Ginger: How to Choose Fresh Ginger and Store It Properly

Ginger is an essential spice in many dishes. With its warm, spicy aroma, ginger helps remove fishy or unpleasant odors from foods and enhances the flavor of cooked dishes. This spice also offers many health benefits.

How to Choose Fresh Ginger

When buying ginger, choose roots with rough, slightly wrinkled skin rather than smooth and shiny surfaces. You can gently scrape the outer skin to check the flesh inside. Fresh ginger will have bright or deep yellow flesh that is clearly different from the outer skin.

Avoid ginger with smooth surfaces and uniformly yellow skin. When lightly scraped, if there is little difference between the skin and the flesh, the ginger is usually less spicy and less fragrant than rough-skinned, darker ginger.

Good-quality ginger roots are often small, firm, and feel heavy for their size. You can also smell the ginger—fresh ginger has a strong, spicy aroma.

Large ginger roots with smooth, glossy skin may look appealing, but they are usually milder and less aromatic. When buying ginger, do not prioritize size; smaller roots are often better.

Tips for Storing Ginger

Storing Ginger with Plastic Wrap

Do not dry fresh ginger under direct sunlight, as this causes moisture loss, shrinkage, and faster spoilage. Simply place ginger in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area.

To store ginger for a longer time, prepare a bowl of clean water and add a small amount of salt, adjusting the quantity according to the amount of ginger.

Soak the ginger in diluted salt water for about 20 minutes, then remove it. Use a towel to dry the surface thoroughly and let the ginger air-dry completely in a cool, airy place.

Soaking ginger in salt water helps kill bacteria and removes microorganisms on the surface, keeping ginger fresh longer.

Once the ginger is completely dry, wrap each root tightly with plastic wrap. This step limits air exposure and prevents moisture and bacteria from causing mold or rot. Make sure the ginger is fully dry before wrapping.

Store the wrapped ginger in a cool, dry place. With this method, ginger can be preserved for up to a year without spoilage.

Storing Ginger with Baking Soda

Another effective method is using baking soda. Ensure the ginger is completely dry before storage.

Prepare a cardboard box, line the bottom with newspaper or dry paper towels, sprinkle a thin layer of baking soda, then place the ginger on top. Add another thin layer of baking soda. The paper and baking soda absorb moisture, keeping the ginger dry.

Cover the box and store it in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area. Using baking soda helps extend the shelf life of ginger.

Storing Ginger with Black Pepper

You can also place black peppercorns in a small cloth bag and store them together with ginger. Black pepper contains natural antioxidants that help prevent oxidation, and its aroma also repels insects.

Storing Ginger with Dried Tea Leaves

Dried tea leaves can absorb moisture from ginger and help keep it dry.

Wrap dried tea leaves in paper towels and place the bundle inside a plastic bag with the ginger. Press out the air and tie the bag tightly. The tea leaves will absorb excess moisture from the ginger.

Check the bag regularly. If the tea leaves become damp, replace them with a new dry bundle.