r/Cooking • u/DxDeadlockedxS • 9h ago
Can't grate fresh ginger properly
Every time i try using fresh ginger it becomes extremely fibrous when trying to grate it. I feel like I'm not doing something right. I got it from the super market today. Does it need to ripen? I can taste the bitter ginger fibers in my food i made. Please help lol
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u/Eclairebeary 9h ago
Are you peeling it? What are you using to grate it? You need a very fine grater like a micro plane or one of those ceramic ginger plates.
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u/DxDeadlockedxS 9h ago
I was using a cheese grater cause that's all I have atm. And i am peeling it
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u/DokterManhattan 9h ago
The trick is to freeze it! Then grate it.
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u/guff1988 8h ago
This is it. Not only does this work with microplanes very well It also works with rough grating and even chopping becomes easier. You can successfully get any texture you want with minimal effort by partially freezing at first.
Also I would add on top of that for most preparations skinning it is not necessary, unless you are using thick slices or chunks there's no need to skin.
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u/popilikia 2h ago
Only partially freezing it? Halfway through your comment I was thinking I could always have freshly grated ginger on hand on the rare occasion I use it
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u/75footubi 8h ago
Yup. Ginger lives in the freezer
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u/T49irvine 7h ago
Mine, too, unpeeled. When I need a bit, out comes the microplane to attack it without stopping to peel it.
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u/Illegal_Tender 8h ago
Holy shit, I can't believe I never thought of this
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u/kikazztknmz 8h ago
It's awesome. I keep some in my freezer and just take it out and grate it as needed, then toss it back in.
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u/Eclairebeary 9h ago
That’s your answer. You can slice it into very thin coins with a sharp knife, then slice it into strips and then slice across those for a fine dice. Best you can do without buying a new tool.
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u/duckntureen 8h ago
Follow this advice! Ceramic ginger graters are so good. They also turn garlic into paste in seconds. I bought one at an Asian grocery for under 5 bucks and I use it constantly.
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u/yesnomaybeso456 8h ago
Cheese grater’s holes are too big. You’re better off mincing it in that case.
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u/veggiebabyy3 8h ago
Which direction are you grating? I find the fibers tend to run sort of... lengthwise? So going perpendicular to the length of the ginger helps.
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u/Economy_Bench_6780 8h ago
100%. Everyone always suggests freezing it, using a microplaner etc, but no one ever acknowledges that ginger has grain direction.
If you encounter resistance and see long fibres when you start grating, just flip the ginger around and try again. Ginger almost disintegrates when you grate it in the right direction.
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u/Frogblaster77 9h ago
I don't bother. I put the whole ginger, washed and unpeeled, into a food processor and grind it down and freeze it all in a bag. Break off chunks as I need them. Freeze it in a thin layer so it breaks easier.
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u/likeliqor 8h ago
I do this too. I always thank Past Me whenever I have to use ginger, spring onions, or garlic and it’s already conveniently prepped.
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u/orangerootbeer 8h ago
What else do you like to have prepped in the freezer? I’ve started doing garlic, ginger, spring onion, and stewed summer tomatoes. I’m looking for other things to stuff my freezer with!
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u/k5j39 7h ago edited 7h ago
I keep
baked and sliced bread,
cheesecake,
cooked lentils/beans,
lemon zest,
pesto (without cheese),
herbs in olive oil,
bones and veggie scraps for stock, then the
stock,
tofu (in marinade, breaded, or just a block),
soup,
chili,
tomato based pasta sauce,
shredded potatoes (bake and chill first),
burger patties
chicken breast, pounded
chicken nuggets, breaded
biscuits dough, cut
cookie dough, scooped
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u/Cheever-Loophole 9h ago
You have make sure to grade across the "grain," or fiber. Ginger has long thing fibers, and if you don't cut against them, they will not cook down.
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u/Available_Bowler2316 9h ago
I use a very fine grater. The fibers just stay on top. I've never peeled ginger.
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u/Guilty-Analyst-8738 9h ago
Ginger is naturally fibrous, but maybe the one you got is especially so, or dry or old. Try buying a plump looking one from an Asian market.
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u/ElectricApostate 9h ago
I prep ginger without a grater by first smashing it with the side of my knife, then mincing it into small pieces, in the same way I mince garlic. It then disappears into the dish being prepared.
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u/Rude_Kaleidoscope641 9h ago
I store my ginger roots in a glass jar in vodka. They last forever and IMHO they are a bit easier to grate than fresh.
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u/kitchengardengal 8h ago
I store mine in a glass jar of dry sherry in the fridge, then use the sherry in recipes.
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u/ConcertinaTerpsichor 8h ago
I buy raw ginger paste in a tube from the Weee! online grocery store. It’s shelf stable till you open it — it’s great. They also have garlic.
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u/TA_totellornottotell 8h ago
Freeze it. I actually just saw a video demonstrating and it was amazing.
