You’ve Been Peeling Your Ginger Wrong

What You’ll Need

• Ginger root, broken into manageable pieces
• A spoon

The easiest, best way to peel ginger is to use a spoon. The curved shape of the spoon will hug the rounded shape of the ginger, meaning none of the root will go to waste as you remove the outer skin.

First, hold the ginger in one hand and the spoon in your dominate hand. Turn the spoon on its side and use the edge of the spoon to scrape the skin off the ginger. It’s that simple!

Once your ginger is peeled, you can cut it as you would a carrot or other hard, small vegetable. Cut the root into thin slices using a sharp knife.

To mince ginger, cut into thin pieces first. Gather those thin pieces in a bundle, then cut the bundle widthwise, producing small pieces of gingerroot.

Grating ginger is easiest with a micro planer. Don’t forget to peel the ginger first! If you do not own a micro planer, a small cheese grater will work in a pinch, but you will end up with larger pieces of ginger.

Ginger is a great way to add warmth and brightness to a variety of dishes, both savory and sweet. Here are a few of our favorite recipes that really shine with the addition of some fresh gingerroot.