Fresh ginger root can be quite gnarly and quite frankly might seem impossible to remove the skin while still having flesh left to use in your cooking. But, rest assured that it is possible and we want to help you succeed so we’ll show you the easiest way for how to peel ginger, chop, grate, slice, mince, and julienne ginger root.

What to Buy

When selecting ginger at the grocery store, look for ginger that is young and firm. Young ginger is typically firm and has nice, thin skin which leaves the decision up to you as to whether you’ll want to peel it.

Older ginger root usually has thicker skin that tends to be shriveled and wrinkled. You’ll want to remove old, thick skins for the best outcome for cooking. Avoid buying ginger that falls into this category if other options are available.

Peeling Ginger with a Spoon Step by Step

The number one easiest way to peel ginger is using the spoon method. You might be thinking, “Wait a minute, how am I going to peel something with a spoon?” Using an old spoon that is not quite as sharp on the edges is best.

How to Peel Ginger the Best (and Safest) Way

We’ll show you how. Just follow along for three easy steps.

3 Simple Steps For Peeling Ginger

Here are our three easy steps for the spoon peeling method and peeling ginger. Before you start, you’ll need a way to wash your ginger, a cutting board, and an old spoon.

1. Wash The Ginger

Washing your fruits and vegetables before processing them is a vital step to remove any dirt, debris, germs, and chemicals that they might have picked up along the way.

Ginger is no different. Take a few moments to wash your ginger under cool water, using your hands to scrub it clean. Pat it dry with a clean towel.

2. Grab An Older Spoon For Peeling

An older spoon tends to have more of a dull edge which is perfect for removing the skin. And a spoon is the best option for removing the least amount of flesh while peeling the skin.

3. Peel The Ginger

To peel your ginger, rest your fresh ginger root on a solid cutting board and use an old spoon to go along the outside of your ginger, scraping away the skin.

Some would argue that this is the only way you should peel ginger.

Benefits of Peeling Ginger with a Spoon Instead of a Knife or Peeler

Other methods include peeling ginger with a vegetable peeler and peeling ginger with a paring knife. But those methods prove to be more difficult because of the many nooks and crannies involved in the shape of fresh ginger root. As a result, more flesh is disposed of along with the peeling when using a knife or peeler.

How to Chop, Grate, Slice, Mince, and Julienne Ginger

We’ll teach you how to cut ginger like a pro. When using fresh ginger root for a recipe, your recipe will likely call for your ginger to be prepared in a certain way such as chopping ginger, grating ginger, slicing ginger, mincing ginger, or cutting it into a julienne. We’ll show you how for each cutting method.

Chop Ginger

In cooking with fresh ginger, your recipe might call for chopped ginger. To chop ginger, you’ll want to peel it first if desired. Then, place it on a cutting board and slice each knob into rounds. After that, stack the rounds and slice them into fine strips. Finally, take the strips and chop across them, making them into fine squares.

Mincing and chopping are in essence the same process, only some might consider the final outcome of chopped ginger to be slightly larger than minced ginger.

Grate Ginger

To grate ginger, you’ll need either a box grater or a smaller fine hand grater. Peel your ginger first if desired, then holding onto a knob of ginger, grate the ginger using a fine grater.

Slice Ginger

To slice your ginger, peel it first if desired. Then slice each ginger knob into thin rounds. You have achieved sliced ginger.

Mince Ginger

Minced ginger is created by first peeling your ginger if desired, then slicing it into rounds, next, slicing those rounds into strips, and finally by cutting across the strips to make little, tiny squares of ginger pieces. This is the process for mincing ginger by hand. However, if you have a microplane, you might rather opt for mincing ginger on the microplane.

Julienne Ginger

To julienne ginger is to slice and cut ginger into small matchstick like pieces. To achieve this, peel and slice your ginger first, then chop the slices into fine little strips.

Ginger Paste

Ginger paste is most easily made in the food processor or blender. Peel your ginger first, if desired then place the chunks of ginger into the food processor or blend and pulse until the desired consistency is achieved.

How to Peel, Chop, and Grate Ginger

Now that we’ve gone over how to peel, chop, and grate ginger, let’s look ahead to storing ginger and maximizing its shelf life for use in future recipes.

Storing Ginger

Storing ginger can depend on various factors. For example, you will want to pay attention to whether your ginger is already peeled. If your ginger is not yet peeled, you’ll want to determine whether it will need to be peeled before it will be added to your delicious dishes.

How to Store Ginger

And finally, we solve your ginger-storage problem. The best way to store ginger is in a cool place. As soon as we bring fresh ginger root home from the grocery store, we like to place it in the refrigerator. Ginger that has not been peeled can generally kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Ginger that is kept in the freezer can last for up to 6 months. To freeze ginger, you can fully prepare the ginger for your recipe by peeling it, mincing it, creating a paste etc. Then, place it in a zipped freezer bag and put it in the freezer. You can pull it out in the quantity you’ll need for each recipe.

