How to Make a Ginger Jar

Making yourself a ginger jar could mean the difference between grabbing a soggy root from your refrigerator, and opening a jar of preserved ginger, ready to be added to your favorite dishes. While pickling ginger can make it last much longer, a ginger jar preserves the root for an extended period, while providing easy access to the flavorful spice. Ginger is used to add a kick to an assortment of dishes and is particularly prominent in dressings and soups.

Things You'll Need

• Peeling knife
• Pot
• Vodka, rice wine, rice vinegar or sherry

Instructions

1. Peel the ginger and cut it into strips. Put it into a pot of cold water.

2. Boil the ginger for two minutes. Shock the ginger with cold water and then bring it to a boil again for two minutes. Shock the ginger again with cold water and bring it to a boil again for two minutes.

3. Put the ginger back into cold water once it is tender. Let it sit for one hour.

4. Fill the jar to the top with the ginger. Add vodka, rice wine, rice vinegar or sherry. These acids will preserve your ginger. The ginger will last for up to three months, though the vodka storage will preserve the ginger for several weeks longer.

Tips & Warnings

• When buying ginger, look for the root that is stiff and not wrinkly. Smell the ginger to detect its spicy aroma. The longer the ginger, the more fragrant and spicy.

• Store the ginger before jarring by wrapping it in a paper towel and placing it in a crisper. Ginger lasts for approximately three weeks with this method. You can also freeze the ginger and only use it when you are cooking. This increases the life of the ginger substantially.

References

• Fine Cooking; What's the Best Way to Store Ginger; Rob Gavel
• Chest of Books; "Miss Leslie's Complee Cookery;" How to Preserve Ginger; Miss Leslie
• Gourmet Gleuth: Ginger Root