Here’s How to Store Fresh Ginger So It Tastes Better Longer

Whether you’re making your own cold-pressed juice, whipping up a salmon dish or creating cold-fighting tea, you’re now the proud owner of some delicious and nutritious ginger. But what’s the best way to store fresh ginger? The short answer is, in a plastic bag in your refrigerator’s crisper drawer. Here’s everything you need to know about keeping this miracle ingredient nice and usable.

First things first: When buying ginger at the store, select pieces that have smooth skin and a firm texture. They shouldn’t feel soft or look wrinkly.

1. Store it in the refrigerator
   If you’re keeping it in the refrigerator, store the whole, unpeeled root in a resealable plastic bag, with all of the air pushed out, in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. If part of the ginger has been cut or peeled, be sure to blot it dry with a paper towel before storing. (Just a heads up, even if you blot the moisture out, cut ginger won’t keep as long in the fridge as fresh ginger will.)
   
   
2. Keep it in the freezer
   You can also keep fresh ginger root indefinitely in the freezer. Place unpeeled ginger into a freezer bag or other freezer-safe container to protect it from freezer burn. When you need to use it, pull it out of the freezer, grate what you need and return the rest of the root to the freezer. (Frozen ginger is actually easier to grate, so there’s no need to thaw it first.)

1. It’s An Immunity-building Food

Per a study from India’s Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, compounds in ginger inhibit the protein in the influenza virus that causes infection. For an easy boost, cut a slice and throw it into your water bottle; with slightly more effort, you can recreate this delicious Japanese-inspired dressing.

2. It Can Treat Nausea

And morning sickness, pregnant pals. According to a review of 12 studies published in Nutrition Journal that included a total of 1,278 pregnant women, 1.1 to 1.5 grams of ginger can significantly reduce symptoms of nausea. 

3. It Might Have Anti-diabetic Properties

Research on ginger as a treatment for diabetes is relatively new, but one 2015 study in the Iranian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research found that, for 41 participants with type 2 diabetes, 2 grams of ginger powder per day lowered fasting blood sugar by 12 percent.

4. It Might Lower Cholesterol

As a quick refresher, high levels of LDL (bad cholesterol) have been linked to an increased risk of heart disease. One study by researchers in the Department of Pharmacology and the Babol University of Medical Sciences in Iran found that, for 85 individuals with high cholesterol, the introduction of ginger powder to their diets caused significant reductions in most cholesterol markers.