How to: Cook with Ginger

Ingredients

Instructions

1. When selecting ginger at the grocery store, choose a plump, firm root with smooth skin. Avoid ginger that looks dry, shriveled, soft, or rubbery.
2. You can break off a small piece of the ginger root, similar to how you would break off a piece of a banana. The root is typically priced per pound, so a small piece is inexpensive.
3. To store the remaining ginger, you can freeze it. Break off the amount you need and keep the rest in your freezer.
4. Peeling the ginger is optional. You can scrape off the thin skin with the side of a spoon or use a vegetable peeler. If you choose not to peel, wash the ginger thoroughly.
5. Once peeled (or unpeeled), you can slice the ginger into thin medallions, mince it into tiny pieces, or grate it.
6. Slicing ginger into medallions is useful for infusing liquids, as the slices can be easily removed later.
7. Mincing ginger provides a lot of flavor without large pieces. Some people enjoy the texture of larger ginger pieces in their food.
8. For very small pieces, grate the ginger using a small-holed cheese grater. This is often quicker than mincing with a knife. If the ginger is very fresh, it may release juice when grated, so grate it directly over your pot or skillet to catch the flavor.
9. Note: If ginger slices appear blue or gray, it indicates the ginger is old. Fresh ginger has a light yellow hue.