We all love cooking, and we all love trying new recipes. You checked a brand new recipe that needs some ginger in it. You went in, bought a large amount, and left it in the pantry. A few weeks later and you discover your stash of ginger laying around. You ask the usual question: Does ginger go bad?
Here we will answer that question so you can decide between throwing away that stash or using it for future recipes. We will also explain how you can store your ginger effectively to preserve it for as long as possible. Let’s get started.
Table of Contents
Does Ginger Go Bad?
The answer to that isn’t a clear yes or no. it’s more complicated than you think.
When you buy some ginger, you will get a best-buy date on it. This date is meant to say that the ginger will be in its original condition if used within the Best-buy date.
However, ginger is a dry spice, and not the best place for any bacteria to grow. So it can last months beyond that date easily.
Lasting doesn’t mean it’s good to use, it surely won’t spoil, but will definitely lose its aroma and flavor, making it a bad idea for a new recipe.
However, this doesn’t apply to the much more fresh ginger roots, which can and will spoil and go bad if left without proper storage.
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How To Store Ginger?
Now that we know that ginger isn’t spoiling anytime soon, it’s important to discuss how we can preserve its flavor for the longest time. This is done by making sure we are storing it properly.
Storing can vary depending on the type of ginger you have at hand, whether it’s fresh roots or some dried powder in a pack, let’s see how to store it:
Fresh Ginger Roots
If you are a fan of fresh ginger aroma, then it would be a good idea to keep them in the fridge.
Storing fresh ginger roots is relatively easy, they can last few days in your cupboard if you are going to use them up frequently, but to preserve the taste and aroma, it’s better to keep your roots inside the fridge till you decide to use them.
To make sure it’s well protected, make sure to wrap them in some paper before you put them in the fridge. If you happen to not be using those roots for a long time, it would be better to freeze them.
Also, make sure to not peel the skin on top of the root unless you will use it, this skin is keeping your roots fresh for a much longer time. If you happen to peel it off already, it would be a good idea to put the ginger root in a container with some vinegar to keep it from spoiling.
Dry Ginger Powder
This one is way easier in terms of storage, all you need to do is to keep your powder in a good enclosed package, and making sure it’s away from light and heat. The pantry works wonderfully here and it would keep your powder lasting for a really long time.
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How Long Does Ginger Last?
Now to the important part, we already know that the dry variant can last for ages without spoilage, but how long can you store ginger before it’s out of flavor?
Dry Powder
For the dry variant, it’s quite hard to tell how long it lasts exactly. This is because dry powder packages usually have a long shelf life, but they lose their intensity over time. We can say that 2 to 3 years after the best-by date would still make the powder okay-ish to use.
Fresh Roots
Despite their amazing smell and taste, they don’t have the resiliency to last long enough as their dry counterpart. You can expect your fresh roots to last around a month in a fridge before you notice the degradation in flavor, and – eventually- the spoilage.
If you opted to freeze the roots, you can expect almost half a year of shelf life for your roots.
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Ginger Shelf Life [Full Chart]
| Ginger | Pantry | Fridge |
|---|---|---|
| Crystallized Ginger | 2-3 Years | |
| Ground Ginger | 2-3 Years | |
| Peeled Chopped Ginger | 1 Week | |
| Pickled Ginger | 2-3 Months | |
| Ginger Paste | 1 Month | |
| Prepared Jar of Chopped Ginger | 2-3 Months | 2-3 Months |
| Fresh Ginger Root | 1 Week | 1 Month |
How To Tell if Ginger Has Gone Bad?
Things eventually go bad, ginger is no different. This is why it’s important to know the signs of spoiled ginger to avoid health hazards. Here are the general signs of spoilage:
Dry Powder
We already explained that ground variant isn’t the one to spoil, that doesn’t mean that it’s always safe to eat.
Some clear signs are mold inside your package, weird spots in your powder are also concerning. If you get to see them in your ground ginger, you are better off throwing them away for safety.
Fresh Roots
These are far more dangerous to eat when molded. Mold can cause real health hazards, so when you see some on your roots, you have two options:
- you can try to cut off the moldy part if you want to keep the rest.
- You can throw it away. We suggest that. because the roots can go bad even if you can’t see the mold on them.
Another thing to look out for is the skin, if the skin is wrinkled and pale instead of being firm and brown, you properly need a new set of roots to use in your recipe.
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Wrapping Up
Ginger is one of the best spices, for both, its health benefits and taste. It’s important to know if it goes bad or not to avoid adding spoiled or tasteless spice into your recipe. We can also make sure to keep the spice long-lasting by using the tips we provided for storage.
If you have any questions concerning ginger, feel free to write them in the comments below. We will take our time to read and reply to them as soon as possible. Thanks for reading and have a good day!
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Sources:
WIKI Wikipedia: Ginger
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