Ginger aliquots
March 9, 2018 5:27 PM Subscribe
How much does 2"x1" ginger weigh?
I have some ginger odds and ends of various sizes that is like to pre-cut and freeze for future use. I'd like to aliquot them so I don't have to the all of it when I want some. The recipe I'm prepping for asks for a 2x1inch stuck of ginger cut into matchsticks. I have a scale I can use to aliquot the ginger, but don't have a good sense of how much ginger is 2"x1".
Thanks!
I have some ginger odds and ends of various sizes that is like to pre-cut and freeze for future use. I'd like to aliquot them so I don't have to the all of it when I want some. The recipe I'm prepping for asks for a 2x1inch stuck of ginger cut into matchsticks. I have a scale I can use to aliquot the ginger, but don't have a good sense of how much ginger is 2"x1".
Thanks!
Best answer: About 30-40g, based on my super-scientific estimates*, and +/-5g won't matter much unless you're eating it all at once in a shot or something.
*By which I mean I cut and measured a 2"x1" cylindrical carrot (33g) and two radishes that seemed to be about that volume, but a bit more (50g). Also all these veg hover around 80% water by volume, and water is 1g per cc. So 2"x1" is about 33cc=33g. I did this all because I was thrilled to see "aliquot" used correctly and precisely out in the wild :D
posted by SaltySalticid at 5:45 PM on March 9, 2018 [11 favorites]
*By which I mean I cut and measured a 2"x1" cylindrical carrot (33g) and two radishes that seemed to be about that volume, but a bit more (50g). Also all these veg hover around 80% water by volume, and water is 1g per cc. So 2"x1" is about 33cc=33g. I did this all because I was thrilled to see "aliquot" used correctly and precisely out in the wild :D
posted by SaltySalticid at 5:45 PM on March 9, 2018 [11 favorites]
this article gives .92gm/cm3. If we're talking about a piece of ginger 2" long and 1" diameter, I get 24gm.
but this page gives .41gm/cm3, so now we've got a factor of 2 difference between our two sources. blah!
the USDA gives 2gm/tsp, which is .41gm/cm3 too.
posted by the antecedent of that pronoun at 5:49 PM on March 9, 2018 [2 favorites]
but this page gives .41gm/cm3, so now we've got a factor of 2 difference between our two sources. blah!
the USDA gives 2gm/tsp, which is .41gm/cm3 too.
posted by the antecedent of that pronoun at 5:49 PM on March 9, 2018 [2 favorites]
Best answer: I just put a ginger root in a pyrex measuring cup of water, on a scale.
It sinks, but barely. My measuring cup doesn't give me much precision, but that too indicates that it's basically the same density as water.
So a 2"x1" ... wait a minute, I'm missing a dimension. Do you mean it's 2" long and 1" diameter? Oh I get it, that's all the recipe says and who knows what it actually means.
30g of ginger's probably about what they mean. I'd probably double it because ginger is delicious.
posted by aubilenon at 5:52 PM on March 9, 2018 [4 favorites]
It sinks, but barely. My measuring cup doesn't give me much precision, but that too indicates that it's basically the same density as water.
So a 2"x1" ... wait a minute, I'm missing a dimension. Do you mean it's 2" long and 1" diameter? Oh I get it, that's all the recipe says and who knows what it actually means.
30g of ginger's probably about what they mean. I'd probably double it because ginger is delicious.
posted by aubilenon at 5:52 PM on March 9, 2018 [4 favorites]
This USDA ref says here that ginger has 79g water per 100g, so minimum of 0.79 g/cc.
(I figured ginger varies in diameter quite a bit, so the 2"x1" chunk should be loosely interpreted as a "finger" type growth close to that, and hence should be between a carrot and two radishes)
posted by SaltySalticid at 6:07 PM on March 9, 2018 [1 favorite]
(I figured ginger varies in diameter quite a bit, so the 2"x1" chunk should be loosely interpreted as a "finger" type growth close to that, and hence should be between a carrot and two radishes)
posted by SaltySalticid at 6:07 PM on March 9, 2018 [1 favorite]
I don't think that follows, SaltySalticid. Put 79g of water in a balloon, then fill it with air until you have 100g in all; the density is much lower than .79g/cc. That said, I think you're right that ginger is closer to the density of water than to half the density of water like some of my sources give.
posted by the antecedent of that pronoun at 6:13 PM on March 9, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by the antecedent of that pronoun at 6:13 PM on March 9, 2018 [2 favorites]
Young fresh ginger is a lot juicier than old fibrous ginger, too. (Juicier is usually denser.)
posted by clew at 6:40 PM on March 9, 2018
posted by clew at 6:40 PM on March 9, 2018
Response by poster: I LOVE YOU ALL.
30 g seems a reasonable approximation. This will go in future jok moo.
posted by maryr at 6:42 PM on March 9, 2018 [3 favorites]
30 g seems a reasonable approximation. This will go in future jok moo.
posted by maryr at 6:42 PM on March 9, 2018 [3 favorites]
the antecedent of that pronoun you are of course totally correct: if this were a word problem and we had nothing but the knowledge that substance X is has 79g water per 100g, I could not make a defensible estimate of the minimum density. But we do know other things about ginger, and I let that confuse my reasoning :)
posted by SaltySalticid at 7:00 PM on March 9, 2018
posted by SaltySalticid at 7:00 PM on March 9, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 5:44 PM on March 9, 2018 [2 favorites]