Dried ginger: how to properly dry ginger at home

Before we move on to drying, let's look at the types of ginger roots. It comes in black and white. The difference is not in the type of plant, but in the way it is processed after digging it out of the ground. Ginger is harvested when the green part of the plant turns yellow and the leaves begin to fall off.

The dug up root is washed in water and dried for some time in the sun. This ginger is called “black”. It has a burning taste and a bright rich aroma. At home, you can only make the “black” root.

To prepare “white” ginger, by the way, this is what can be found on the shelves of our stores, it is washed, doused with boiling water, and then soaked for several hours in a weak solution of hydrocyanic acid or bleach. Therefore, when purchasing ginger root in the store, do not forget to rinse it thoroughly before use.

Preparation for drying

When purchasing root in a store, you should pay special attention to the freshness of the product. The ginger should be firm and clean, without any dark spots or wrinkled areas. Long roots contain more aromatic substances, vitamins and microelements.

A video from the channel “Expertise of Things” will tell you in detail how to choose the right ginger root. OTK"

It is recommended to dry ginger unpeeled, since cutting off the skin can remove a large amount of useful substances from the product.

However, some recipes involve drying the peeled rhizome. Then cleaning occurs as follows:

• All side shoots are trimmed and cleaned separately.
• Remove the skin from the main root in a thin layer, cutting it with a knife along from one edge of the plant to the other.
• To prevent peeling ginger from causing watery eyes, do it under running cool water.

The peeled product can be cut into thin slices or small cubes. It is also possible to dry the ginger, crushed through a coarse grater.

Methods for drying rhizomes for the winter

Drying ginger in the oven

The baking tray is covered with baking paper, and slices of chopped root are placed on top of it. Drying is carried out, with the oven door slightly open, in two stages:

• To begin with, the oven is heated to a temperature of 50 degrees. If the stove is gas and does not have a thermometer, then the burner should be set to minimum power. At this temperature, drying is carried out for 2.5 hours.
• At the final stage, the heating power is increased to 70 degrees. At this temperature, the root is dried until completely cooked.

If the stove is equipped with a convection function, then it is advisable to turn it on. The total time for drying ginger in the oven is 5 – 7 hours.

Dry the root in an electric dryer

The chopped rhizome is placed on the drying racks for vegetables and fruits at a short distance from each other. Drying occurs within 6 - 9 hours at a unit power of 60 degrees. To ensure that the ginger dries evenly, the dryer trays are periodically swapped.

Drying ginger in an air fryer

The temperature at which the root will be dried should be set at 70 degrees, and the airflow should be at maximum power. Drying time varies from 1.5 to 3 hours, and depends mainly on the method of cutting the root.

How to make ginger powder

Ginger slices dried by any method can be crushed using a blender or mortar. To make the powder more homogeneous, the mass is passed through a sieve, and the remains are crushed again.

Dried candied ginger

The root is cut into thin slices, which are then boiled until soft in sweet syrup. Before sending the ginger for drying, it is dipped in granulated sugar. Dry the slices in an electric dryer or oven until ready for 5 to 6 hours.

Watch the video from the channel “YuLianka1981” - Candied ginger. Cook together

Shelf life of dried product

Ginger is stored in dark glass jars with a tight-fitting lid. The shelf life of the dried product is up to 2 years.