Sunday, 28 February 2010

what to do with a lot of ginger? (Jan 10th 2009)

I'm dying.

Gastro has hit me now. Day two and I am upright and breathing but only because if I stayed in bed the chaos facing my return to normality would kill me. Yes, The Husband took the day off work yesterday to help me look after the tots and the house. I awoke this morning to a kitchen full of dishes, a table covered in last night's plates, a pile of washing to be folded on the chair and a load of wet washing from yesterday, still in the machine. Not a happy Crone.

I literally spent yesterday facing the toilet, on the toilet or snuggled under the doona because I was freezing (bear in mind that it was 37 degrees here yesterday - around 100 degrees for those in the US) so I had absolutely no interest in what was happening beyond my bedroom door.

So how does ginger and a surplus thereof come into the story? I suddenly remembered that ginger tea helps with nausea and gastro, so took myself off to the markets this morning to buy some. The Goddess must have decided that she was going to give me a gift today because there was a pack of gorgeous ginger on the sad table; a kilo for $3.

Now a kilo of ginger is quite a large amount. Googled (as we all do now) for things to do with it and came up with this recipe.

Pickled Ginger
here
Ingredients
1/2 lb fresh ginger, peeled, sliced crosswise against the grain into paper thin coins
1 1/3 cups unseasoned rice vinegar
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 cup sugar, plus
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions
1Cover ginger with boiling water. Let stand 2 minutes, then drain in colander. Put the ginger in a large, clean glass jar or plastic container.
2Combine the remaining ingredients in a non-reactive pot. Stir over medium heat until the sugar and salt dissolve. Pour over ginger.
3Let cool completely, then cover and chill in refrigerator for at least 24 hours before using. Enjoy!
4The thin slices of ginger make a good addition to plates of grilled meat, fish, or poultry. Minced or julienned, they are good added to sauces and marinades. The juice can be used in hot and cold sauces, spring roll dips, and salad dressings. You will get 3/4 cup ginger and about 2 cups juice.



But waste not want not (would this come under the frugal challenge I set myself?), all those ginger skins and off cuts were steeped in chinese cooking wine, no way was I chucking all that goodness out.
So here we all are, upright and breathing or as I have recently found out, our family motto is Dom Spiro Spero. The Tots are running around like loonies, the teen is still languishing on the lounge, the Husband is drinking ginger tea like a crazy man. Me; Dom Spiro Spero!

1 comment:

The Crone at Wits End said...

5 Responses to “What to do with a lot of ginger”
1.Goingalittlebitferal Says:

January 10th, 2009 at 3:20 am e

Hugs babe. But only you could turn gastro into a sustainable adventure. You’re so awesome

2.river Says:

January 10th, 2009 at 5:03 am e

You can also grate fresh ginger and freeze it in ice cube trays. Just as you would with an excess of garlic, but crush the garlic instead of grating. Then put the frozen cubes into containers and label.

3.Julie Says:

January 10th, 2009 at 5:46 am e

Oh urgh, gastro. Hope you are feeling better now mate. I do lazy pickles - peel and cover in dry sherry (’cause I didn’t have any rice wine) and store in the fridge! The first batch have been going for about 6 months now and the sherry tastes soooo goood in stir fries, I almost prefer it to using the actual ginger LOL. **Sending healing vibes**

Cheers, Julie
4.Susana Says:

January 10th, 2009 at 6:00 am e

You are a real inspiration babe. Keep up the good work. Well once you’re all better. Thinking of you! S.

5.naturewitch Says:

January 10th, 2009 at 7:48 am e

Darling Crone - healing energy on its way to you. xx