Excess moisture can start to seep into the skin of the ginger, causing it to age faster than it should. It can also create a somewhat slimy layer, so you want to avoid this if at all possible.
If the ginger looks discolored, becomes soft to the touch, or emits a weird smell, it has probably gone bad and shouldn’t be consumed.
To mince the ginger, cut off a slice and cut that into long sticks. Then, cut across the sticks to break the ginger down into even smaller pieces.
If you’d prefer, you could also puree the ginger with a little bit of water and freeze it flat in a resealable plastic bag. When you need some for a recipe, simply break off a small piece from the bag and it’ll melt right into the dish. [7] X Research source
Freezing the ginger in small, individual portions makes it much easier to take out a piece to use whenever you need.
The parchment paper should make it really easy to remove the ginger from the baking sheet.
If your freezer loses power and the ginger thaws, it’s safest to throw it out. Otherwise, you risk it growing bacteria and becoming unsafe to consume.
Since fresh ginger can quickly go bad and shrivel, preparing and storing it this way ensures you’ll always have some available when you need it.
You could pickle larger chunks of ginger and then cut them to the right size when you want to use them.
White table salt works just fine for this. You could also use sea salt, pink Himalayan salt, or another variety. You can leave the ginger on the cutting board or place it in a bowl.
If you prefer a slightly sweeter pickled ginger, add another 1-2 tbsp (12-25 grams) of sugar to the rice vinegar.
If you want to give pickled ginger as gifts, divide the ginger and pickling liquid between several small glass jars.
Don’t put the lid onto the container until it has cooled to room temp; otherwise, it could build up too much pressure and burst.
Pickled ginger is often served with sushi, but you can use it with other dishes. Try using it as a salad topping or chopping it up and using it in a marinade.
If you notice any discoloration, strange smells, or mold, discard the ginger right away. While pickled ginger is good for you, lacto-fermented ginger is another option that doesn’t use vinegar. To try this option, peel and slice fresh ginger into thin slices. Pound lightly to release juices. Pack it into a quart-size mason jar, leaving at least an inch (2. 5cm) air space at the top. Prepare the brine by gently heating 1 cup of filtered water and add 2 tablespoons of sea salt. Heat the water just enough to dissolve the salt and not any warmer. Once it dissolves, pour it into the mason jar. Add more filtered water as needed to just cover the ginger. Leave at least one inch (2. 5cm) air space between the covered ginger and the jar rim. Cover jar tightly with the lid and keep in a dark, room temperature space for about 3 days. Then, it’s ready to eat––just a small amount with meals is plenty.
You could also use a food dehydrator—just follow the instructions to properly dry the ginger. As an alternative, you could also simply leave sliced ginger in the sun for a few days. Drying it in the oven will get the job done faster, though.
You can use a knife to slice the ginger, or, for super thin pieces, try a mandoline.
If you have a lot of ginger, you could always bake 2 sheets at the same time.
You could also try chewing a piece to test it. If it’s still moist or chewy inside, it’s probably not done. It should be brittle and dry. Be careful when picking up the ginger from the baking sheet. It’ll be hot, so you may want to use a pair of tongs to remove it and set it to the side to let it cool down for a few seconds.
Dried ginger can last for years. It may not taste as potent or release as much flavor after a year, but it should still be safe to use. If it ever becomes moldy, smelly, or damp, throw it out. You can use dried ginger to make tea, or you can grind it up to use in various recipes.
A 1/4 cup of dehydrated ginger will make about 1 tablespoon (5. 4 grams) of ground ginger. Ground ginger will be most potent for about a month. After that, it may start to lose its aroma and flavor.
