I really like using fresh ginger in lots of cooking.  It is strong, adds lots of flavor, and can blend into so many types of dishes.  I used some in my cranberry jelly and the apple butter; I love it when I make Kiran’s chai, in Thai food dishes, soups, pies, etc.

My problem has been when I buy a chunk of fresh ginger (none in my CSA box so far) – I wonder if it would grow here? I’ll have to ask my farmer.  🙂

Anyhow,  I try to buy very small chunks because it almost always dries out after the first recipe and I end up throwing the dried up chunk into the compost.  😦

Over the past few years, I have discovered that wrapping my lettuce and other greens in a paper towel helps them stay fresh in the refrigerator way longer than if they are just stored in the bag they come home from the grocery store in or unwrapped.  Maybe this would work for fresh ginger?

I wrapped a 4″x 1.5″ chunk in a paper towel and put that inside the vegetable bag from the grocery store – and it worked!  The trimmed ends got a bit dry, but not so they had to be discarded.  Nothing started growing on it either.  I bought that clump of ginger about 3 weeks ago and I just used the last of it Saturday.

shredded ginger and lime zest

I suppose this isn’t rocket science and maybe you all knew this already, but it was a revelation to me.  Now I can use fresh ginger more often.  (PS:  don’t tell the kids….).