Give holiday baking a perfect zing with fresh ginger – The Hamburg Reporter

It has bite and zing. It comes in the most unusual package. It adds interest and life to a variety of dishes. Fresh ginger fills the bill and is just what your holiday baking needs.

This hardworking root is native to Asia and is a tropical perennial that grows to about 4 feet with thorns. The flower buds are used as herbs, but they are mainly grown for the aromatic rhizomes, which are underground stems. It is often called ginger and is famous for calming upset stomachs.

Fresh ginger has a pungent, sweet, hot to pungent, pungent and spicy flavor that varies depending on when it was harvested. It asks to be used with discretion because of its irresistible force.

Select those that are firm (no wrinkles!) all the way through to the extended fingertips from the root. What we have is mature, so the outer skin provides a nice protective cover for the usable flesh. The skin is tough and requires careful peeling with a sharp paring knife. The flesh can be grated, chopped or sliced.

Since small amounts are usually the norm, you’ll have plenty more for later use. By storing it properly, it will be readily available for dishwashing in the future. If you think you will use it soon, the refrigerator is perfect. Wrap the excess in a clean paper towel and place it in a plastic bag. Keep it in the crisper for a few weeks.

You can double the shelf life to one month by putting it in the freezer. Just place it in a freezer bag and squeeze out as much air as possible before sealing and labeling. You can use frozen ginger without thawing it. Simply slice off as much as you need and the remaining portion goes back to the freezer.

Tammy Algood is the author of five cookbooks and can be seen on “Volunteer Gardener” on PBS stations in Tennessee. Follow her on www.hauteflavor.com