What to do with vast quantities of ground ginger?
January 27, 2014 8:03 AM Subscribe
Due to a shopping accident I am now in possession of 3 standard size bottles of dried ground ginger (despite the fact that I almost always use fresh). I'm the type of person who absolutely has to use up what I have before buying or making something new (if there are leftovers in the fridge I Must eat them before making a new dish). So having a 3 year supply of ground ginger really bugs me. I have searched for recipes but no matter sweet, savory, culture, every one seems to max out at about a teaspoon or two.
Does anyone have recipe ideas that require large amounts of ginger? I'm a good cook and willing to try anything to use up the ginger.
Are you 100% sure you can't take back the unopened bottles?
Otherwise, I'd gift a bottle or two to the local food bank, or a friend. Spices are an expensive luxury when you're on a low income, and ground ginger can be used for many different ethnic foods - Mexican, Asian, Indian. It's also good for both vegetarian and meat-eaters, bakers and cooks. It is a versatile spice for many different people. Know that it will go to very good use, and won't be stale before you can use it up.
posted by barnone at 8:08 AM on January 27, 2014 [10 favorites]
Otherwise, I'd gift a bottle or two to the local food bank, or a friend. Spices are an expensive luxury when you're on a low income, and ground ginger can be used for many different ethnic foods - Mexican, Asian, Indian. It's also good for both vegetarian and meat-eaters, bakers and cooks. It is a versatile spice for many different people. Know that it will go to very good use, and won't be stale before you can use it up.
posted by barnone at 8:08 AM on January 27, 2014 [10 favorites]
start making ginger tea for all your flu-ridden friends?
posted by cendawanita at 8:17 AM on January 27, 2014
posted by cendawanita at 8:17 AM on January 27, 2014
Make ginger nuts. Dip them in your tea. Pretend you're British. Curse the excesses of the New World and quote Shakespeare in a vaguely menacing fashion.
posted by MuffinMan at 8:19 AM on January 27, 2014 [5 favorites]
posted by MuffinMan at 8:19 AM on January 27, 2014 [5 favorites]
Response by poster: I should have clarified that the shopping accident has more to do with discovery of the bottles bought by multiple people at various times and opened separately so I can neither return them nor donate them (that would have been my first choice).
posted by boobjob at 8:23 AM on January 27, 2014
posted by boobjob at 8:23 AM on January 27, 2014
Mix ground ginger (or any spice) with glue to a clay-like consistency. Mold or sculpt into whimsical shapes, let dry then store in your sock drawer. Mmmm ginger socks.
posted by arrmatie at 8:27 AM on January 27, 2014 [6 favorites]
posted by arrmatie at 8:27 AM on January 27, 2014 [6 favorites]
What if you made ornaments like this, but rather than using cinnamon you used ginger? I've never tried this but it should work I'd think...? My kid made a cinnamon one at day care well over a year ago and that thing still smells really strongly.
JINX arrmatie!
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 8:27 AM on January 27, 2014 [2 favorites]
JINX arrmatie!
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 8:27 AM on January 27, 2014 [2 favorites]
You could actually get a head start on some gift-giving quite easily. There's a spice blend that I came across in a cookbook, which is equal amounts of ground ginger, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg - the cookbook recommended it for a French honey cake, but I ended up making it in bulk and I use it in anything that calls for that sort of "fall spice whatever" flavor. I even end up using it in recipes that call for uneven amounts of the different spices involved (I just add extra of whatever needs more).
They make fancy little spice jars that are pretty enough to give as gifts - take a couple of the excess bottles of ground ginger, dump it into a bowl with equal amounts of the other 3 spices, mix it up good and decant it into the fancy spice jars and slap a label on it. Presto - you're ready for last-minute fancy gift-giving.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:32 AM on January 27, 2014 [3 favorites]
They make fancy little spice jars that are pretty enough to give as gifts - take a couple of the excess bottles of ground ginger, dump it into a bowl with equal amounts of the other 3 spices, mix it up good and decant it into the fancy spice jars and slap a label on it. Presto - you're ready for last-minute fancy gift-giving.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:32 AM on January 27, 2014 [3 favorites]
Oh, and another thing I use up random spice mixes for is spiced nuts. For every pound of nutmeats, I heat up about a quarter cup of oil and toast about 2 tablespoons of whatever ground spice or spice mix I want for a half a minute, then I stir it up good with the nuts, spread it in a baking pan and toast it on 350 for about 10-15 minutes.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:35 AM on January 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:35 AM on January 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
I have always found that a recipe's listed ground ginger amount can be doubled or more for baked goods like gingersnaps etc. So, if you want to use one of the jars for baking you can go through it pretty quickly! (Last year was a winter of gingersnaps at my house and I used 2 jars)
posted by Swisstine at 8:42 AM on January 27, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by Swisstine at 8:42 AM on January 27, 2014 [3 favorites]
I'm going to go non-traditional and suggest you use it as a scouring agent for cleaning pots and pans.
Post on facebook and ask if anyone needs it.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 8:42 AM on January 27, 2014
Post on facebook and ask if anyone needs it.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 8:42 AM on January 27, 2014
I had a shopping accident involving Amazon and a case of allspice. I brought the extra five bottles to work and they were gone in fifteen minutes. I took it on the chin as a "not reading the fine print online" tax.
posted by Lardmitten at 8:43 AM on January 27, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by Lardmitten at 8:43 AM on January 27, 2014 [3 favorites]
Point of order that ginger beer would call for fresh ginger root as opposed to powdered dry ginger. (I just made some a couple weeks ago.)
But re-directing to suggest, in the same DIY spirit, that you can actually make your own "instant oatmeal" - here's the basic formula. Just swap the cinnamon in that recipe out for ginger, or add cinnamon TO the ginger, and there you go. You don't even need to futz with the ziploc baggies that recipe calls for, just leave it in a tub on your counter and then use a half-cup of the instant-oatmeal-mix per cup of boiling water. If you make a big enough tub of instant oatmeal that could use a big chunk of powdered ginger pretty easy.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:46 AM on January 27, 2014 [2 favorites]
But re-directing to suggest, in the same DIY spirit, that you can actually make your own "instant oatmeal" - here's the basic formula. Just swap the cinnamon in that recipe out for ginger, or add cinnamon TO the ginger, and there you go. You don't even need to futz with the ziploc baggies that recipe calls for, just leave it in a tub on your counter and then use a half-cup of the instant-oatmeal-mix per cup of boiling water. If you make a big enough tub of instant oatmeal that could use a big chunk of powdered ginger pretty easy.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:46 AM on January 27, 2014 [2 favorites]
This recipe for gingersnaps calls for a tablespoon. (It's also good.)
posted by BrashTech at 11:12 AM on January 27, 2014
posted by BrashTech at 11:12 AM on January 27, 2014
Ooooh, if you go with the instant-oatmeal route, see if you can get some freeze-dried peaches to add to the mix, because peaches and ginger would go especially well together.
That wasn't necessarily a tip to help you use more powdered ginger, that was just a culinary flavor pairing that I thought of and it made me hungry.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:22 AM on January 27, 2014 [2 favorites]
That wasn't necessarily a tip to help you use more powdered ginger, that was just a culinary flavor pairing that I thought of and it made me hungry.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:22 AM on January 27, 2014 [2 favorites]
This ginger crinkle recipe from Betty Crocker is a knockout for my family. I've been making dozens for family members' Christmas presents/hostess gifts/birthday/thanks/ whatever, and everyone always asks me for more.
I usually 2-3x the recipe, so that knocks out 3 tbsp of ground ginger in one go!
They also freeze well. You could blow through 3 bottles in no time with this recipe, if your people are like mine :).
posted by NorthernAutumn at 12:04 PM on January 27, 2014
I usually 2-3x the recipe, so that knocks out 3 tbsp of ground ginger in one go!
