Tasteless ginger

[ccarroll774]

When I use fresh ginger the recipes always come out bland, even though I use as much as the recipe asks for. It seems that the giner one buys in the grocery store is just not very gingery. Can anybody tell me either where to get more pungent ginger or what I'm doing wrong?

 

[Bigjim68]

I'd try Penzys. IMO supermarket ginger sometimes lays around too long.

 

[Andy M.]

Penzeys is a great source of quality spices but they do not offer fresh ginger. When buying ginger in the market, look for the juiciest pieces. Sometimes older pieces are mixed in and they are not too good. Also, don't be shy about just breaking a smaller piece off of a large hand of ginger if that's all you need.

 

[joesfolk]

Are you sure it's the ginger? I always thought that my stir fries were falling flat because of the ginger but it turned out that I needed to use fresh garlic rather than granulated. Perhaps this is not your problem but I offer it up just in case.

 

[Zereh]

I've never had "flat" fresh ginger. Seems to me when it gets too old it basically becomes dried up, hard and nearly impossible to cut or grate (which you can see even before you take a knife to it).

I keep my fresh ginger in the freezer. It does change the texture a tiny bit, but it doesn't seem any effect on the taste; it still delivers that distinctive bite and flavor. It's much easier to chop with a knife when it's frozen -- though it is harder to grate on a mico-grater 'cuz your fingers get so cold holding it.

 

[NoraC]

Are you chopping it to the required state - which can be anything from minced to pureed for most recipes? Also are you adding it early enough to get the flavor mingled in?

 

[ccarroll774]

tasteless ginger

I am doing everything the way the recipes tell me -- mincing it, grating it, whtever. I will try freezing it, and thanks for the suggestion.

 

[NoraC]

Freezing it is good for keeping ginger. Around here we can go through a pound in a week, when the kids are all here, so no need to freeze it - I need to grow it!. The grandboys especially like ginger anything. I frequently double or triple the ginger to kick something up for them. Also I have a couple of cookbooks that I know from experience under season, so just add more!

 

[Andy M.]

I am doing everything the way the recipes tell me -- mincing it, grating it, whtever. I will try freezing it, and thanks for the suggestion.

Individual taste sensitivity varies. If you want more ginger flavor, you shouldn't hesitate to add more ginger than the recipe calls for

 

[sparrowgrass]

Growing ginger is easy-- take a young piece of root and put it just under the surface in a pot of soil.

Sometimes you can find roots with visible buds--these work best.

 

[Kevin Rayoni]

a smooth skin is a sign of freshness. and the aroma should be very noticable from the very first cut.

 

[spork]

I always taste test newly bought ginger - grate, dip a finger into the juice. If no juice, I remind myself that it's old and should be tossed. Another mental note is which of the half dozen groceries nearest to me has had the best ginger. I've been known to shop a trunk load of groceries at one store, and then drive five miles to another store just to buy one root of ginger. Much like lemon, an especially bright ginger taste can wake up a dish from good to great.

 

[taxlady]

Growing ginger is easy-- take a young piece of root and put it just under the surface in a pot of soil.

Sometimes you can find roots with visible buds--these work best.

Just be ware of squirrels. I tried growing ginger in my garden many years ago and the danged squirrels kept digging it up and hauling it away.

If I ever try growing ginger again, I'll put some chicken wire over it.

 

[Zhizara]

I'd try Penzys. IMO supermarket ginger sometimes lays around too long.

As soon as I get the ginger home, I put it in a baggie and store in the corner of the freezer door. It can be grated while still frozen and replaced in the same spot so I know where to look for it. It stays pungent and lasts forever.

 

[Andy M.]

Based on a suggestion from Jennyema, I have been storing peeled ginger in a jar of dry sherry in the fridge. It lasts forever. I just pull out a piece, grate what I need. Also, uyou get some ginger flavored sherry you can use in a recipe.

 

[GB]

I do the same thing Andy, except I don't even bother to keep it in the fridge. I have had the same hand of Ginger for well over a year and it is still prefect. And that Ginger flavored sherry has added a nice kick to a few dishes I have made.

 

[Zhizara]

Excellent idea. I like Sherry.

 

[FrankZ]

Just be ware of squirrels. I tried growing ginger in my garden many years ago and the danged squirrels kept digging it up and hauling it away.

If I ever try growing ginger again, I'll put some chicken wire over it.

I am thinking gingered squirrel on the grill might kind of tasty...