Q.: What is the best way to store a piece of fresh ginger for later use and how long will it last?
A.: You can refrigerate unpeeled ginger root, tightly wrapped, for up to three weeks, according to The New Food Lover’s Companion. You can freeze it for six months. To use the frozen root, the Companion recommends slicing off an unthawed piece as big as you need and putting the remainder back in the freezer.
Peeled ginger should be placed in a lidded glass jar, covered with dry sherry or Madeira, and refrigerated for up to three months, the Companion notes, adding, “The wine will impart some of its flavor to the ginger — a minor disadvantage to weigh against having peeled ginger ready and waiting. On the plus side, the delicious ginger-flavored wine can be reused for cooking.”
Buy only what you think you can reasonably use. That can be a challenge if all you find in the produce bin are roots as big as antlers. What I do — and this may violate all rules of ginger etiquette — is simply snap off a piece roughly the size I want. I feel funny about this but no one has ever said anything about it.
— Bill Dailey
Chicago Tribune