How to Process, Store, and Use Ginger Root

In some of my earliest posts, I detailed how to use fresh ginger root to develop a ginger bug starter culture and naturally fermented ginger ale. In that post and others, I’ve mentioned that I process and store fresh ginger root in my freezer, and I use it as a key ingredient in various recipes. In this post, I’m going to detail exactly how I do this.

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Ginger root has been used for centuries for both its sharp flavor and its medicinal properties. For years, I’ve used it to reduce nausea when I’m sick or to open my sinuses when I’m suffering from allergies. According to John Hopkins Medicine, “Gingerol, a natural component of ginger root, benefits gastrointestinal motility ― the rate at which food exits the stomach and continues along the digestive process.” Benefits of eating ginger include reduced nausea, improved digestion, reduced of bloating and gas, and decreased free radical activity (due to the antioxidants in ginger).

As John Hopkins Medicine also notes, many ginger drinks sold commercially contain lots of sugar or additional byproducts. This is why I prefer to brew my own ginger ale (though it does require quite a bit of sugar, but at least I know exactly what’s in it!). But before you can use fresh ginger, you need to know how to process it.

Processing Ginger

To start, you’ll need to pick your ginger root. If you don’t grow your own, you’ll need to buy some from the store or local farmers’ market. Depending on what I use my ginger for, I typically pay a little extra to buy organic. This is particularly important for brewing ginger ale, as I want to make sure that the ginger I use is not contaminated by pesticides or fungicides.

Once I have my ginger root in hand, I gently scrub it under running water, being careful not to remove the skin (unless I’m buying non-organic; then I skin the root to remove any pesticides or other contaminants that may reside in the skin. This can be done easily by scraping with a metal spoon).

Next, I prepare to grate or process the ginger root. If you have a food processor, this goes much more smoothly. I break the root into chunks, add a little filtered water, and pulse it until it’s finely chopped but not quite puréed.

However, if you don’t have a food processor and don’t want to invest in one yet, you can grate the root by hand using a cheese grater. Unfortunately, ginger root tends to get stringy when you grate it at room temperature. I’ve found that if I freeze it first and then grate it, the process goes much more smoothly (though my hands get much colder!).

Alternatively, you can chop the ginger root by hand. But in my experience, getting the fine pieces I prefer is difficult to achieve with a knife and cutting board, and it takes too long.

Storing Ginger

Once you’ve processed your ginger, pack it into a silicone candy mold (this is the one I like, since it keeps my ginger chunks small and allows me to use a little at a time). Make sure that you include the ginger juice that you’ve extracted during the grating/processing. Support the candy mold on a flat tray or plate and place it in the freezer.

As with most of the foods I freeze, I simply leave my ginger in the freezer overnight. The next day, I pop the ginger cubes out of the candy mold (the silicone makes it super easy!) and move to a labeled, freezer baggie. Store in the freezer (the ginger cubes may become freezer burned after a few months, but it’s still good!). That way, the ginger is ready to go whenever I need it.

Using Ginger

Want to make potstickers? Grab a ginger cube or two, microwave it for ten seconds, and you’ve got the perfect amount. Want to make ginger tea? Grab a cube or three and boil in a cup of water for 5-10 minutes. Want an antioxidant kick in your smoothie? Grab a cube and toss it in to the blender; with such a small amount, you can consume ginger’s benefits without overwhelming the smoothie’s flavor.

And that's it! That's how I process, store, and use ginger root. It's simple, it's easy, and it allows me to use a favorite ingredient in a wide variety of dishes.

Have another use for ginger? Let me know in the comments!