• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Vegan Atlas

  • Home
  • Vegan Recipes
    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Beverages
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Breads and savory baked goods
    • Casseroles & Skillets
    • Desserts & Sweets
    • Gluten-Free
    • Holiday Roundups
    • Jewish Vegan Recipes
    • Main Dishes
    • Pasta & Noodles
    • Pizza
    • Recipe Roundups
    • Salads & Sides
    • Sandwiches & Wraps
    • Sauces & Dressings
    • Soups & Stews
    • Stir-Fries
    • Tofu & Tempeh
    • Tortilla Dishes
    • Veganize This!
  • Good Food Guides
  • Vegan Living
  • About
  • Nava’s Books
  • Contact

A Guide to Fresh Ginger with Tips, Ideas & Recipes

August 6, 2022Updated February 24, 2024 By Taylor Jasmine 2 Comments

In recent decades, fresh ginger, a knobby root (or more accurately, rhizome), has made its way from being a specialty item in Asian groceries to becoming a fixture in supermarket produce sections. This guide to fresh ginger explores how to make the most of it in the home kitchen, with tips and links to recipes that highlight it as an ingredient.

Fresh Ginger Root

The bracing, spicy-sweet flavor and aroma of ginger are essential to many Asian cuisines, and it’s one of the most characteristic flavorings in many Indian dishes.

In its powdered spice form ginger is used in baked goods, but aficionados agree that dried ginger shouldn’t be used when fresh is called for, especially in savory dishes.

A bit of background on ginger

Ginger is the rhizome of Zingiber officinale. It has been esteemed since ancient times not only for its remarkable flavor but also for its medicinal qualities. It has long been used in Asian and European cultures for its ability to settle the stomach and relieve nausea caused by motion sickness and pregnancy.

As mentioned above, ginger is used extensively in many Asian cuisines, particularly Chinese, Japanese, and Indian. It is also favored in West African dishes, where one specialty is the bracing beverage called ginger beer. The warm, spicy flavor of ginger also enhances sauces and dressings in a unique way.

Fresh Ginger

Buying and storing fresh ginger

When buying fresh ginger root, it should feel quite firm, and the tan skin should look fairly smooth and taut. Avoid ginger that feels light or has wrinkly skin. It’s best to buy a small amount at a time, say, a section that fits into your palm.

Store the ginger root in a plastic bag in the crisper of your refrigerator. If you don’t anticipate using it up within a week (or two at the most), wrap it up in a paper towel to absorb moisture before placing in a plastic bag.

How to freeze fresh ginger

If you’ve bought more ginger than you can use within a reasonable time, wrap it in paper towel and place it in a snug, airtight container. Pop it in the freezer, where it will last for about 3 months. Thaw it out on the counter or in the refrigerator before using. That’s all there is to it!

If you forget to thaw it before using, a cheese grater or garlic slicer make lightwork of preparing frozen garlic.  

How to tell if ginger is bad

One unpredictable factor in buying fresh ginger is whether it will be stringy inside. A root that was harvested when more mature will have more stringy fibers, making it more difficult to use, especially when grating is called for.

As mentioned above, fresh ginger should feel quite firm, and the tan skin should look fairly smooth and taut. Avoid ginger that feels light or has wrinkly skin. 

Of course, any cook would prefer ginger root that isn’t fibrous, but that’s often hard to know, as you can’t see inside. One clue would be to look at any slightly open ends, as the roots that are sold are often broken off from a larger section. Do they look shriveled and fibrous? The rest of the root might be, as well.

If you’re stuck with a stringy root, opt for mincing it with a sharp knife rather than grating it, to minimize the problem.

Another alternative for ginger that’s stringy or nearing the end of its freshness is to cut into thin slices for using in recipes where simmering is called for, such as in soups, sauces, and curries. Remove and discard the slices before serving.

When ginger is at its best, that is, moist and not stringy, adding it to a recipe grated is desirable, since its flavor will permeate the dish it’s added to readily. Use a very fine grater. There’s even a special Japanese grater made especially for this purpose.

Ginger is often peeled before using, mostly as a matter of aesthetics, but if the skin is smooth, you can leave it on.

Ginger - fresh and dried

A word about ground ginger

Since this article is focused on fresh ginger, let’s just say a few words about its dried (sometimes called ground) spice derivative. This spicy-sweet, fragrant spice is most commonly used in baked goods.

Gingerbread comes to mind immediately as a common use; ground ginger is also a standard spice for pumpkin and squash pies. It’s also a pleasing enhancement for apple and pear desserts.

What about bottled ginger?

In recent years, fresh ginger that can be scooped or squeezed from a small jar or bottle has become widely available. It need not be refrigerated until opened and is often found shelved in or near the produce section of well-stocked supermarkets.

Purists may disagree, but I say a resounding “yes!” to bottled ginger. It makes it so convenient to use, you don’t have to fuss with mincing or worry about stringiness. I find that having a bottle in the fridge at all times inspires me to use it much more often.

Nutrition and benefits

Ginger is rich in antioxidants, but it doesn’t provide a notable amount of vitamins or minerals. However, it has long been associated with other benefits. As mentioned earlier, it’s especially noted for its ability to settle the stomach and relieve nausea, gas, and bloating.

Ginger has also been used in many cultures as an aid to digestion and as an appetite restorative. Here’s more about ginger’s benefits:

  • Ginger: Uses, benefits, and Nutrition
  • Why is Ginger Good For You?
  • The Amazing and Mighty Ginger (NIH)

Recipes using fresh ginger

Ginger adds wonderful flavor and subtle heat to beverages, salad dressings, stir-fries, Asian-style soups, noodle dishes, rice dishes, and more. Here’s a sampling.

