How To Make Ginger Cubes (And Why I'm Loving Them!)
How (and why!) to make ginger cubes - An Appetite For Joy
Frozen cubes of puréed ginger - it's a simple concept that has been very useful in my cooking, so I had to share!
With cold season approaching, ginger is our friend. It strengthens the immune system by killing certain pathogenic bacteria and preventing toxic buildup - especially in the digestive and respiratory tract. Ginger also reduces inflammation.
We've been consuming more of this healthy root since I've started keeping these on hand.
It's not that peeling and grating a little fresh ginger as needed is SO difficult, but it's not my favorite thing to do. Plus it's just that - another thing TO DO.
Sadly, my ginger would sometimes get moldy before I could use it all.
Grabbing a ginger cube or two, however, makes me happy! I continue to discover great uses for them.
5 USES FOR FROZEN GINGER CUBES
1. Quick Asian chicken noodle soup - You can easily transform chicken broth by adding ginger, a little soy sauce (tamari if you are gluten free) and a touch of toasted sesame oil. Add some prepared thin rice noodles and you have a great lunch. My kids prefer chicken soup this way.
2. Golden milk - This is a delicious anti-inflammatory latte spiced with turmeric and ginger (along with other spices such as pepper, nutmeg and/or cinnamon if desired).
3. Smoothies and green juice blends - Recently I've been loving blended drinks that contain ginger. We had an apple-ginger green drink today that was SO good! I need to post the recipe soon!
4. Hot ginger-lemon water - Wake up, drop a ginger cube into a cup and pour in some freshly boiled water. Stir, add lemon and, if desired, a bit of honey. This is a cleansing drink that revs up digestion.
(Inidentally, we often have lemon cubes on hand as well.)
5. Stir-fries - Ginger really kicks up a stir-fry and if you have these cubes on hand, it's one less thing to chop. I've even found myself using these cubes as a starting point of a meal. "Well, I have some ginger cubes on hand. I'll add some meat, garlic, vegetables and tamari, etc."
How (and why!) to make ginger cubes - An Appetite For Joy
It's very easy to do. Just combine fresh, peeled ginger in some water and purée in the blender. I like it to be the consistency of runny applesauce. Then freeze it in ice cube trays. Silicone are easy to work with. I like this set of heart/star/shell molds because they are small and slightly different in size so I can choose the size of my cube for each application.
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How (and why!) to make ginger cubes - An Appetite For Joy
Recipe: Ginger Cubes
Makes 40 cubes
INGREDIENTS:
NOTE: You don't have to use the exact measurements below. Just peel the root and chop it into one-inch pieces. Then add a water a little at a time until you get the consistency of runny applesauce.
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7 ounces peeled ginger (about 2 cups of loosely packed one-inch pieces)
3/4 to 1 cup water (start with 3/4 and gradually increase if needed)
DIRECTIONS:
Blend the ginger and water until they become a smooth purée. (If your blender is laboring, chop the ginger a little smaller.)
Spoon into ice molds and freeze.