Root vegetables
Dried GingerDrying Slices and Peels, Storage, and Homemade Ginger Powder
Drying mellows ginger’s heat and aroma, and it becomes useful in simmered dishes, soups, ginger tea and baking.
Much of the aroma is just under the skin, so dry it unpeeled.
| Drying time | Storage | |
|---|---|---|
| Dry (slices and peels) | 2–4 days | 3 months at room temperature |
Drying times assume drying during the day in sunny weather and bringing them in at night.
How to dry ginger
- Wash: Scrub off soil and dirt with a brush. Don’t peel it. Cut away only dark or damaged parts.
- Slice thinly: Slice 1–2 mm (about 1/16 in) thick along the fibers. The thinner, the faster it dries and the easier it is to grind.
- Lay out and dry: Spread on a basket without overlapping, somewhere sunny and breezy. Bring in by evening.
Where and when to dry is covered in How to Dry Vegetables, and tools in Tools for Drying Vegetables.
When it’s done
Dry (2–4 days)
It’s done when the slices have shrunk thin, darkened, and snap when bent.
Day by day
Before drying
Day 1
Day 2
Ginger peels
When you peel ginger for cooking, don’t throw the peels away; dry them. The peels are full of aroma, and you can simmer them for tea or use them to flavor simmered dishes.
Before drying
Day 1
Day 2
Making ginger powder
Grind completely crisp slices or peels in a spice grinder or coffee mill for homemade ginger powder. Add it to black tea or hot milk, mix it into cookie or cake batter, or use it to season meat and curry. Make small batches and keep it in a small airtight jar.
Storage
- Slices and peels: Put completely crisp ginger in a bag or airtight container with a desiccant, and keep somewhere cool and out of direct sun for about 3 months.
- Powder: Keep in a small airtight jar at room temperature, and use within 1–2 months while the aroma is good.
Moisture can lead to mold, so use a dry spoon. Fuzzy white or green growth, black spots or a bad smell mean it should be thrown away. More in How to Store Dried Vegetables.
How to use it
- Simmered dishes and soups: Add it dry. It softens as it cooks and releases its aroma.
- Tea: Steep 2–3 slices or peels in boiling water for about 5 minutes for ginger tea. Add honey if you like.
- Ginger pork and stir-fries: Use the powder instead of grated fresh ginger (about ¼ tsp powder for 1 tsp grated ginger).
Recipe
Soy milk ginger chai with dried ginger
- Dried ginger: about 5 slices or 8 pieces of peel
- 2 tsp black tea leaves
- 300 ml (1¼ cups) water
- 120 ml (½ cup) soy milk
- Ground cinnamon, to taste
- Put the dried ginger, tea leaves and water in a pot and simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
- Add the soy milk and heat for another 2 minutes without letting it boil.
- Strain into cups, and sprinkle with cinnamon if you like.
