Ginger Paste Recipe (For Freezing and Long-Term Storage)
Blending peeled ginger with a small amount of neutral oil and freezing it in small portions locks in flavor and stops the mold and shriveling that happens to whole ginger left loose in the fridge, so a big root bought for one recipe doesn't go to waste before the next time you need it.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 0 min
- Total
- 15 min
- Servings
- 24
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh ginger root, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp neutral oil, such as grapeseed or vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp water, as needed for blending
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 35
- Protein
- 0g
- Carbs
- 3g
- Fat
- 2g
Based on the recipe as written, one serving. Recalculates if you swap an ingredient above. An estimate only, exact values depend on the specific ingredients used.
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Instructions
- 1Peel the ginger by scraping the skin off with the edge of a spoon, working around the knobby sections, rather than using a knife or vegetable peeler.
- 2Roughly chop the peeled ginger into 1-inch pieces.
- 3Add the ginger and oil to a food processor. Pulse, scraping down the sides as needed, adding water a teaspoon at a time only if the paste won't move, until it forms a smooth, spreadable paste.
- 4Spoon the paste into the compartments of an ice cube tray, filling each one to about 1 tablespoon and smoothing the tops flat.
- 5Freeze the tray uncovered until the cubes are completely solid, about 4 hours or overnight.
- 6Pop the frozen cubes out of the tray and transfer them to a labeled freezer bag or airtight container, pressing out as much air as possible before sealing.
- 7Store in the freezer and add cubes directly to hot pans, soups, marinades, or tea, straight from frozen with no thawing needed.
Tips & variations
- For shorter-term storage, wrap unpeeled ginger loosely in a dry paper towel and seal it in a zip-top bag with most of the air pressed out; kept in the crisper drawer, it stays firm for 3-4 weeks.
- Whole unpeeled ginger can also be frozen as-is: drop the knob straight into a freezer bag, and when needed, grate it directly with a microplane. The papery skin scrapes away as you grate, so there's no need to peel it first.
- Submerging a peeled, unpeeled knob of ginger in a small jar of dry sherry, rice wine, or vodka and refrigerating it preserves the ginger for several months and flavors the alcohol as a bonus.
- A store-bought ginger knob with visible eyes (small bumps) can be planted in a pot of soil, cut side down, and left in a warm spot; it will sprout and slowly regrow into a fresh usable root.
- Add a small piece of peeled garlic to the food processor along with the ginger for a ready-made ginger-garlic paste base, common in Indian cooking.
Storage & reheating
Frozen ginger paste cubes keep well for up to 6 months in an airtight freezer bag or container; press out excess air each time you reseal the bag to limit freezer burn. If you'd rather keep the paste in the fridge for near-term use, transfer it to a small airtight jar and use it within 1 week; a thin film of oil poured over the top helps keep air off the surface.
Tips from the Tulo kitchen
- Portioning the paste into 1-tablespoon cubes before freezing means each cube roughly matches the amount of grated ginger called for in most stir-fry and curry recipes, so there's no guessing or thawing extra.
- Labeling the freezer bag with the date matters more than it seems, since frozen ginger paste looks identical to frozen turmeric or garlic paste once it's out of the tray.
FAQ
How do you keep ginger from going bad?
For a week or two, keep the whole unpeeled root loose in the crisper drawer. For a month or longer, wrap it dry in paper towel inside a sealed bag, or peel and freeze it as paste or whole knobs.
How long does fresh ginger last in the fridge?
A whole unpeeled root typically stays firm for 3-4 weeks when wrapped in a dry paper towel and sealed in a bag, versus about a week if left loose and exposed to air.
Can you freeze ginger without peeling it first?
Yes. Whole unpeeled knobs freeze well in a sealed bag for several months; grate the frozen root directly with a microplane and the skin will scrape away on its own.
Does soaking ginger in alcohol actually preserve it?
Yes. Submerging peeled ginger in vodka, sherry, or rice wine and refrigerating it in a sealed jar keeps the ginger usable for months, since the alcohol slows both mold growth and moisture loss.
Why does my ginger paste turn watery after freezing?
Ginger blended with only water and no oil forms larger ice crystals that rupture the fibers as they melt, releasing excess liquid; adding a couple tablespoons of neutral oil to the blend limits this.
