A chef has shared a simple storage hack that makes grating ginger much easier, potentially ending what one person called 'years of torture'.
Freezing ginger weakens fibres
In a video on the Fallow Chefs Instagram account, chef Yvette Flower explained that freezing ginger before grating it prevents the fibrous root from getting stuck in the grater. 'Ginger is incredibly fibrous, so all of these fibres just tear and get caught on the microplane,' she said. 'I feel like I've been grating this ginger for an eternity; it's pretty hard work, and I'm being left with this fibrous nub.'
She added that without freezing, she is 'unlikely to get more out of that without sacrificing a knuckle, which I have done before. But what you can do is just pop your ginger in the freezer.'
How the hack works
Flower demonstrated the trick using ginger that had been frozen for about six hours. 'The thing with ginger is that obviously it's really fibrous, but also it's got a really high water content. So when you freeze it, all of that water is turning into ice particles, which are swelling and weakening all of the fibres. So it just snaps off when you grate it.'
After grating the frozen ginger, she showed a pile of perfectly grated ginger and a clean grater with no residue.
Reaction from viewers
Commenters on the post were amazed. One person said: 'You've just saved me after years of torture!' Another added: 'Great tip! I will definitely try it, thank you.'
How to prepare ginger
Peeling: Hold the ginger root firmly and drag the edge of a teaspoon downwards to shave off the peel. If you are finely grating your ginger, you can skip peeling entirely.
Grating: Best for marinades and dressings. Use a microplane zester. Freezing ginger before grating it makes it easier to grate.
Slicing: Slice ginger into coins going across the grain to reduce the fibrous texture. Stack these coins and cut them into matchsticks, or dice into cubes. Sliced ginger is best used in stir-fries and some curries.
