GRATING GINGER AND MAKING GINGER STICKS
When grating ginger it is not necessary to peel it before grating it, if grated over very small holes of the grater (unless specified to do so in a recipe). You can grate ginger fresh, frozen or dried. Always grate fresh or frozen as you need it. If grated, then stored, it will harden into clumps and become unstable.
When using chopped or sliced ginger we always peel first. Slice with the grain to make slabs, then stack and cut into sticks, again cutting with the grain. For chopped, cut the sticks against the grain into tiny pieces. Use a very sharp, broad knife for clean cuts, since ginger is stringy. When shopping for fresh ginger look for plump, smooth surfaces. If it looks wrinkly or is spongy to the touch pass it up and use powdered. Peel only the section you’ll be using, so that the remainder doesn’t dry out. Store loosely in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.
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