Characteristics of a Bad Ginger Root
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Buy only fresh ginger for the best flavor.
Ginger is a thick root that grows under the earth, called a rhizome. Fresh ginger has a sharp, slightly sweet flavor that differs from the pureed powder sold in the grocery store. Ginger serves as an aromatic in savory cuisines throughout the world. Scientists say ginger is an anti-inflammatory food, meaning that its properties help reduce inflammation in the body. Make sure that you buy very fresh ginger at the market for best results.
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Softness
- Fresh ginger should feel harder than a garlic clove or onion when you squeeze it with your fingers. It should feel just about as hard as a fresh, uncooked beet. If the flesh gives even as much as that of a garlic clove, it is not fresh. This means that it has virtually no flavor or health benefits.
Skin Discoloration
- The skin of fresh ginger is light brown or tan. Do not purchase or use ginger that has darkened, discolored skin. This means that the flesh inside the ginger is rotted. Use can cause minor to severe indigestion. Such ginger is completely flavorless and has only negative consequences to your health.
Moisture
- Rotted ginger can feel moist. You may find a spot on the skin that feels wet. These spots range between small and large, potentially affecting all of the ginger’s skin. This means that the sugars in the ginger rotted and began to leak out onto the skin. Fresh ginger is always very dry.
Pungent Smell
- Good ginger smells slightly acidic, not unlike citrus fruit, when unpeeled. If you smell a stronger ginger aroma that is characteristic of what you expect of peeled ginger, the ginger is not fresh enough to use. Its sugars are in the process of spoilage by this point, and the ginger is unlikely to have any flavor.
Sprouting
- Just like root vegetables, rhizomes like ginger sprout. You may begin to see a small green sprout coming out of a knobby end of older ginger. If your ginger begins to sprout, you should not use it, as the flavor is long gone. Ginger begins to sprout within about a week if left unrefrigerated. Store it in your refrigerator to prolong freshness.