Can You Freeze Ginger Root? Here’s How You Can Do This
Updated on March 2, 2023
Ginger can be a great ingredient to a lot of dishes, but you rarely use the whole root so you end up throwing a lot of it away. So, as we try to waste as little food as possible, can you freeze ginger root?
While ginger root is not necessarily the most expensive thing out there, it’s a shame to throw out so much of it. That being said, we’re going to dive into this whole problem and see what we find out.
Can You Freeze Ginger Root?
One of our readers sent us a message about their desire to freeze the leftover ginger root so it doesn’t go bad. Here’s their message:
This may sound like a weird question, but I want to know about ginger root. I really like adding grated ginger root to recipes like stir fries or even to my morning smoothie. My problem is that I can only seem to find it in big pieces at the grocery store, and by the time I can use it all the ginger root shrivels up and goes dry.
I find myself throwing out ginger root every couple of weeks. I would like to stop wasting my ginger root and storing the extra instead, so that it’s there for me to use when I need it. My question is, Can you freeze ginger root?
Yes, you can freeze ginger root! It’s an excellent way to maintain all the flavour and health properties of ginger root, without having to buy a fresh piece every time you want to use some. While ginger root can be frozen in large pieces, since it’s typically eaten grated in foods, it’s not practical to freeze it in chunks.
Peeling and grating the ginger root before freezing it will save you time in the long run, and allow you to only use what you need.
How to Freeze Ginger Root?
When you want to freeze that extra ginger you have, you need to go through a few steps:
- First, cut off the hard outside portion of the ginger root.
- Then, using a small grater, grate the ginger root into a pile on a clean surface.
- To freeze the ginger root into small, single serving portions, freezing it in teaspoon or even half teaspoon quantities may be best.
- You can buy special herb freezing trays, or simply use a regular ice cube tray.
- Using a teaspoon, scoop out the desired quantity of the grated ginger root.
- Place the ginger root into the ice cube tray.
- Repeat the process until all the ginger is used, squishing the ginger root down to form a cube.
- Once the ginger is frozen, you can take out the cubes from the tray and place them in a freezer bag.
- Label and date it with the name, quantity, and date frozen.
How to Keep Ginger Root for Longer?
If you want to keep your ginger for longer, you may want to consider getting a vacuum sealer. The appliance takes out all the air in the bag and creates a perfect seal, which means anything you put in it will keep for longer.
We have some great vacuum sealers on our list, but if you’re short on time, we can direct you towards the FoodSaver V4840 2-in-1 Vacuum Sealer Machine which works with freezer bags and containers of various sizes, so you can preserve single-servings or bigger dishes.
How to Thaw Ginger Root?
The next time you want to use ginger, you can go through a few steps:
- When you are ready to use the ginger root, pop a cube out of the bag and either defrost it in the refrigerator or add it directly to a recipe that will be heated and cooked.
- Use thawed ginger root within a few days of defrosting for best results.
You can use your ginger in various recipes. We actually have a few you can try out: