How To Store Ginger Root – The Complete Guide

If you like to use natural herbs and spices in your kitchen, ginger root is certainly one that you should consider. Ginger root has a lot of natural health benefits. It is relatively easy to use and work with and it happens to be pretty versatile as well. 

Ginger root can be ground into a powder, which you may pick up in the spices section at your local grocery store. However, it’s a good idea to keep some root on hand to use for various purposes as well. 

How do you properly store ginger root? There are various ways to store ginger root, depending on what kind of root you have and whether or not you have cut, peeled, or minced it. In most cases, we recommend storing it in the fridge for up to 6 weeks. You can also freeze ginger root and keep it for up to 6 months.

If you follow all of the proper storage techniques, you will find that ginger can last for quite some time. Of course, there are several storage options to be aware of. 

In this guide, we will walk you through the process of storing your ginger root. We will share storage techniques for several different forms of ginger and let you know every tidbit of what you should be aware of for successful storage practices. 

Keep reading to learn how to store ginger root in a comprehensive guide. 

How to Properly Store Ginger Root in Any Form

Ginger is a flowering plant and we use its root for many things. Ginger can be used for medicinal purposes, but it can also be used as a spice as well as for many natural health benefits that it provides. 

The ginger plant is perennial by nature. The root itself, which is what we are focusing on, is often gnarled and it can vary in shape and size.

It’s woodlike in sight and texture – it almost resembles a short tree limb at a glance. The roots are thick and can even have branches. 

Ginger is typically fleshy when cut into. It has a mild taste. You might see this root pickled or even cooked as a snack. It can be used for seasoning and also for various herbal medicines. You might even find it in candy, soda, and alcoholic beverages. 

Now, let’s get down to business and talk about the various ways to store ginger, depending on the form that it is in. 

The Best Way to Store Fresh Ginger

Say you have a fresh ginger root from the store and you just need to know the best way to store it while you use it. Whether it’s peeled and uncut or you’ve cut into a portion and peeled a portion, there is a general storage method that you can follow. 

Storage can vary if you are working with fresh ginger or recently harvested ginger. Grated ginger and peeled ginger are other forms that we will cover in this guide.

To get you started, let’s cover a basic technique, and then we can build on the idea from there. 

Here are your basic steps for storing ginger:

1. Place uncut and unpeeled ginger into a plastic bag. Be sure the ginger is dry before bagging it up. 
2. Release as much air as possible from the bag before storing it further. 
3. Seal the storage bag tightly to keep it free from the outside air. 
4. Place the sealed bag in your crisper or vegetable drawer in the refrigerator. 
5. Ginger root stored in this manner should last about 4-6 weeks in the refrigerator. 

Remember that this is just the best general practice. If you are not sure what you are working with as far as your ginger goes, this is a good reference option for you that won’t go wrong. Just be aware that storage time could vary. 

We also want to point out that if your ginger root is uncut and unpeeled, you can also store it at room temperature for a short time. If you plan to use the entire root within a few days, you can leave it out. 

We do recommend that you don’t store it in a warm place that gets direct sunlight but rather in a cool, dry location.

If you store ginger root at room temperature, it should last for about a week. If you don’t plan to use the entire root at one time or within a week, we recommend the fridge or even the freezer to make the root last longer for you. 

The last thing we want is for you to have to throw your ginger out! 

How to Store Ginger After Harvesting

You will find that storing freshly harvest ginger is much like storing fresh ginger root. Several types of ginger can be harvested. Here are the three main types: 

• Seed ginger
• Tender ginger
• Fresh ginger

How you store your ginger might vary depending on the type of ginger you are harvesting. Let’s break each of these down a bit more for you. 

Seed Ginger

Seed ginger is unique in its own way. When seed ginger sprouts, it is no longer impacted by additional plant growth. When it sprouts, that’s it. You can harvest any time after that and the plant will stay good after harvesting. 

Much like fresh ginger, you can harvest seed ginger any time before the first frost of the season.

You can also harvest it much sooner if the plant sprouts and the seed ginger is ready. You should store seed ginger using the instructions we previously provided for storing fresh ginger.

Tender Ginger

Tender ginger is ginger that is harvested before it reaches full maturity.

At this stage, it is fresh and tender and has a higher water content.  The root is less pungent in tender ginger, as well. The tissue will be more tender and there is not as much fiber either. 

This type of ginger is used mostly for pickling or sugaring ginger slices. This is not what you will get when you purchase fresh ginger. This type of ginger must be harvested in that manner and you will most likely have to grow and harvest yourself. 

It IS possible to purchase tender ginger. Just know the terminology you are looking for when you purchase. 

We’re not going to dig too deep into the processes for storing tender ginger. Just know that this type of ginger is typically turned into pickled or sugared ginger rather than being used for cooking, herbal, or other types of uses. 

If you do need a short-term storage solution while you wait to pickle your tender ginger, we recommend using the fresh ginger approach, which we’ll get into below.

Fresh Ginger

Fresh ginger is the most common type of ginger you will most likely come into contact with. Whether you harvest your own or you buy it from the store, this is the majority of ginger that is used. 

Fresh ginger is harvested before the first frost of the season. If you don’t get them harvested before the frost, you could lose your harvest as they do not stand up to frost. 

To store freshly harvested ginger, you should first break off or remove the stems, get rid of all of the roots, and clean up the fresh ginger. 

Once it’s clean, dry it and then follow the fresh ginger storage method we shared. Here is a quick review of that process:

1. Place uncut and unpeeled ginger into a plastic bag. Be sure the ginger is dry before bagging it up. 
2. Release as much air as possible from the bag before storing it further. 
3. Seal the storage bag tightly to keep it free from the outside air. 
4. Place the sealed bag in your crisper or vegetable drawer in the refrigerator. 
5. Ginger root stored in this manner should last about 4-6 weeks in the refrigerator. 

Alternatively, you could also store your fresh ginger in a cellar or cool, dry location for about a week. In the cellar, you could potentially store it longer as well. 

How to Store Grated Ginger

The very best way to store grated ginger is in the freezer. This just simplifies the storage processes and keeps it fresh for the longest amount of time. You can also store it in the fridge, OR you can store some in the fridge and the rest in the freezer. 

Ultimately, the choice is up to you and your needs! 

You can peel and mince your own fresh ginger and then follow the storage processes. We recommend doing it this way so that you know it is fresh. Then you can have your own batches ready and waiting at your disposal. 

In fact, the best way to handle this is to separate your grated ginger into portions, we recommend using teaspoon-sized portions but you can ultimately use whatever portions you like. This just allows you to pull out what you need when you need it. 

Here are our steps for storing grated ginger:

1. First, peel and then either mince or grate your fresh ginger. 
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper so that you can do a pre-freeze process. 
3. Scoop the ginger in desired portion sizes onto the sheet. We recommend teaspoon sizes, but this is about personal preference and need.
4. Freeze in this manner until they are solidified. It will probably take several hours or you can leave them overnight if needed. 
5. Once the scoops are frozen solid, move them into an airtight container or a heavy-duty freezer bag. We recommend a container and separating layers with parchment paper just so your scoops don’t get mashed together or squished in the freezer. 
6. Freeze in this manner for up to 6 months. 

This process is pretty easy. The pre-freeze portion of the process is the most time-consuming but overall it’s still simple to get the job done. 

When you’re ready to use the grated ginger, how you treat it depends on what you are doing with it. If you’re making smoothies or throwing it into a baking dish of some sort, you can just toss it in frozen and go from there. 

You can use your grated ginger in all sorts of recipes. It adds just the right amount of flavor and you’re reaping the health benefits.

If you need to use your ginger raw or in baked goods or cold dishes, you need to let them thaw before using them. You can do this by just setting them out at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

It does not take much time at all for frozen grated ginger to thaw out, as long as it was minced or grated into small sizes. 

How to Store Peeled Ginger

Peeled ginger is treated much like fresh ginger, with the exception that you should not store peeled ginger at room temperature or in a pantry cabinet. You should store peeled ginger in either the fridge or the freezer. 

Once it has been peeled or cut, the shelf life in the fridge does diminish. You will only get 1-2 weeks in the fridge once it has been peeled but you can get 4 months in the freezer if you store it properly. 

The challenge with storing peeled ginger is that it tends to hold moisture. You will want to be sure you get it as dry as possible before you move forward with storing it. 

Here are your steps for storing peeled ginger:

1. Blot peeled ginger to get it as dry as possible using a paper towel or similar drying agent. Be sure whatever you are using is clean to avoid transferring bacteria onto the peeled ginger. 
2. Place the peeled ginger into a storage bag or container. If you are going to store it in the freezer, be sure that you use freezer-safe storage methods for the best results. 
3. Store peeled ginger in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. 
4. Store peeled ginger in the freezer for up to 4 months. 

If your peeled ginger is not cut, minced, or grated, you do not need to follow a pre-freeze process. However, if you have cut into it, we do recommend the pre-freeze process, which will look a lot like the one we explained above for grated ginger.

You can also pre-freeze your peeled ginger, either way. It certainly won’t hurt anything. But it is not always required for successful freezing. 