How to Store Peeled Ginger:

If using grated ginger or ginger paste, consider freezing it in ice cube trays and once frozen, moving your ginger cubes to a zipped freezer bag. This will allow you to portion your ginger out for cooking more easily.

How to Store Unpeeled Ginger:

If your ginger has not yet been peeled, you can break your ginger roots apart into knobs and freeze them in a zipped freezer bag. Pull out individual knobs and grate or chop them as needed for cooking while they’re still frozen.

How To Peel Ginger (Hint: Don’t)

There are some folks that prefer to not peel their ginger first. And if you were able to purchase ginger with a nice, paper-thin skin then why not seriously, put the peeler down. Ginger peel is perfectly safe to eat. But it’s up to you and your personal preference.

Do scrub it first

If you’re planning to leave the skins intact, do take a few moments to scrub down your ginger before processing it for use. It’s just good to wash all fruits and vegetables first to save yourself from ingesting substances that you might not want to consume.

Choose the freshest ginger

Choosing the freshest ginger will allow you to take advantage of a nice firm and fresh root, which will have a nice thin and papery smooth skin. If you’re going to leave the skin on, fresh ginger is best for this.

Grate it, mince it, juice it or press it

Then you can go ahead and prepare it as desired by chopping it, grating it, mincing it, or juicing it.

Ginger Frequently Asked Questions:

Following are questions that are asked frequently about preparing, cutting and peeling ginger. We trust you’ll find our answers helpful. If you have a question, please drop it in the comments box below.

What Is Ginger?

Ginger can be used for medicinal as well as culinary purposes. We will focus on its culinary uses. Ginger root is a rhizome that grows under the ground and serves as a delicious spice for sweet as well as savory dishes.

Is Ginger Peel Poisonous?

Can You Eat Ginger Skin? Ginger skin is not poisonous and can be consumed.

To Peel or Not to Peel?

You might be wondering how you will know whether you need to peel your ginger root or not. Peeling ginger is a matter of personal preference. A good rule of thumb is that if your ginger has thick skin and is sort of shriveled, you’ll want to peel it. However, if your ginger root is younger and has thin papery skin, you might opt to leave it intact.

How to Peel and Cut Ginger the Right Way?

There is no right or wrong way to peel and cut ginger. However, your recipe might call for one method of cut ginger over another. For example, if making a cake, your recipe could very well call for grated ginger. Knowing each method of how to cut or how to peel your ginger will serve you well.

What is Ginger Good For?

As far as culinary uses, ginger is typically used as a spice or a flavoring in sweets and desserts such as cakes, and can also be used in drinks, Asian dishes, and as a vegetable seasoning.

How to Clean Ginger?

Whether you’re opting to peel your ginger or not, you’ll still want to clean it first before peeling it or chopping it in any way. Organic ginger has less of a chance of having chemicals in its skin, but can still be dirty from handling in packaging, distribution, and storage along the way.

To clean your ginger, wash it under water. Yes, all fruits and vegetables should be washed before they’re processed to get rid of any debris, germs, or chemicals.

Do you Have to Peel Ginger?

The answer is no, you don’t have to peel ginger in order to use it and eat it. The skin is not poisonous, but some recipes call for peeled ginger. And some ginger has thicker or shriveled skin. In either of these cases, your ginger should be peeled.

How to Peel Ginger?

Ginger root is a gnarly object, and you might be wondering how you’re going to peel it without wasting too much flesh. There are three main ways ginger can be peeled.

Using the back of an old spoon is the easiest method for peeling ginger as simplifies the need to get around each knob of ginger.

Using a manual vegetable peeler or carrot peeler is another method for peeling ginger. We would rank it as the secondary way to remove the skins of ginger.

Using a sharp paring knife to peel your ginger is also an option. We only recommend to peel ginger with a paring knife as a last resort as it tends to remove the most flesh and leave the most potential waste. If you’re able to use the peelings with flesh attached that would otherwise be wasted for a product like ginger tea, then the removal of more flesh might not be a big deal.

How Long Does Ginger Last?

How long ginger will last depends on some variable factors such as how old the ginger was when you purchased it, how it is stored, and whether it has already been peeled. The best conditions for storing ginger the longest include leaving the skin on until you’re ready to use it, keeping it in a cool place such as a refrigerator or freezer, and selecting young ginger with thin skins.

How to Use Fresh Ginger

Fresh ginger is tasty and delicious to use in sweet dishes such as cakes, cookies, and breads. It can also be used in salad dressings, sauces, and glazes for vegetables as well as meats. Enjoy having fresh ginger on hand for use for a variety of foods and drinks for your enjoyment.

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