Growing Ginger

[Medjoul1]

Hello all,
As the above says does anybody have experience and can offer advice on growing Ginger here in the TRNC? I planted a small tuber from the supermarket in the summer and it grew very well but come the cooler weather and the top growth has died back. I'm a bit reluctant to dig it up to see whats going on underground in case it needs more growing time when it warms up to bulk up the tubers. Ideas please?
Thanks

[Ragged Robin]

Ginger thrives on warmth. Where summer nights are cool, ginger produces best when grown in a greenhouse or high tunnel.

Harvesting
Ginger stops growing new leaves in late summer when nights become longer. Wait as long as you can to harvest the roots, but before freezing temperatures. Shake off loose soil and then rinse roots with a strong spray of water. Store “baby ginger” in the freezer, and take out small pieces as you need them in the kitchen.

Above is an extract from "Grow Veg" on the Internet. You can find it by searching "Growing Ginger". They also provide a calendar for planting and harvesting but if you can make it work, let me know.

You have insired me to have a go, but I will plant in pots because of the dogs, and to enable me to move according to weather.

Let us know how you get on.

[Keithcaley]

RR, that really got me interested - I'd never thought of growing ginger, although I have tried storing it without a great deal of success.

I found that freezing appears to dry out the ginger, to the point where it becomes completely desiccated, and just crumbles when I try to grate or slice it - even when kept in an airtight plastic bag.

Storing unused roots submerged in Vodka appealed to me (for obvious reasons!) but it seems to take on a slimy texture after a while - not very appealing

The only successful method so far seems to be the popular commercial practice of covering with syrup, although this obviously imparts a sweet taste which is not always appropriate to the intended use of the ginger...

Any more ideas, or am I doing something wrong?

[Ragged Robin]

Keith: I have never managed to store Ginger successfully, and have resorted to using the powdered stuff which is not as good. That is why I was interested in growing it, never thought of it before I read this post! but I will let you know how I get on.

At the risk of teaching my Granny to suck eggs , may I suggest there is a lot more information about growing ginger on the internet? In fact is has a lot of info about growing all sort of things I would not have thought of , and growing from ends of old veg, rather than seeds etc., which I am now trying. Eg I hope in a week or two I will have my own- grown potatoes from old ones that grew eyes in the veg basket and spring onions from the ends cut off ones bought from the supermarket!!!!

[Medjoul1]

Going off the "advice on growing ginger in the TRNC" thread slightly but I've been growing Chillies by saving the seeds from the ones I buy at the market, washing them and sowing them in pots to prick out later and had almost %100 germination rate. The mint usually has a bit of root left on it and that comes back really well but keep it in a pot as it will spread.

[Keithcaley]

RR I was hoping to pick your brains!

[alphamike]

KC - Quite like the idea of storing in vodka.
I used to sometimes buy jars of lazy ginger, not sure if you can get it here or not. However, it inspired me to make my own. Simply grate, slice, julienne, finely dice or make into a paste in a food processor, put in a sterilised jar and cover with vinegar. It keeps forever in the fridge.

[Keithcaley]

Vinegar! - Right!

Doesn't it alter the taste though? - I can imagine it ending up as 'pickled ginger' which might be quite interesting in its own right, of course...

[alphamike]

Vinegar! - Right!

Doesn't it alter the taste though? - I can imagine it ending up as 'pickled ginger' which might be quite interesting in its own right, of course...

Doesn't alter the taste so much as you would notice, as in cooking savoury dishes, which is the main thing that I use ginger for. I think that cooking evaporates the vinegar. Use a light vinegar, such as grape vinegar/apple cider, something of that ilk, rather than a malt or pickling vinegar.
I haven't got any at the moment, so can't compare to fresh ginger. It was just a handy thing to have in the fridge, and I will be doing some again soon, as this thread has reminded me. Not sure if I would have been using it with honey and lemon in a hot drink, which I have been going through copious amounts of lately, although doubt if I would have noticed any difference in taste, being all blocked up.
Perhaps not suitable for making sweet dishes, when your vodka idea or in syrup would be more appropriate.

Saw a tip, not that long ago, to peel with a teaspoon, and it works, and you don't waste any ginger. Obviously you have to chop off any hard knobbly bits. Another thing I read, is that you don't actually have to peel it, the skin is very good for you, although not tried that.

[Ragged Robin]

For some cleaning and dog shampoo receipies I use white vinegar (beyaz sirke) which is very cheap in most Supermarkets. Would this work with the preserving recipe?

For the lemon and honey drink I use powdered ginger which is also very cheap..... In my drinking days I used to add a soupçon (!) of whisky or brandy .
It is best however to do that when you can keep warm , preferably drop straight into bed, as the idea is to make you sweat the fever out.

PS Does anyone know where I can get cider vinegar East of Girne?

[alphamike]

For some cleaning and dog shampoo receipies I use white vinegar (beyaz sirke) which is very cheap in most Supermarkets. Would this work with the preserving recipe?

For the lemon and honey drink I use powdered ginger which is also very cheap..... In my drinking days I used to add a soupçon (!) of whisky or brandy .
It is best however to do that when you can keep warm , preferably drop straight into bed, as the idea is to make you sweat the fever out.

PS Does anyone know where I can get cider vinegar East of Girne?

Any vinegar would do RR, I have used a lighter vinegar in the past. I use the beyaz sirke mainly for household stuff, rather than in food, but it is watered down a good bit, compared to a malt so yes, worth a bash.

I had fresh ginger in when I caught that virus, so was using that, and went through a whole tuber, but got another from a nearby market. Never even entered my head to use the powdered stuff.

I've never seen cider vinegar, just apple vinegar here. I think I posted before on another thread about making your own apple cider vinegar, loads of recipes on internet. It's really easy, you just need some apples, sugar and water.
Here's the first one that came up on a google search.
http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/homemade ... r-vinegar/

[alphamike]

Going off the "advice on growing ginger in the TRNC" thread slightly but I've been growing Chillies by saving the seeds from the ones I buy at the market, washing them and sowing them in pots to prick out later and had almost %100 germination rate. The mint usually has a bit of root left on it and that comes back really well but keep it in a pot as it will spread.

Thanks for the tip Medjoul, I've never tried growing chillies from seeds from the supermarket, but will certainly give it a bash.

[Kath]

Had to take a look at the ingredients in my minced ginger. Somehow I had presumed it was in oil. My Rajah Minced ginger paste is in water and rapeseed oil, one I looked at in the supermarket was in vinegar and another one in vegetable oil and vinegar. Take your pick!

Ginger Vodka or is it Vodka ginger- it must be good for colds.

I sometime plant a bit off a fresh ginger when it starts to grow, must do it again.

[johnerebus]

The ginger I buy in the supermarkets here seem to have been sprayed with a growth inhibitor. Does anyone know where I can buy unsprayed or better still organic ginger to grow please? Thanks