Ginger is a plant native to Asia, although it is currently grown in all those areas that enjoy a tropical climate. The part that is most used in medicine and cooking is the rhizome due to its multiple properties. Thus, if you are wondering what the properties of ginger are and what it is for, you should know that this rhizome is digestive, carminative, expectorant, vasodilator, anti-inflammatory, laxative, antiseptic and antitussive, among many other things. For all these reasons, ginger is used to treat dizziness and upset stomach, to combat constipation, to prevent gas, reduce abdominal swelling, relieve colic, lower fever, calm cold or flu, regulate intestinal transit or to recover before a gastrointestinal problem.
Now, when preparing ginger for cooking or to treat any of the above conditions, many people wonder if it is necessary to peel it. Well, we explain if ginger is peeled or not, if ginger skin is toxic and how to take it properly.
Does ginger have to be peeled?
Is ginger skin eaten? Or, on the contrary, is ginger skin toxic? The truth is that the toxicity of ginger is mild, and only occurs when more than the adequate amount is consumed, regardless of whether it has skin or not. In this way, the ginger skin is not toxic and we can eat it if we do not want to remove it.
If we do not peel the ginger, its flavor is not altered, the difference between leaving the skin or not lies in the texture, since the peel has a somewhat hard texture. For this reason, in the kitchen it is recommended to peel the ginger to grate it and use it as a condiment. If it is going to be used to prepare ginger water, infusion or tea, the skin can be left without problems because it will not be consumed.
How to prepare ginger – tips for peeling and grating ginger?
Now that you know that ginger can be peeled if you want, let’s see different ways to peel it to get it ready and ready to cook.
How to peel ginger?
The best way to peel ginger is to use a spoon that is the right size for the rhizome. It’s as simple as holding the spoon by one of the sides and starting to scratch, without exerting too much pressure, from top to bottom. This technique allows us to maintain the irregular shape of the ginger and remove only the skin, contrary to what happens when we use a potato peeler or a knife.
Of course, if we want we can use a peeling knife, keeping in mind that part of the rhizome will go with the skin when cutting. Likewise, peeling ginger along its curves with a knife is much more complicated than with a small spoon.
How to grate ginger?
To prepare the grated ginger, we simply have to peel it first, following the trick of the previous spoon, and proceed to grate the rhizome with any food grater. If it is fresh and of good quality, it will grate very easily and we can use it for cooking without any problem.
What kind of grater is best for grating ginger? Although we can use any, as we have already mentioned, it is always more advisable to opt for a ceramic or stainless steel grater. Low-quality metal graters can harm food by slightly altering its flavor or poison it by transferring some of its material.
Regarding the thickness of the grater, to prepare the ginger we recommend using a fine or medium grater, although if you love its flavor and texture and prefer the thick one, it is totally valid. Likewise, the star grater also offers excellent results.
Tip: The medium grater allows grating in both directions, so we can prepare the ginger much faster with it.
How to consume ginger – ginger dosage and recipes?
Now that you know how to prepare ginger, we are going to talk about the recommended dose of ginger, as well as its different presentations and some easy recipes.
To begin with, the recommended daily dose of ginger for adults is 5 grams maximum, with 2 grams being ideal. If this amount is exceeded, you may experience stomach problems, such as diarrhea or vomiting, and/or abdominal pain. We can consume fresh ginger, as we have already mentioned in previous sections, in powder, in pills, in essential oil or in a decoction (water or infusion). In essential oil, the recommended daily dose of ginger is 20-30 drops, three times a day maximum. In pills, it will depend on the intended use, so we recommend consulting the prospectus or your doctor.
In children, it is best to consult the pediatrician for the appropriate amount of ginger, based on weight and usefulness. If it is to season meals or for cooking, we do not recommend exceeding 2 grams per day.
Ginger recipes
You will find a whole range of possibilities to know how to take ginger. Ginger can be used as a spice and flavor all kinds of foods, such as sauces, salads, soups or stews. Likewise, it can be used to enhance the flavor of sweets such as biscuits, bread, cookies or muffins. Finally, it offers us the possibility of increasing the properties of juices and smoothies for therapeutic purposes or to lose weight due to its digestive properties.
If you are looking for recipes with fresh ginger, you will love these ideas:
- Ginger chicken
- Pumpkin and carrot cream with ginger
- Ginger fish fillet
- Ginger and soy willow
Below, you will find a whole variety of sweet recipes with ginger:
- Ginger and chocolate cookies
- Cheese and ginger cake
- Candied ginger with panel
- Strawberry jam with apple and ginger
And if you are looking for recipes with ginger to lose weight, we also have them!
- Vegetable soup with ginger
- Kiwi, banana and ginger smoothie
- Ginger Chicken Salad
- Green beans with ginger
How to make ginger water?
You already know the answer to the question “is ginger peeled?” how to prepare ginger and several recipes to consume it, but the most basic preparation of all is missing! Ginger water is mainly diuretic, digestive, laxative and anti-inflammatory, so we can take it for multiple ailments and health problems, or to prevent their appearance. Next, we explain how to make ginger tea, water or infusion.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons of lemon juice
- 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
- 500ml of water
Preparation
- First, peel and grate the ginger as we have taught you in previous sections.
- Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan or pot and remove it from the heat when it reaches the boiling point.
- Add the cinnamon stick and grated ginger cover the saucepan or pot and let stand for 10 minutes.
- Strain the ginger water and add the lemon juice to enhance its properties and improve its flavor.
Cinnamon is optional, but if you want to drink ginger tea to lose weight, it is a powerful natural fat burner, just like lemon, which is also digestive and diuretic.
How to drink ginger water?
The ideal is to drink ginger tea in the morning, fasting, and proceed to breakfast in a healthy and balanced way. It is recommended to drink one cup a day.
