How to Store Ginger to Keep It Fresh

When I see a beautiful hand of ginger at the grocery store, I can’t resist the urge to bring it home. Then, no matter how much fresh ginger a recipe calls for, I can never use up that whole rhizome at once! I’ve had to learn how to store ginger for weeks—or even months—while preserving its flavor.

How to Store Fresh Ginger

Ginger in hands of in store sergeyryzhov/Getty Images

In a cool, dark place

You can keep ginger out on the counter for a couple of days, but it’s better to store whole gingerroot in conditions that mimic a root cellar—think cool and dark. However, this method isn’t the best way to preserve ginger for the long haul.

In the refrigerator

If you put ginger in the fridge in a sealed container, or in a plastic bag with most of the air squished out, it will last for around a month. Add a piece of damp paper towel to your storage container and pop the container into the crisper drawer to help the ginger stay firm. If the ginger starts to shrivel or grow blue-green mold, it’s time to get new ginger.

In the freezer

Personally, I love to rinse and dry my ginger and throw it into a resealable plastic bag. I squeeze out the air and toss it in the freezer, where ginger will last for many months. Use a Microplane to grate ginger into dishes while it’s still frozen or thaw a portion until it’s easy to slice. If you let it thaw completely, it will be kind of squishy, though.

Ginger is also easier to peel when it’s frozen. You can remove the skin by scraping it with a pointy spoon. The skin of the ginger is really healthy, though, and in many cases, you can leave the peel on.

In pickled form

Pickled ginger is a classic sushi accompaniment and a flavorful way to preserve the rhizome. Ginger is traditionally pickled in a combination of rice vinegar, salt and sugar. Frequently, the ginger is boiled before pickling to remove some of its heat, but be aware that boiling does strip the ginger of some of its nourishing properties.

Serve the pickled ginger alongside California rolls.

How to Store Peeled Ginger

Peeled ginger is more perishable than unpeeled ginger. Thus, it won’t keep as long in the fridge. However, you can follow the instructions for unpeeled ginger (above). Just expect that the ginger fingers will start to shrivel more quickly. Freezing peeled ginger should work almost as well as freezing ginger with its peel, though.

How to Store Chopped Ginger

sliced frozen gigner i na plastic bag and chopped frozen ginger in an ice cube tray Qwart/getty images

For the best shelf life, store chopped ginger in the freezer. This is the perfect time to put an ice cube tray to use: Fill the sections with chopped ginger, let freeze until set, and then pop out the cubes and store them in a freezer-safe bag.

I love making gingery dishes such as Vietnamese pho broth, adding sliced ginger to lemon tea or using ginger as an ingredient in a stir-fry. I also add fresh ginger to various components of my from-scratch shoyu ramen. Now that I know how to store ginger, I make all of these dishes more often!

How to Use Fresh Ginger

1 / 92

Grilled Pork Tenderloins We do a lot of outdoor cooking during the summer months, and this grilled pork tenderloin recipe is one my entire family loves. —Betsy Carrington, Lawrenceburg, Tennessee Go to Recipe

Old-Fashioned Turkey Noodle Soup Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Turkey Noodle SoupTurn your holiday leftovers into a comforting meal with this turkey noodle soup recipe. Save that turkey carcass to create the robust roasted turkey broth!

How to Store Ginger

Now Trending