Ginger Cooking Tips

Healthy Cooking Tips For Ginger

Dishes seasoned with ginger are simply irresistible. Whether in its peppery fresh form or as spicy ground powder, this root of the ginger plant may have several therapeutic properties, such as soothing the stomach and stimulating appetite. Try adding fresh ginger to your weekly stir-fry or chopped crystallized ginger to a batch of muffins or granola. Ginger has a peppery flavour, with a sweet hint of lemon, and the aroma is pungent and sharp. The ground form of ginger is particularly good for baking; pickled; preserved in syrup (also called stem ginger); candied; or crystallised.

Choosing and Storing Ginger

• When buying fresh, look for firm ginger that has smooth skin (wrinkled skin indicates the root is dry and past its prime). 
• The little sprouts that appear on the sides of the root are more delicate in flavor than the main section. When peeled, the root should have a fresh, spicy scent. The pale yellow flesh is very juicy when fresh, but becomes fibrous as the root ages. Avoid wrinkled, discolored, or moldy ginger. Jamican and Kenyan ginger is thought to be the best.
• Fresh ginger will keep for around 2 weeks in a perforated bag stored in the fridge. 
• The ground variety should keep for around 6 months if stored in a small, airtight container in a cool, dark place.

Few Healthy Cooking Tips For Ginger

• Fresh ginger can enhance many foods. To use fresh ginger, slice off a one-inch piece, yielding approximately 1 tablespoon (6g) and trim away the peel; mince with a sharp knife or shred on the wide holes of a flat-sided grater.
• To prepare ginger juice, which can be added to quick-cooked soups or delicate dishes, slice, peel, and mince the root; place it in a garlic press, and use the juice that is pressed out.
• Dried ground ginger is not interchangeable with fresh ginger. If you do use ground ginger, it’s best in baked goods and desserts, such as gingerbread, cookies, and puddings.
• Try a topping of freshly grated ginger over cooked vegetables such as yams, carrots, or collard greens. It’s also excellent in soups and stews, and it is a good choice for seafood since it neutralizes “fishy” odors.
• Of course, ground ginger is a key ingredient in favorites such as ginger ale, gingerbread, and gingersnap cookies.

Healthy Cooking Methods For Ginger

• Ginger In hot tea - We drink literally gallons of hot ginger tea in the fall and winter. We just cut up a hunk of fresh ginger (no need to peel) and pour a lot of boiling water over it. A little honey, a little lemon, and it's the perfect winter tonic. You can add bourbon, too and call it cough syrup for grownups.
• Ginger In Soup! - Fresh ginger, grated or pureed, brings wonderful zest to hot, creamy winter soups. Try the recipe for Indian-spiced carrot soup with ginger or the sweet potato soup with miso and ginger.
• Ginger With fish - We really like spicy ginger with tender, flaky fish. Try the recipe for Ginger and Cilantro Baked Tilapia; full of flavor, and it only takes a few minutes to bake.
• Ginger In stir-fries - Almost every stir-fry could use a little grated or even minced ginger to spice things up.
• Ginger In sweet things - It's baking time, and there are lots of sweet things that are great with fresh ginger. Try steeping milk with ginger for these caramels. Or try ginger hand pies or pumpkin pie with fresh ginger.