To keep ginger from rotting, shriveling, or sprouting, you need a few simple tips below.

Ginger is a spice that’s indispensable in many dishes. It has a fragrant, spicy flavor that helps eliminate fishy or unpleasant odors from food and enhances the aroma of your meals. Beyond that, ginger also offers numerous health benefits.

Choosing fresh, quality ginger

When buying ginger, choose roots with rough skin — they don’t need to be perfectly smooth. You can gently scrape off a small part of the peel to see the flesh inside. Fresh, high-quality ginger will have yellowish or bright golden flesh that contrasts clearly with the skin.

Avoid gingers with smooth, shiny, evenly yellow skins. When you scrape the peel, if there’s no clear difference between the skin and the flesh, that ginger is often less spicy and less aromatic.

Good ginger roots are usually small, have rough skin, and feel firm and dense when held. You can also check by smell — fresh ginger has a distinct spicy fragrance.

Large, smooth-skinned gingers may look attractive, but they are often mild in flavor and less fragrant. So, when buying ginger, don’t go for the biggest roots — smaller ones are usually better.

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Tips for preserving ginger

Preserve with plastic wrap

Do not dry ginger in the sun after buying it, as that causes it to lose water, shrink, and spoil faster. To keep it dry, simply store it in a cool, ventilated place.

To preserve ginger longer, prepare a bowl of clean water and add a bit of salt (adjust depending on how much ginger you have). Soak the ginger in the saltwater for about 20 minutes, then remove and pat dry thoroughly with a towel. Let it air-dry completely in a cool place.

Soaking in saltwater helps kill bacteria and remove surface impurities, keeping the ginger fresher longer.

Once the ginger is fully dry, wrap each piece tightly with plastic wrap. This prevents air, bacteria, and moisture from getting in and causing mold. Make sure the ginger is completely dry before wrapping.

Store the wrapped ginger in a cool, dry place. Using this method, you can preserve ginger for up to a year without spoilage.

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Preserve with baking soda

Another way to store ginger is with baking soda. Again, make sure the ginger is dry before storage.

Prepare a cardboard box and line the bottom with dry newspaper or tissue paper. Sprinkle a thin layer of baking soda, then place the ginger on top. Add another layer of baking soda to cover. Both the paper and baking soda help absorb moisture and keep the ginger dry.

Close the box and store it in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place. This method also keeps ginger fresh for a long time.

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Store ginger with peppercorns

You can also place a small cloth bag filled with peppercorns together with the ginger. Pepper contains natural antioxidants that help slow oxidation, while its aroma repels insects that might damage the ginger.

Store ginger with dry tea leaves

Dry tea leaves can absorb moisture from ginger, keeping it dry.

Wrap some dry tea leaves in tissue paper, then place the packet in a plastic bag containing the ginger. Squeeze out the air and tie the bag tightly. The dry tea will absorb any remaining moisture, keeping the ginger fresh.

Check the bag regularly — if the tea feels damp, replace it with a new packet.