How do I keep ginger fresh? [moved from Home Cooking]

[RobotDeathSquad]

I feel bad buying $.10 of fresh ginger at the store, but that's all I use in a week, if I'm lucky. How do you guys keep your fresh ginger, um. . . fresh?

[RobotDeathSquad]

I never thought about the freezer. Always figured that would make it break down or lose flavor or something.
Thanks everyone for hte great information!

[mish]

There was a "quick tip" about storing ginger on the cooks illustrated show on PBS the other day. They recommended both the sherry method and the freezer method listed above. I was excited to learn both.

[mhoffman]

The submerge-in-soil suggestion reminds me of the old trick of storing other roots (carrots, beets, etc) in clean sand in the fridge. I've never tried this myself, but they are supposed to last for weeks/months this way.

[Akatonbo]

I have used the jar-of-dry-sherry method - I don't bother to peel it. I then use it for Chinese dishes, which are probably going to include a wine anyway (dry sherry being a common substitute for Chinese rice wine). Another method I use is to wrap it in a brown paper bag in the top part of the fridge (not the crisper drawer). But I like the idea of just laying it on a potted plant - I'll have to give that a try.

[wonderwoman]

i always keep a good-sized chunk (unpeeled)in a ziplock bag in the freezer; keeps forever -- several months, at least. use a microplane zester to grate -- never have to peel, never get surprised by a larger than expected chunk.

[doctor_mama]

I do this too. The ginger lasts forever this way, and I like that I can grate it straight out of the freezer.

[hbgrrl]

Another vote for the freezer.
Just used mine to pump up my cold Asian noodle salad.

[bryan]

I peel and chop the ginger and store in a clean jar filled w/ dry sherry in the fridge. Keeps for months. An added benefit is the ginger flavored sherry is very nice to splash on fish and shellfish and chicken and beef and pork, etc.

[MplsM ary]

My mom did that too but in brandy.

I put mine in a zippered bag and throw it (ok, gently lay it), in the freezer. Peels with the side of a spoon fairly easily after having been frozen and no loss of taste according to my very ginger attuned tastebuds.

[Melanie Wong]

That's what I do. I agree that the flavor still stays fresh and sharp. However, be aware that it does seem to concentrate and you might need a little less.

[cheryl_h]

I do this too. I usually buy about a half-pound of ginger at a time, peel it and keep largish pieces in a jar or sherry.

[LindaWhit]

I do this as well. I use an old, clean (larger) spice jar, and grate enough ginger to fill to two-thirds, and then top it with sherry. The rest of the ginger knob gets wrapped in plastic wrap and then foil and into the freezer until I need it.

[luswei]

i use this method too

[Will Owen]

I read some time back that Chinese folks simply bury their ginger root in a pot of soil, and treat it as though they were going to grow it. I haven't had the need to try that, but I may just for grins...

[Pei]

My mom just leaves it lying on the dirt of a potted plant. Keeps for weeks.

[RoxyGrl]

My brother wraps it loosely in a slightly damp paper towel and puts it in a ziploc in the crisper. Seems to work

[ray9x]

I just leave mine in the crisper of the fridge. It keeps fresh for a while (weeks!).

Or sometimes, I just toss it all into a blender and make paste out of it; but that paste only works for some of my dishes (primarily Indian food). The paste also remains in good shape for a while.