces;
ground dry spicy root vegetable is used in many spice mixtures (curries and others);
ginger powder is added to baked goods: buns, cookies, muffins, gingerbread;
grated fresh and frozen vegetables are used in various alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, compotes and teas;
pickled root vegetable used in salads (especially in Japanese, Chinese and Korean cuisines);
candied thin slices of ginger can reduce nausea, improve digestion and appetite.

Due to the large number of useful components, ginger is widely used for medicinal purposes. It increases the body's defenses, normalizes hormonal levels, stabilizes the emotional and psychological state, and enhances metabolism.The spicy root has antibacterial, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory qualities, which allows it to be used in the treatment of colds. Ginger has proven to be effective in fighting cancer.