How to Peel and Store Fresh Ginger

Intro: How to Peel and Store Fresh Ginger

I love fresh ginger - I like to make sure I have it on hand at all times. I use it for baking, cooking and drinks. :D

But you know how you tend to buy it, forget about it, and then find it dehrydated, slightly moldy and shriveled two months later in the crisper drawer? Well, NO LONGER! 

I've got a much better and way to store fresh ginger now. Plus, I'll show you how to peel fresh ginger really easily.

STEP 1: What You Need:

• a piece of ginger
• a spoon
• a paring knife
• a ziploc bag
• a freezer

Not too taxing. BAM

STEP 2: Cut Off Any Shriveled Ends

Sometimes these can be too tough for the spoon to make quick work of!

STEP 3: Peel the Ginger With the Spoon

A spoon is really the best way to peel ginger! It allows you to take off JUST the skin, and you can also get into all the small nooks and crannies with it, allowing you to save more of the ginger.

Just scrape it along with a little force. This might be one of my favorite kitchen tricks in the history of the world.

STEP 4: Freezing and How to Use It Later

Pop it in a ziploc bag, press out the air and seal it. Now you're good to throw it in the freezer.

Whenever you need to use it later, pull it out and grate it into whatever you want! You can also cut it with a knife when it's frozen too, but it's a little trickier.

I've been doing this for months now and I love it. It's so wonderful to have the ginger all prepped and ready to go.

Comments

[Lshernofsky]

Hi!
The spoon "peeler" hack is great! Tks.
What is the shelf life of the frozen ginger? How can you tell when/if it goes bad?

[mole1]

Thanks for the spoon peeling idea!
For storage, you can also keep peeled ginger under white vinegar in the fridge... keeps for months (possibly years, but mine gets eaten too soon to know) And there is a bonus of pink ginger flavored vinegar to use whenever a little extra zip is wanted. A jar with a plastic lid works best so the vinegar doesn't corrode it.

[ArleneK4]

Thanks for the vinegar tip! I wish the original instructor could add to her presentation your vinegar idea, and the comment that frozen ginger is easier to grate.

[tkjtkj]

peeled ginger + white vinegar . .. cool! I wonder if more complex flavors might evolve were the vinegar either apple-type or with other herbs .. Not for the resulting 'easier to use ginger' but rather for a more interesting vinegar (which is an essential ingredient for Asian cooking ... Think: hot and sour soup!)

Thanks for this great instructable too and for your 'mod' ...
'Keeping the Sharing Alive' ..

[JanetF52]

Well thank you much, i recently started using ginger as a source of increasing my immune system does that make sense? I have two types of arthritis,so i was told to drink ginger with lemon and honey. I started drinking one cup a day since beginning of December and i already notice my energy level is better lol. I inject Humira and this suppresses the immune system, so i'm hoping that drinking ginger tea will help my immune system get stronger eh, i'm from northern Saskatchewan, Canada. I wanted to buy lots of it and to store ginger but now, thanks to you for helping me find a way.

[cpsinco]

Thanks for this and soooo many other Instructables. You're amazing and so often the source for what I'm looking for.

[jessyratfink]

Aww, thank you so much!! Always good to know I'm helping. :D

[thehoss]

will it keep better if I use my food saver to store it

[jessyratfink]

I'm sure it'd definitely help it from getting freezer burn! I just tend to stick to freezer bags since I go through it quickly. :)

[MarcosG61]

thanks, very helpful

[NiceLadyAndrea]

Thanks for these very clear and helpful tips. I love all this raw ginger I just bought, but have been super worried it might go moldy. Thanks a bunch for saving my ginger! ??

[LilyP6]

From across the pond in the UK thanks for this. I love ginger and use a lot of it and bought a huge chun yesterday. Now prepared and freezing it's head off!

[SuhitaM]

thanks! a lot! so thoughtful and practical. will follow your instructions and spread the good word to my mom as well :-)

[SuhitaM]

thanks! a lot! so thoughtful and practical. will follow your instructions and spread the good word to my mom as well :-)

[edkphd]

I was so ready to be a nay-sayer... a spoon? I had my trusty paring knife all ready to go. But I didn't need it! This technique worked great! I can't thank you enough. No more limp, moldy ginger for me.

[kathy.boyle1]

Oh my this is amazing I have just peeled a big chunk of ginger and no arm ache, thank you

[GeckoHiker1]

You really don't need to peel it. I freeze mine in knobs after cleaning up the dried parts, then just run them over a microplane when I'm ready to use them. I also wrap each knob in a small piece of handkerchief to prevent freezer burn.

[abritsas]

I love it! I did this and I am glad that I will never again be in need of ginger! Plus, I won't have to waste it anymore, I never use it before it goes bad.
I was taught by a chef to use the dull edge of a knife to peel ginger, but I like your way of using a spoon much better! Much safer!

[manicmonday]

Or at least the history of the kitchen!!! ;0)

[jocasti]

Thanks for sharing!