Ginger Root...Ground Ginger?

Question

I bought a piece of fresh ginger root at the store and I've never actually cooked with ginger before. The recipe calls for 1 tsp of ground ginger, how do I do that? Do I peel the skin? I have no idea what to do with this ginger root...

Answer 1

"Ground ginger" means that the recipe calls for the dehydrated ginger you can buy in the spice section.

"The one reference we've found that gives a substitution hint for going from fresh ginger to powdered says to use 1/8 teaspoon of powder for every tablespoon of ginger. So that would suggest using 8 tablespoons, or a half cup, of ginger for your teaspoon of powder. Depending on the recipe, the addition of that much added food could really upset the finished dish. But we'll leave the final decision up to you"

And yes, if you use fresh ginger, you should peel it first. It keeps very well in the freezer.

Answer 2

If a recipe calls for ground ginger it is most likely be calling for the powdered ginger available in the spice section of your grocery, not the fresh ginger you purchased. Personally i would never substitute one for the other as the taste is a bit different. If a recipe calls for fresh ginger it will usually say"fresh grated ginger". When you use it, you should peel it as well. Use a small grater, like the kind you would use if you were grating parmesan cheese. The smaller the holes on the grater the better. If you go to an Asian grocery you can probably find a grater that is specifically designed for grating ginger.

Answer 3

I find that there is a distinct difference between ground ginger and fresh. Use the fresh for stir-fry, soups, rice. I only use the ground ginger in baking. (And a tiny thing of ground ginger is only maybe 75 cents and you can keep it with the rest of your spices for practically ever.)

Answer 4

Yes, peel it. Then slice it and grind it in a food processor. Nothing is better than fresh ginger. You can even make a delicious tea out of it.

Answer 5

grate it