Recipe for pickled ginger at home

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Pickled ginger just a few years ago appeared in most stores in our country. Around the same time that sushi bars became popular. No wonder, because pickled red ginger, along with soy sauce and wasabi, is an essential attribute of many Asian dishes, and sushi and rolls are usually attributed here in the first place.

Alas, this delicacy is not too cheap. Therefore, many cooks are looking for a pickled ginger recipe to cook at home. Let's talk about it, and at the same time arrange a short digression into the history of this seasoning.

History of ginger

The countries of Southeast and South Asia are considered the birthplace of this plant. It is not surprising that it was there that they first figured out how to pickle ginger at home. True, they ate it not only for pleasure. Many people had to eat raw fish without being able to cook it, for example, fishermen who went fishing for many days. They ate ginger to get rid of parasites whose eggs might be found in raw fish.

The British, who colonized many lands in this region, also appreciated this seasoning. But they found something else important. After all, ginger has an excellent warming property. It is enough to eat a small piece of it to feel the warmth spreading from the inside. In the damp, windy climate of Foggy Albion, ginger turned out to be an indispensable product that can reduce the number of colds. It is no coincidence that it was there that they first started making gingerbread cookies and drinking ginger tea.

Where it grows

As mentioned above, originally ginger grew only in a small region. But later it was artificially planted and cultivated in Africa and South America. It is also grown in countries with a very temperate climate. Of course, so that the young shoots do not freeze and have time to bring the harvest, they are planted exclusively in specially designated greenhouses and greenhouses.

Some exotic plant lovers even manage to harvest at home by planting a store-bought tuber in flower pots.

Harm and benefit

It is important that spicy pickled ginger, like fresh, can bring considerable he alth benefits. After all, this seasoning not only makes food tastier, but also:

• supports immunity;
• improves digestion;
• has expectorant and diaphoretic properties;
• reduces pain in women during menopause.

In addition, it contains a number of valuable trace elements: potassium, iron,sodium, zinc, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium.

Therefore, you should learn the recipe for pickled ginger to enrich your diet.

However, it is not useful for everyone. Like most products, ginger has certain contraindications. For example, it should not be eaten in the summer heat - it has a warming property, so heat strokes are possible. Even if you really love ginger, refuse to use it at a temperature. But for people suffering from ulcers, gastritis and other gastric diseases, it is generally better not to touch it - an exacerbation of the disease may follow.

How to slice thinly

Purchased pickled ginger is delicious. But its price is quite high. In addition, it has excellent taste, not least due to the fact that various flavor enhancers are added to the marinade, which definitely do not improve the he alth of the gourmet.

Therefore, many people are interested in learning how to pickle ginger at home. Perhaps, in this case, the taste will not be so refined, but you can do without harmful additives.

But first you need to cut it. Remember how thinly sliced store-bought ginger is? Alas, cutting it at home will also not work - you need special equipment.

The easiest way to cope with the task is with a special grater that cuts into thin slices. But usually in this case, the thickness will be 1.5-2 mm, not thinner.

Therefore, experienced cooks prefer to do the work manually. To do this, you need a thin, very well-sharpened knife. The ceramic one is perfect for peeling vegetables - very sharp, short and easy to work with.

Rinse the ginger thoroughly and clean the top layer - you can use a metal dishwashing brush.

After that, lay the tuber on the board and cut. The thinner you can cut, the more tender the pickled "petals" will be. Therefore, saving time here is not worth it.

While cutting, pay attention to its texture. If the upper layer of the tuber contains hard fibers, then the ginger is old - alas, it will not become tender, even after pickling.

Marine ginger

Now we will tell you how to pickle ginger. The vinegar recipe is the most common. It's nice that it only needs fairly common ingredients:

• 100 grams of root;
• 1 teaspoon s alt;
• 4 tablespoons of sugar;
• 150 ml grape vinegar;
• 3 tablespoons of water.

The pickled ginger recipe itself is also very simple. Dissolve s alt and sugar in water. Thoroughly stir the mixture in the saucepan. Pour in the vinegar and put on fire. As soon as the marinade boils, immediately remove it from the fire.

By this time, chopped ginger should be placed in a jar. While the liquid has not cooled down, fill the root with it, tighten the lid and leave it on the table. When the marinade reaches room temperature, put the jar in the refrigerator. After three days, you can get it and show your loved ones your brilliantculinary skills.

If the ginger is too spicy

Purchased ginger has a rich sweet-sour-spicy taste. But for pickled at home, the sharpness often interrupts the acid and sweetness. Some connoisseurs like it even more. But most people would agree that the spiciness could not have been so pronounced. How to be in such a situation? It's actually quite simple.

Having learned how to pickle ginger properly, you have prepared the first portion, but it is impossible to eat the seasoning because of the spiciness? Just repeat the pickling process. To do this:

1. Drain the old marinade from the jar.
2. Let the container warm up to room temperature so that the glass does not crack on contact with boiling water.
3. Make another batch of marinade and refill the ginger, then leave it overnight - it does not need to marinate for 72 hours.

The resulting product will not become more s alty or sweet, but some of the spiciness will go away, and the ginger will turn out to be more similar to the store-bought, but without any dangerous impurities.

Some seasoned cooks even pre-cook sliced ginger with boiling water-once or twice-to remove some of the spiciness. Experiment with cooking to get the perfect taste - now you know how to pickle ginger for sushi, and you can customize the recipe.

Why isn't it red?

Some connoisseurs are disappointed by the fact that instead of appetizing rose petals, the jar contains a yellow cut tuber. No wonder - in production they addspecial dyes to give ginger a more natural color. The fact is that slightly unripe ginger (which is considered the most tender) upon contact with the marinade acquires a pink tint. But in production, mature tubers are usually used. To show the high quality of the product to the buyer, ginger is tinted.

If you want to achieve the same result, just add two to three tablespoons of beetroot juice to the hot marinade. The ginger will also take on a nice pinkish hue.

What to serve with

Of course, first of all, ginger is usually served with rolls and sushi. But it also perfectly complements most fish and meat dishes. In addition, experienced housewives often bring a plate of pickled ginger during a meal change. For example, even a rich, tasty soup after a salad may seem insipid and almost tasteless. But eating just one piece of ginger is enough to cleanse your taste buds and enjoy your meal to the fullest.

By memorizing the pickled ginger recipe, you can always prepare an excellent seasoning for any dish, while spending a minimum of time and money, getting an environmentally friendly and he althy product.