Ginger made its way to Europe as early as the 9th century. The richly branched rhizome, which tastes aromatically hot, is used. The spice lends a characteristic note to Chinese and Indian dishes in particular.
Ginger is best cleaned under running water
Wash ginger before cooking
When buying, make sure that the root has a smooth, silvery skin. This is a sign of fresh ginger with a pleasant spiciness.
The ginger root does not necessarily have to be peeled, but washed carefully:
- Always clean under running water.
- Thoroughly brush away dirt with a vegetable brush.
Since many of the healthy ingredients are just under the skin, you don't have to peel the skin off organically grown tubers. Cut the root into fine slices or cubes and add the spice to the food.
Peel ginger: It's really easy
For older ginger roots or those that do not come from conventional cultivation, you should remove the skin. This works well with a vegetable peeler or the teaspoon method:
- Hold ginger in one hand and place a teaspoon in the other, cup toward your body.
- Use the edge of the spoon to gently scrape off the peel.
- It also works great on uneven spots.
- Cut off the hard leaf scars and the dried end with a sharp knife.
- Depending on the recipe, slice or chop finely.
Make ginger powder in stock
Large ginger roots often cannot be processed within a few days. Even dried ginger powder retains its full flavor and keeps for many months.
- Wash the ginger very thoroughly.
- Slice the rootstock.
- Place them on a grid lined with baking paper and let the ginger dry for several days.
- Turn again and again during this time.
- It's quicker in the oven: spread the ginger out on a baking tray lined with baking paper and kiln at 40 degrees in the oven.
- Finely grind the dried ginger slices and store in dark, tightly sealed containers.
tips
The longer ginger cooks, the more it loses its aroma. You should therefore only give it to the dish towards the end of the cooking time.