HOW do you shred fresh ginger?

E

evan

Well-known member
Until now I have shred ginger on my shredder, but I often end up with this "hairy" mess that smells a lot like ginger but are rather....well, hairy!....in texture.

When I buy shredded ginger, it comes without the hair but it doesn't taste as good at freshly grated ginger. Is there a special grater/shredder for ginger, or is this a problem that everyone has?

 
The older the ginger is, the "hairier" it is. The fibrous quality becomes more...

...pronounced with age.

I try to choose ginger that is on the upper end of the ginger 'branch'. These are the newest shoots and are less fibrous.

Our asian market sometimes has "baby ginger" available, but it's seasonal. It is almost a yellowish-pink, with very thin skin. Good stuff, if you can get it.

If I have to deal with fibrous ginger, I don't use a grater. The microplane is best, but I still get 'fur'. I usually run my knife through the grated ginger to further destroy the fibers.

I usually do what Nan does. Slice and mince.

If I have a lot of ginger to mince, I usually peel, slice, then into the small bowl of my food processor. That works well.

Tip: it's easy to peel ginger with a small spoon. Just scrape the papery skin off with the edge of the spoon, held in your hand by the bowl of the spoon, with the handle passing through your palm. You lose a lot less good ginger that way, as opposed to a potato peeler.

Michael

 
Another way to store ginger in the refrigerator

Use a spoon to scrape off the skin, then slice in thin slices - the size of a nickel or quarter. Place the ginger in a small container, cover the slices with dry sherry, and store in the refrigerator. You can remove the slices and mince with a chef's knife when you need them, and you can use the ginger-infused sherry in cooking. The ginger stored like this keeps almost indefinitely.

 
I should clarify that the ginger does not become more fibrous as it...

...sits around and gets older. It becomes more fibrous the longer it grows without being harvested.

Michael

 
I also store fresh ginger in thr freezer.

When I go to use it, I scrap off the skin a little with a sharp knife and then use my microplane. Never seem to have the hair problem. Also saves throwing out all the ginger I did before freezing.

 
Didn't any of you guys evey watch Martin Yan on Yan Can Cook?

He sliced the ginger thinly, gave it a good whack with the flat side of his chinese cleaver --- and "done"! Whack -- "done"

 
Use a spoon to scrape the skin off, then

use a microplane if you need just a small amount, like a teaspoon or two.

If you need a much larger amount, then scrape, slice and dice. If the recipe calls for things then being added to a food processor, start by turning on the FP and dropping the diced ginger through the feed tube and it will be finely minced by the whirling blade. You can then add whatever other ingredients to the FP that are called for.

 
Eva, I store my fresh ginger in the freezer and then I use my microplaner

when I need some. I have not had any problems with it being hairy and it is always available when I need some!

 
I don't think he has a regular show, but I did see him as a guest

on, I think it was -- the Martha Stewart Show or Emeril Live -- I'm not sure. He doesn't look much older, and is still the same old irrepresible soul he always was.

 
It worked! It worked! The freezer and spoon did the trick. Thanks guys! smileys/smile.gif

 
I've done this with a large piece. The ginger-flavored sherry is great in

stir fries that call for sherry.

 
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