Ginger

Rooting for Ginger~ Go Ginger Go Ginger Go Ginger.. Can you give me a spell? Spell G, Spell I, Spell N, Spell G, Spell E and Spell R. What it stand by spell it? GINGER! YAY Go Ginger!

Wait a min, Am I nutso cheerleader? Probably YES! *chucking*

One of my friends wanted to know which ginger and how to use it. I told him that I would do that on my blog.. Here's it goes...

There are six types of gingers in case if you may, might or didn't know about that.

FRESH GINGER

There is two types of fresh gingers are young and mature.

Young ginger root- It is known as "green or spring". It has a pale, thin skin that requires no peeling. It's a very tender and has a milder flavor. It can be grated, chopped or julienned.

Mature ginger root- It has a tough skin that must be peeled right away to get the flesh. It can be grated, chopped or ground.

DRIED GINGER

It can be find in whole fingers or in slices. You need to soak the dried ginger into the liquid before using it.

PICKLED GINGER

It's pickled in sweet vinegar. It usually shows the color of bright red or pink. It's very familiar for Sushi. Also it's a great to refresh your breath by eating those pickled ginger- natural remedy than those minty candies.

PRESERVED GINGER

It has been preserved in a sugar-salt mixture. It can use as a confection or added to desserts. Something I had learned that it marries to melon magnificent.

CRYSTALLIZED GINGER

It's a common to know as a "candied ginger". It has been cooked with a sugar syrup until tender then coated with gratulated sugar. It can use for dessert or pop it into your mouth by thinking it's a candy. Also it's easy to make it at home.

GROUND GINGER

It is known as a "powdered". It is different than fresh- OF COURSE. You can find it easily at the supermarkets. Use it for sweets and curry mixes.

Now you know those six types of gingers so it may help you to know which ones that you can use it for your cooking.

How do I find a good fresh ginger root?

It's a year-around at the supermarkets (maybe a few markets that don't carry that). Look for smooth skin with a fresh and spicy fragrance. Yes, you may smell. Who cares if folks thinks you are nutso! You rather to find a good one instead of bad one! Tubers should be a firm and feel heavy. AVOID those with wrinkled flesh because it shows an indication of aged ginger past its prime.

How do I storage those types of gingers?

FRESH GINGER

For unpeeled part, you can wrapped it in paper towels, place in a plastic bag and refrigerated up to 3 weeks. It can be tightly wrapped and frozen up to 2 months (you may want to slice off any unwanted root before)

For peeled part, you can store it in madiera or sherry wine in a glass container in the refrigerator up to 3 months. But remember if you plan to cook with any wines- recommend you to not use it if you mix the peeled ginger root that has been preserved with madiera or sherry wine because it will impact the flavors.

DRIED and GROUND GINGER

It can stored in a cool and dark space with an airtight container.

PICKLED and PRESERVED GINGER

It should kept in its original container in refrigerator.

CRYSTALLIZED GINGER

It can storage in an airtight container in a cool and dark space up to 3 months.

Now you know to find a good fresh ginger root and methods of the storage for those gingers.

Lastly, ginger can be healthy benefit for us. It helps to soothing any stomach upsets, motion sickness, morning sickness and cold/coughs.

You can even make your own ginger tea by slice some ginger root and put into the tea ball (in your own cup or a teapot). Pour the boiling water over the tea ball and let it sit for 10 minutes. You can even drink straight from it or sweeten up with honey. But remember to use it as moderation to avoid any gastric irritations. It's a wise to check with your doctor if you are unsure if you have any gastric problems or any medical issues.

Go Go Go GINGER!