They also freeze well. You could blow through 3 bottles in no time with this recipe, if your people are like mine :).
posted by NorthernAutumn at 12:04 PM on January 27, 2014
Seconding ginger tea.
Other than that: normally I prefer fresh ginger, but I use dried ginger a lot, for rubbing into all pork, duck and goose along with salt and pepper before cooking. It might work as well for turkey and chicken.
I also use it in quick homemade curries, the ones I make when I get home late and there is almost nothing in the fridge.
posted by mumimor at 2:01 PM on January 27, 2014
Other than that: normally I prefer fresh ginger, but I use dried ginger a lot, for rubbing into all pork, duck and goose along with salt and pepper before cooking. It might work as well for turkey and chicken.
I also use it in quick homemade curries, the ones I make when I get home late and there is almost nothing in the fridge.
posted by mumimor at 2:01 PM on January 27, 2014
This ginger crunch slice usually only asks for a few teaspoons of ginger, but we use tablespoons full. We find the spiciness stops it being too sweet, and also means you can't eat the whole tray in one sitting.
330g butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup self-raising flour, sifted
1 cup plain flour, sifted
2 tablespoons ginger for the base; another 2 tablespoons for the topping
1/4 cup golden syrup
2 1/4 cups pure icing sugar, sifted
You could probably use something else for the golden syrup if you live in a tragic country where it is rare. Maybe molasses, or treacle, or even honey or maple syrup if you had to.
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line a square shallow pan. Cream 250g of butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in flour and 2 Tb ginger. Press into pan. Prick all over with a fork. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until light golden.
While it is baking, heat syrup, icing sugar, and remaining butter and ginger in a saucepan over low heat until butter has melted. Spread over base. Return to the oven for about 5 minutes, or until it is bubbling and slightly darker. Cut into pieces before completely cooled. Refrigerate.
posted by lollusc at 2:56 PM on January 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
330g butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup self-raising flour, sifted
1 cup plain flour, sifted
2 tablespoons ginger for the base; another 2 tablespoons for the topping
1/4 cup golden syrup
2 1/4 cups pure icing sugar, sifted
You could probably use something else for the golden syrup if you live in a tragic country where it is rare. Maybe molasses, or treacle, or even honey or maple syrup if you had to.
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line a square shallow pan. Cream 250g of butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in flour and 2 Tb ginger. Press into pan. Prick all over with a fork. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until light golden.
While it is baking, heat syrup, icing sugar, and remaining butter and ginger in a saucepan over low heat until butter has melted. Spread over base. Return to the oven for about 5 minutes, or until it is bubbling and slightly darker. Cut into pieces before completely cooled. Refrigerate.
posted by lollusc at 2:56 PM on January 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
I always add at least a teaspoon of dried ginger when we make this delicious Indian Spiced Garbanzos and Greens. Yes, in addition to the fresh ginger that's already in there. Actually I've been adding more ginger every time I make it, and haven't reached the limit on "even yummier than last time." I'm sure there's some tipping point where more is not better, but I think it must involve an awful lot of ginger.
posted by vytae at 3:58 PM on January 27, 2014
posted by vytae at 3:58 PM on January 27, 2014
It might sound weird, but I make what my husband calls "gingersnap yogurt" for breakfast a lot and it's delicious. Plain yogurt, bunch of cinnamon, almost as much ginger, swirl of molasses, and top with brown sugar. So so good.
posted by abecedarium radiolarium at 4:26 AM on January 28, 2014
posted by abecedarium radiolarium at 4:26 AM on January 28, 2014
If I'm feeling achy or ill I take a ginger bath. Ginger tea is also my go-to for headaches, muscle aches, and stomach cramps.
posted by oneirodynia at 9:46 AM on January 28, 2014
posted by oneirodynia at 9:46 AM on January 28, 2014
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posted by amanda at 8:06 AM on January 27, 2014 [7 favorites]