Storing Fresh Ginger

I think I read here about storing fresh ginger, in something, in the fridge, but I can't find the post. I usually freeze it but it gets mushy.

Do you all have some tried and true ways to store it?

Thanks!

I freeze some to slice off as needed when stir-frying and put some in a jar of vodka or other booze.

Larry's system works well. Indeed, place the ginger tuber in a small glass container, pour over vodka (a standard vodka, not one flavored with fruits or herbs) to cover (but not filling the container to the brim), cover, place in the freezer and it will hold for at least a year.

Larry's system works well. Indeed, place the ginger tuber in a small glass container, pour over vodka (a standard vodka, not one flavored with fruits or herbs) to cover (but not filling the container to the brim), cover, place in the freezer and it will hold for at least a year.

Daniel, I am wondering if this method would work for fresh garlic as well as for ginger. Aldo, do you do anything with the vodka after using it this way...maybe as a flavoring agent of some sort? Inquiring minds and all that.

Daniel, I am wondering if this method would work for fresh garlic as well as for ginger. Aldo, do you do anything with the vodka after using it this way...maybe as a flavoring agent of some sort? Inquiring minds and all that.

Bob, Hi....

Apologies but I have no experience with storing garlic. Truth is that continued life in the Middle-East is absolutely dependent on garlic and in my home we purchase as many as five heads of garlic weekly, all of which are consumed during that time. Never even thought about "storing" garlic.

I have heard though (through reliable sources) that a fine way of storing garlic is to break apart the head, peel the cloves and immerse them in olive oil, those covered and placed in the refrigerator. Not only will the garlic remain fresh and easy to chop or crush but the oil itself will become infused with the aroma and flavor and be most appreciated on salads where garlic itself may not be desired in large quantities.

And yes, like many Greeks, Turks, Lebanese, Syrians, Palestinians, Libyians and Israelis, I sometimes adore eating young, green or purple garlic, that simply peeled and eaten whole with nothing more than good country-style bread, a bit of feta or Bulgarian cheese and a simple, country-style red wine. I will confess that after such a feast I will not allow myself to be seen or smelled in public unless I have first chewed (and spit) a generous bunch of parsley leaves. I once even met a 108 year old man on the island of Corfu who claimed that his longevity was due to a daily lunch of precisely such a meal. I have few hopes for 108 but I am indeed hoping for a few more years at least......

Oh yes...another advantage of garlic - it does help to keep away vampires.

Best
Rogov

I freeze some to slice off as needed when stir-frying and put some in a jar of vodka or other booze.

Yes, that was it!

Thank you.

What do you do with the ginger flavored vodka? Do you use it for anything?

Store more ginger in it.

I have heard though (through reliable sources) that a fine way of storing garlic is to break apart the head, peel the cloves and immerse them in olive oil, those covered and placed in the refrigerator. Not only will the garlic remain fresh and easy to chop or crush but the oil itself will become infused with the aroma and flavor and be most appreciated on salads where garlic itself may not be desired in large quantities.

Rogov

I have heard on both this board and other food boards that storing garlic in oil is a recipe for botulism. I believe it has something to do with the pH of the garlic and the lack of oxygen? Maybe there is a way of doing it safely though.

[Robin Garr]

I think I read here about storing fresh ginger, in something, in the fridge, but I can't find the post. I usually freeze it but it gets mushy.

Do you all have some tried and true ways to store it?

This may work for us only because we do a fair amount of Asian cooking and also frequently use fresh ginger as an aromatic (it makes a great partner with garlic) in Western dishes ... but we generally just break off about a six-inch chunk of rhizome and keep it in the fridge with the other veggies and such. After a couple of weeks it starts to dry up, but get in the habit of using it regularly - and buy only a reasonable amount each time - and storage becomes a non-issue, at least for me.

I store ginger immersed in 100-proof vodka in the refrigerator. I think I'm the one who suggested it in a previous post to this forum. Yes, it does go a bit mushy after several weeks, but it stays fresh in flavor and for oriental cooking (my only use) the texture isn't an issue.

-Paul W.

