Ginger

Ginger: freshness and ripeness guide

Ginger is a mature rhizome that is dug and cured rather than a fruit that ripens, so the knob in the bin is as good as it will get and choosing well is the whole task, whether you need it tonight or later in the month. Pick a piece that is firm and feels heavy and dense for its size, wrapped in smooth, taut, thin skin, with plump, well-filled knobs; where a finger has been snapped off, the exposed flesh should look pale yellow, fresh, and slightly moist, and a snapped piece should break with a crisp clean snap and a strong, peppery aroma. Pass over any knob whose skin is dull, wrinkled, or shrivelled, that feels light or spongy, that has soft or sunken patches, or that carries fuzzy mould or a sour, musty smell. Thin, pale, tender skin that rubs away easily marks young ginger, which is milder and far more perishable than the tougher-skinned mature ginger most stores carry; it is fine to buy but should be used quickly.

Because the quality is fixed at purchase, keeping ginger good is about slowing moisture loss and mould rather than ripening. A whole, unpeeled knob keeps for a week or so in a cool, dry, airy spot, and longer — often two to three weeks — loose in the refrigerator crisper, ideally in a loosely closed or perforated bag so it can breathe without sweating; sealing fresh ginger in airtight plastic at room temperature traps moisture and invites mould. For long keeping, ginger freezes very well: a whole unpeeled piece can be wrapped and frozen for months and grated straight from frozen with no thawing. Once a knob is peeled or cut it dries out and spoils faster, so peel only what you need and use the cut piece within a few days.

A piece is past its useful window when the skin has gone deeply wrinkled and the flesh beneath is dry, fibrous, and pale, when soft or watery spots develop, or when you find fuzzy white, green, or blue mould or a fermented, off smell; a mouldy knob should be discarded rather than trimmed, since the rot and its musty flavour run through the flesh. Small green sprout buds on an otherwise firm knob are harmless and the ginger is still usable, just a little woodier and milder. Ginger is tropical and dislikes deep cold, which is worth remembering in an Edmonton winter: a piece left in a sub-zero vehicle will freeze and thaw into a soft, watery, collapsed knob, and even prolonged storage at the coldest back of the fridge can bring on the grey, sunken patches of chilling injury, so carry it indoors promptly and keep it in the crisper rather than against the cold wall.

Sources:

• UC Davis Postharvest Research and Extension Center — Ginger: recommendations for maintaining postharvest quality (rhizome dormancy and sprouting, chilling sensitivity, and optimum storage temperature and humidity). https://postharvest.ucdavis.edu/produce-facts-sheets/ginger
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, FoodSafety.gov — FoodKeeper food storage guidance (storage life and handling for fresh ginger root). https://www.foodsafety.gov/keep-food-safe/foodkeeper-app
• Clemson Cooperative Extension, Home and Garden Information Center — Ginger: selection, storage, and signs of spoilage. https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/ginger/