The peel is a protective layer, much the peel of an apple or orange are protective layers. Once you remove that peel, things can change rather quickly. We recommend leaving the peel on as long as possible or cutting off sections and peeling just the section you need. 

How to Store Ginger in the Freezer

We’ve touched on freezer storage a couple of times, but let’s take a deeper look overall into freezer storage for ginger. 

If you’re looking for instructions on freezing peeled, minced, or grated ginger, please refer to those sections in this guide as they will provide you with a specific walkthrough for those circumstances. 

This freezing guide is specifically designed for freezing fresh ginger. You can freeze ginger and prolong the shelf life for up to 4-6 months, but four months is the recommended timeframe for the best quality. 

As with many things, we’ve learned that if you freeze something longer, it won’t go bad, the quality just may not be as good. 

Here are your steps for storing fresh ginger in the freezer:

1. Be sure that the ginger is dry. If you rinsed it or cut an edge, be sure to pat it dry. 
2. Place into an airtight storage method. We recommend using a freezer bag because it’s simple and the easiest thing to remove excess air from. 
3. Remove as much excess air as possible and seal your packaging tightly. 
4. Label and date the packaged ginger for the freezer. 
5. Place in the freezer for up to 4 months for the best recommendations. 

How Long Does Ginger Last?

Ginger is one of those things that lasts for quite some time, especially when it is properly stored. Different versions of ginger can last for different amounts of time. 

On the same note, the way that you store your ginger can also make a significant difference in how long it lasts overall. As we’ve already said, fresh ginger root will last about a week at room temperature but could last 4-6 weeks stored properly in the fridge. 

That’s a significant difference for the exact same piece of ginger root simply stored in different ways. It’s important to know and understand how various factors could affect the shelf life while also knowing that different types of ginger store differently as well. 

When you purchase fresh ginger or harvest your own ginger, you will notice it’s not stamped with an expiration date. You can track your purchase or harvest date for best reference or you can just let the ginger be and base it off of the quality of the visual aspects and freshness of the ginger root. 

You might find ginger in different forms, including ginger root, fresh ground ginger, ginger salt, chopped ginger, and ginger paste. There are more options as well but these are some of the most common ones that are used and purchased. 

Here is a quick reference chart for some of the various forms of ginger and what you can expect as far as storage life. 

Type of Ginger	Pantry/Cabinet	Fridge	Freezer
Fresh Ginger Root	1 week	4-6 Weeks	4 Months
Peeled/Cut Ginger	N/A	4-6 Weeks	4 Months
Ginger Paste	N/A	4-6 Weeks	4 Months
Jar Chopped Ginger	Unopened 3 Months	Up to 3 Months	N/A
Ground Ginger	2-3 Years	Not necessary	Not necessary

As you can see, fresh ginger will last for several months if you store it properly, no matter what form it is in.

Once it has been cut into, it should be stored in the fridge or the freezer. You should not store peeled or cut ginger in your pantry or at room temperature. 

If you don’t store your ginger properly, it will not last as long.

Keep in mind that these time frames are provided considering that you follow all of the best storage practices, many of which we are providing for you in this guide. 

We will talk about how to recognize when your fresh ginger has gone bad later on in this guide. This reference chart can also be a useful tool for discerning different ways that you can store other types of ginger as well. 

How to Tell if Ginger is Bad

With the ability to store ginger in so many different forms and methods, it’s a good idea to be aware of how to tell when your ginger is bad. 

We have a few helpful hints for you. Remember that the shelf life can change depending on how you store it and where you store it. 

The very best way to know if your ginger is bad is to simply inspect it visually or physically. If the fresh ginger root has started going soft or has a lot of excess moisture (except for tender ginger), it’s most likely spoiled or well on its way there. 

If you have cut ends, they might start to darken around the edges and this is another sign for you. Additionally, if you observe any mold growing, it’s time to toss out that ginger. 

Related Questions 

We hope that you find this complete guide to storing ginger to be a valuable resource with plenty of reliable information. We’d also like to invite you to review the following question and answers for some additional details. 

What Are the Health Benefits of Ginger? 

Ginger contains medicinal properties that are very popular. Ginger can also help with nausea, muscle pain, weight loss, blood sugar levels, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, infections, and many other health attributes. 

Will Ginger Lose Its Nutrients in the Freezer?

Freezing ginger preserves the natural nutrients within it. Freezing will not kill the nutrients or lose them in any way. Over time, however, nutrients do naturally expire and reduce in food. But freezing is actually a good way to preserve nutrients longer. 

How Much Ginger Is Safe to Eat?

It is recommended that you could eat up to 3-4 grams of raw ginger per day. It is also recommended that pregnant women consume only about 1 gram. 

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