I would be very concerned about storing fresh garlic cloves under oil because of the danger of botulism. The oil seals out oxygen, garlic cloves come out of the ground, where the majority of the Clostridium botulinum spores are, and I don't think garlic is acidic enough to kill the bacteria. There's enough acid in tomatoes, capsicum peppers, etc. to prevent the bacteria from growing so storage under oil isn't a problem with those fresh vegetables.

-Paul W.

With re immersing garlic in olive oil - I am not familiar with the dangers named in several of the posts above and thus suggest that anyone interested do further research on this matter before using this method.

Best
Rogov

I would be very concerned about storing fresh garlic cloves under oil because of the danger of botulism. The oil seals out oxygen, garlic cloves come out of the ground, where the majority of the Clostridium botulinum spores are, and I don't think garlic is acidic enough to kill the bacteria. There's enough acid in tomatoes, capsicum peppers, etc. to prevent the bacteria from growing so storage under oil isn't a problem with those fresh vegetables.

-Paul W.

I'm with Paul et al. about botulism. It's not a good idea to store fresh garlic under oil.

With re immersing garlic in olive oil - I am not familiar with the dangers named in several of the posts above and thus suggest that anyone interested do further research on this matter before using this method.

An illuminating tale of botulism resulting from the storage of mushrooms, not garlic, in oil can be found in Berton Rouèche's classic collection of essays Eleven Blue Men. However, like others I would strongly caution against storing garlic in oil. Vodka, OTOH, should prove to be a good enough disinfectant to prevent C. botulinum from propagating.

Mark Lipton

With re immersing garlic in olive oil - I am not familiar with the dangers named in several of the posts above and thus suggest that anyone interested do further research on this matter before using this method.

An illuminating tale of botulism resulting from the storage of mushrooms, not garlic, in oil can be found in Berton Rouèche's classic collection of essays Eleven Blue Men. However, like others I would strongly caution against storing garlic in oil. Vodka, OTOH, should prove to be a good enough disinfectant to prevent C. botulinum from propagating.

Mark Lipton

Mark, I have heard this caution before about storing raw garlic in olive oil, and while it spoils a good Idea, it will keep me from becoming ill. Now the question is should I try to preserve garlic in vodka? I have frozen it, but it becomes mushy, potent, but mushy. Thanks for your input.

when storing ginger in liquid it is not necessary also to freeze it. i peel the ginger and immerse it in dry vermouth - can last nearly forever that way in the frig. doesn't seem to turn particularly mushy.

However, like others I would strongly caution against storing garlic in oil. Vodka, OTOH, should prove to be a good enough disinfectant to prevent C. botulinum from propagating.

More importantly, atmospheric oxygen can and does dissolve in vodka. C. botulinum is a strict anaerobe and cannot survive in the presence of oxygen. Its spores are nigh on indestructible, but the bacteria themselves are very fragile. Acidity kills them, too, which is why adding a bit of citric or ascorbic acid during canning prevents botulism.

-Paul W.

Disclaimer: I am NOT recommending anyone do this.

For years I stored minced garlic in olive oil with no ill effects. I was well aware of clostridium botulinum (featured it prominently in one of my lectures)and the fact that it was anaerobic. I never covered it tightly and stirred it every day.

Odds. If it happens to you, though, it's like winning a lottery you don't want.

Odds. If it happens to you, though, it's like winning a lottery you don't want.

LOL! That's probably true of many forms of food poisoning. What's the incidence of salmonella in eggs? E. coli in hamburger? Aflatoxin in peanut butter? I'm fairly certain that's it's low (<< 1% in all of those cases) but the consequences of exposure are bad enough (well, low level ATX exposure may not be so bad) that who wants to take the chance?

Mark Lipton

And ergot poisoning in rye bread (St. Anthony's Fire). Last time was in France about 1952.

I buy the smallest ginger root I can get, then freeze it using the Food Saver. When I want it, I grate it on a small grater I have, never bother to peel. The ginger and peel just seem to melt into the food, anyway. As for garlic, I go through about 5 heads a month, so I keep it in a dark, dry, pantry area, in an open bowl.