Fresh young ginger

[redfox]

Last week, I got a couple of ounces of freshly harvested ginger root, not counting the stems, which are still attached, from my community-sponsored agriculture plan. I don't think I've ever had such tender young ginger before. It's not TONS of ginger, enough to candy en masse, say -- I can eat half a pound of crystallized ginger in a sitting or two -- but substantially more than I would use in ordinary applications. There may be more forthcoming this week, or there may not. So:

1. How should I be storing it to maximize its youthful goodness? Counter, fridge, freezer? Should the stems stay on, or should they go? Are the stems good for anything?

2. Any suggestions for a delicious application or two that would make use of its goodness before the bloom wears off?

[mklynch]

I made a batch of ginger marmelade with fresh ginger.

It's nice on toast but is also good in marindades.

[little ms foodie]

We make Ginger-ini's- macerate ginger in gin, make ginger-simple syrup, 2 parts gin, 1 part ginger syrup, 1 part lime juice mixed with muddled ice and macerated ginger. Strained into martini glasses. Happy Hour!

[fifi]

When nice, fresh, juicy ginger appears in my Asian market, I buy a big hunk of it. Then I clean, peel, and slice it and store it in rice wine vinegar in the fridge for later use. I do the same thing when galangal is available.

[andiesenji]

If you want to keep it in its "native" form, just wrap it in paper towels then put in a plastic bag (don't seal it) and store it in the crisper drawer.

I have some in a basket that has been sitting in a corner of my kitchen since it was dug up a month ago. I just looked at it and some of it has begun to sprout and some had dried a little, but unless it gets mold on it, it is still good to use.

If you want to keep it longer, get a bag of clean sand (like play ground sandbox sand) at your local home store (Target has it in the nursery department in small bags) put the sand in a pretty flower pot that has a drip tray and moisten the sand a little, not too much.

Bury the ginger in the sand and it will keep for months. It may sprout and put up a stem but that is no problem. When you need a piece, just yank it out of the sand, break off what you need, leave it on the counter overnight for the broken spot to "heal" then stick it back in the sand.

Or your can peel it as others have said and store it in sherry or wine.

Ginger is easier to peel if you blanch it, just as you would a tomato or a peach, then use the tip of a rounded spoon to scrape off the skin which is now loosened. Much easier than using a knife.

[redfox]

Wow, thanks, those are wonderful suggestions -- I had no idea about the sand trick! mklynch, do you have a favorite recipe for ginger marmelade?