I don't know about you, but as the days get shorter and colder, I find myself gravitating toward gingery recipes and adding this warming spice to everything from toddies to slow-cooked braises. A little goes a long way, though, and I've learned to respect the mighty power of the ginger root in all its various forms. Do you have a favorite way to cook with ginger?
When it's fresh, ginger is full of bright citrusy aromas and flavors as well as its signature gingery pungency. I like fresh ginger the very best in savory dishes, like soups, stir fries, and braises. Grated on a microplane, the ginger melts into sauces and adds a warming background note as well as a spicy kick. For a more subtle ginger flavor, I slice the fresh root into rounds, use them to infuse the soup or sauce (or a warm toddy!), and then pick them out before serving.
I save crystallized candied ginger for baking. Diced small, you can fold these chewy golden bits into things like scones, cakes, and cookies. You won't taste the ginger unless you actually bite into a piece, but when you do, it's like finding a spicy ginger surprise.
Powdered ginger is also best for baking since it won't add any extra liquid to throw off the recipe. Powdered ginger is much more potent than fresh, guaranteeing a punch of ginger flavor in every bite. It doesn't have the same bright aromas and flavors as fresh and can tend toward bitter if too much is used.
In all cases, buy and use every sort of ginger as fresh as possible. Fresh ginger root should feel very firm with very little withering around the ends. It keeps well in the crisper drawer in the fridge for a week or two. Powdered ginger loses its perky flavor over time and should be used within a year of buying it. Crystallized ginger will keep in an airtight container for months, but will gradually lose moisture and become tough.
What are your favorite ways to use ginger?
Related: 5 Ways to Eat Fresh Ginger
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Being Chinese, I grew up with lots of ginger in savory dishes. It's usually sliced and added chicken dishes or rice.
For my own cooking, I often use it in desserts now. I just made a sweet potato dessert soup last night and you basically add a few chunks of crushed ginger into water with chunks of sweet potatoes, then sweeten it with a dark sugar when the sweet potatoes are almost tender. And that peppery kick of ginger in the broth is the best part. I also love Martha Stewart's chocolate gingerbread cookies (perfect for the holidays) that uses not only dried ginger but fresh ginger.
i have a sensitive stomach so i always have a stock of ginger tea, and a frozen hunk in the freezer to grate into things. i always have designs for it, but honestly i usually just lazily put it right in my morning oatmeal
I use a ton of fresh ginger in my chicken soup. I use Chinese herbs, wolf berries, ginger, and rice wine - YUM!
I usually have a jar of this ginger paste in the fridge: http://www.kohinoorfoods.in/ginger_paste.html
I use it just like fresh grated ginger, but it keeps longer and I don't have to peel it.
I don't use powdered ginger for much of anything, and the candied kind I can't keep in the house because I'd just eat it all.
I was looking for a cream cheese ginger frosting recipe and found multiple versions online... some with fresh, and some with powdered. Anyone have any idea about which is better?
Also being Chinese, we always had two types of powdered ginger in the house: the regular kind from the regular grocery store and another that was only available from the Chinese grocery stores. My mom called the second one "sandy ginger powder". It was lighter in colour and seemed more finely ground than the regular kind. I never really knew if they were truly different, but I still buy both because one of my favourite 'Mom' recipes calls for both.
I am on a huge ginger syrup kick lately. I'll never be able to go back to store bought ginger ale again! I'll be making a huge batch of it next week for Moscow Mules at our holiday party.
We use always powdered ginger for baking and tea etc.