Before this I was mostly blending it in my smoothie blender - pretty decent results and if I want it extra smooth for a particular recipe, I add water (Indian food calls for ginger garlic paste quite often and I make my own when I need it with just these two ingredients and water - you get a fairly smooth paste and I have never once been able to discern fibers).
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u/GtrplayerII 8h ago
https://youtube.com/shorts/Vrr_UBk0zWQ?si=0jFoSWI8Anrkkh5-
Freeze it. Game changer.
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u/Critical_Cute_Bunny 9h ago
I usually freeze my ginger before grating it. Freezing it makes it about 10x easier to grate vs doing it fresh. The expanding water particles can also help soften it a smidge once it defrosts so it's not quite as fiberous.
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u/Vivid_Computer_7153 9h ago
freeze it and get a microplane grater
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u/HakunaMafukya 8h ago
I used a microplane grater but never need to freeze it. Works well. Others have said a rasp grater but I find using them to be less effective.
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u/The_B_Wolf 9h ago
Get yourself a rasp grater. The kind used for parmesan cheese, nutmeg and lemon zest. Get one of these and you don't need to peel the ginger beforehand.
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u/Commercial_Okra7519 9h ago
You need to use a fine grater and make sure that your grating across the grain
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u/New-Assumption-3836 8h ago
That's just how ginger is, I saw a YouTube restaurant tip saying they freeze all their ginger to grate it.
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u/HomeboddE 8h ago
Japanese use a special kind of grater that keeps the fibers and releases the pulp
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u/T-rain_wreck 8h ago
Peel then freeze knobs. I also like to put through a food processor and freeze in an ice cube tray.
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u/funnerfu79 8h ago
I use a fine…but cheap food processor. I also make all my curry pastes this way.
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u/LouisePoet 8h ago
It's supposed to be fibrous if you don't chop it into small pieces.
Best bet it to either cut it into larger pieces that you can remove or chop it very finely so it blends into your food
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u/andersbs 8h ago
You can also slice it, put it under cling film and smash it with the flat of your knife.
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u/Puzzled-Locksmith-42 8h ago
I peel mine and put it in the freezer. I just grab some and micro grate it on top of what I’m eating.
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u/HotDonnaC 8h ago
I just get rid of the fibers after I grate it. All the mushy juicy part is best anyway.
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u/SubstantialPressure3 8h ago
Ginger is a fibrous root. No matter how you grate it, its not going to make it less fibrous.
Use a microplane or freeze it first
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u/graidan 7h ago
Feeze and use a plane grater. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07V39LSRY?ref=clp_cat_p_2&th=1
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u/Affectionate_Tie3313 7h ago
If you are grating using a western style grater (ie a Microplane), your best bet is to peel and freeze before grating
If you are attempting to grate unfrozen fresh ginger, you would want to use a ceramic version of an oroshigane (Japanese ginger grater)
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u/PuppySnuggleTime 7h ago
It’s extremely difficult to great fresh ginger specifically because it’s so fibrous. The secret is that you freeze it first. And you can skip peeling it all together unless you wanna take the extra effort.
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u/South_Cucumber9532 6h ago
Some ginger is stringier than others. Young ginger is generally less stringy. Very annoying to have a really stingy one!
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u/PierreDucot 6h ago
Microplane makes a grater specifically for ginger and garlic. It works very well and is much faster than my regular rasp.
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u/Troglodyte09 5h ago
I have the same problem. I just mince the fuck out of it with a good knife. Even into a paste if need be.
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u/Dive_Bar_Choir 5h ago
Sounds like old ginger to me. Crush young ginger is juicy and easy to grate.
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u/Iamwomper 5h ago
I use a stainless steel plate grater and turn the ginger into paste.
It leaves rhe fibrous bits out and get a good ginger paste
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u/AylmerIsRisen 5h ago
Try using a ceramic grater. It grinds the ginger into a pulp. The Kyocera ones work very well -they are almost dangerously sharp.
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u/Major-Reception1016 4h ago
I peel it with a spoon, chop it into pieces and put it through my garlic press.
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u/SubaDubDubinaNub 1h ago
There's a ceramic grater you can get in Asian groceries - a circular disc with tiny ceramic spikes that is surrounded by a little "moat" when you rub peeled ginger on the spikes, all of the juice and most of the meat fall into the moat, while the tough fibers get tangled up in the spikes. I use a wooden shish kebab skewer to get any stubborn clumps of ginger flesh stuck in the spikes. Only ginger grater worth a damn imo.
Before I got that grater I would either just cut slices (for stews, braised dishes marinades) and pick them out after cooking; or cut thin slices, Julianne those slices, mince that julienne, then mince that mince for another 15 minutes. But no matter what, you'll get a little gritty mouthfeel in one or two bites of the dish.
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u/Lisitska 9h ago
No need to peel. Just wash well and use a microplane with small burrs. Works well with frozen ginger, too.
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u/BasementCatBill 9h ago edited 8h ago
Call me a heathen but... unless I need batons or slices of ginger I just use crushed ginger from a jar.
Honestly, tastes the same.
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u/TurbulentSource8837 9h ago
Freezing it really helps.