A simple trick how to make ginger last longer

It has probably happened to you too. You bought a fresh ginger rhizome at the local store to have it handy when you need a great tea or to enhance taste of other dishes but after a week or two it started to rot even though you put it in your fridge. How is that possible? The rhizome appeared fresh and hard, even the colour and aroma were just right. But still after week or two you saw mould…

If that happens, you have to throw away the entire ginger. You should not try to cut off the bad part and try to salvage the good one Chances are that the fungus had probably spread through the entire fleshy body, and its harmful aflatoxins along with it.

And ordinary plastic bag will help

Let us start by telling you how to choose the right one. Ginger must smell fresh and nice, must not show any signs of damage. The skin must be smooth, not shrivelled or anything like that. It must not be damp or too moist either, which could happen is store poorly.

Photo: Pixabay

If you selected a ginger that looks right, put it in a bag (best equipped with a zipper), squeeze out all the air, close it tightly and put it in the vegetable drawer in your fridge. Ginger stored like that should last several weeks. Another option is a paper bag. Put a paper napkin inside the back and place ginger on top of it and close the bag tightly. Now you should put it in an airtight box and store it in your fridge. Ginger stored in this way should last about the same but this way you will avoid using plastics.

Food foil is necessary for freezing

If you need to store ginger for several months or if you do not have space in your fridge you could do the following things.Dry ginger well and wrap it in a food wrapping foil. Be really thorough and do not be afraid to tie the foil hard and then freeze the wrapped ginger. If you need to use the ginger, unwrap it and grate it. When done wrap the rest again in foil and put it back in the fridge.

Ginger pickled in alcohol?

You can also peel ginger, chop it and then pour vodka over it. Ginger pickled in this way will last a really long time in a fridge and it will retain its taste and freshness. Make sure to drain it before use.

Preview photo: Pixabay