Turmeric and Ginger Tea

Fresh Ginger and Turmeric Tea: The classic fresh ginger and turmeric tea is bolstered by lemon and apple cider vinegar to make a bracing tonic. This is good served hot or cold.

cucumber ginger lemonade

Cucumber-Ginger Lemonade: If you’re regretting a food blow-out (aka holiday meals), or just want to feel refreshed and hydrated on warm-weather days, this gingery lemonade is for you!

Ginger-Mint Limeade from Mississippi Vegan

Ginger-Mint Limeade: This incredibly refreshing, gingery limeade is a creation by Timothy Pakron, AKA Mississippi Vegan. 

Kale and cabbage salad with sesame-ginger salad dressing

Sesame-Ginger Salad Dressing: Briny, sweet, and tangy, this homemade sesame-ginger salad dressing is the perfect choice for salads featuring kale, cabbage, bok choy, and other greens. 

Carrot-Ginger Dressing Japanese Style

 

Japanese-Style Carrot-Ginger Dressing: Here’s an easy recipe for carrot-ginger dressing — just like the kind you enjoy on salads in Japanese restaurants. A simple leafy salad is a good accompaniment to Asian-style meals.

Miso Ginger Salad Dressing

Sesame-Ginger Miso Salad Dressing: If you’re craving a bold-flavored way to boost your salads, this sesame-ginger miso salad dressing might be just what you’re looking for.

Ginger miso-noodle soup with watercress

Quick Ginger-Miso Noodle Soup: In this Japanese-inspired soup, noodles are cooked in broth and are topped with crisp raw vegetables, making for a fun and offbeat presentation. 

Baby Bok Choy stir-fry with sesame seeds & scallion

Ginger and Garlic Stir-Fried Bok Choy: Flavored with ginger and garlic, stir-fried bok choy is quick to prepare and can be served on its own or over rice, quinoa, or noodles.

Ginger Turmeric Chickpeas with roasted tomatoes

Ginger Turmeric Chickpeas with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes: This simple dish by Rakhee Yadav comes together for a delicious quick meal. 

gingery brown rice pilaf with sweet potatoes and peas

Tehri-Inspired Brown Rice and Sweet Potato Pilaf: Inspired by an Indian/Pakistani dish,this brown rice and sweet potato pilaf is embellished with green peas and flavored with lots of ginger and cilantro.

Carrot Ginger soup

Carrot-Ginger Soup (with a parsnip variation): Classic carrot-ginger soup is made easier by using baby carrots, eliminating the need for a lot of peeling and chopping. 

West African Peanut Stew with sweet potatoes & okra

African-Inspired Peanut Stew with Sweet Potatoes and Okra: A delectable sweet potato and okra stew in a rich, gingery peanut butter base, this is a simplified version of a typical West African recipe.

Coconut curry vegetable stew2

Coconut Curry Vegetable Stew: The vegetables in this curry are typical to Indian curries, and the whole dish is simplified with a fantastic shortcut — readymade Indian simmer sauce— and of course, lots of ginger.

Sunshine Kimchi from Mississippi by Timothy Pakron

Sunshine Napa Cabbage Kimchi: This vibrant, turmeric and ginger-infused napa cabbage kimchi (excerpted from Mississippi Vegan by Timothy Pakron) is crunchy, zesty, and tangy — the perfect addition to salads, sandwiches, and wraps. It can also be tossed into fried rice or a vegetable stir-fry. 

Red and White Pickled Ginger recipe

Red and White Pickled Ginger: Here’s a pickled ginger recipe for sushi fans excerpted from Sushi Modoki by iina.

See more of this site’s Good Food Guides.

Filed Under: Good Food Guides

Previous Post: « Roasted Zucchini and Summer Squash
Next Post: A Guide to Carob with Tips, Ideas & Recipes »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Susan Fogel

    August 7, 2022 at 9:56 AM

    I buy fresh, frozen cubes of minced ginger. It is imported from Israel by Dorot Gardens and sold in Trader Joes.

    Reply
    • Nava Atlas

      August 7, 2022 at 10:06 AM

      What a great tip, Susan! I’ll add this info to the post.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

More results...

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Filter by Categories
Appetizers & Snacks
Beverages
Breads and savory baked goods
Breakfast & Brunch
Casseroles & Skillets
Desserts & Sweets
Gluten-Free
Good Food Guides
Jewish Vegan Recipes
Main Dishes
Nava's Books
Pasta & Noodles
Pizza
Recipe Roundups
Salads & Sides
Sandwiches & Wraps
Sauces & Dressings
Soups & Stews
Stir-Fries
Tofu & Tempeh
Tortilla Dishes
Travel & Dining
Uncategorized
Vegan Holiday Roundups
Vegan Living
Vegan Recipes
Vegan Thanksgiving
Veganize This!
  • facebook
  • pinterest
  • instagram
  • twitter
  • rss
  • youtube

Recent Posts

Caribbean pigeon peas and rice copy

Caribbean Pigeon Peas and Rice

Vegan Cheese Scones by Ellen Kanner

Vegan Cheese Scones — Easy, Rich & Tender

Vegan Pizza Smashed Potatoes

Vegan Pizza Smashed Potatoes

Spices on wooden background

Spices for Healing and Rejuvenation: Wisdom from Ayurveda

Hearty Vegan Black Bean Salsa Soup

Almost-Instant Salsa Black Bean Soup

Organized Refrigerator door

Spring Clean & Declutter Your Fridge to Reduce Food Waste

Copyright © 2025 The Vegan Atlas · Privacy Policy · WordPress · Log in