Are there pesticides on the skin of ginger?
Fresh ginger is popular in recipes and can be used to make a delicious spicy tea. But should you peel the ginger or can you skip that tricky job? We looked it up for you.
Ginger is a tuber root of the ginger plant and can be bought fresh all year round. The irregular shapes make peeling ginger difficult, despite tips such as peeling with the edge of a spoon. But is peeling really necessary, for example to remove pesticides or because the peel is said to be toxic? We asked the Nutrition Center. The answer: peeling ginger is not necessary at all.
Wash only
Good news for people who hate peeling ginger. You can just eat the peel; it is not poisonous. In fact, by not peeling ginger and eating it whole, you prevent food waste. It is wise to wash ginger before consumption. This way you remove any dirt, dust and bacteria. And what about any pesticides? When they have been used, they not only remain in the skin, but usually penetrate further into the product. So peeling doesn’t help. Peeling may only be necessary with older ginger because the peel is too stiff to eat. Old ginger does not smell as strong and the skin is not smooth, but wrinkled and sometimes discolored.
How do you peel ginger?
A convenient way to peel ginger is with a spoon. You can see that in this video.
How do you store ginger?
It is best to buy firm ginger tubers that have not dried out. Are there suckers on the ginger tubers? That’s no problem. You can take that off. Store fresh ginger in a plastic container or bag in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator. This way, fresh ginger stays good for up to 3 weeks. Read here how you can keep ginger even longer.
Not just fresh ginger
Fresh ginger is a root, just like beetroot and rutabaga. It belongs to vegetables and is in the Wheel of Five. In addition to fresh ginger, there are also other forms of ginger. These are not in the Wheel of Five if sugar or other sweeteners have been added.
In Wheel of Five
- Fresh ginger tubers
- Ginger powder (ground dried ginger root), also called djahé
- Ginger tea without sugar or honey
- Ginger pickled in vinegar
Not in Wheel of Five
- Candied ginger (gloves of peeled ginger pickled in syrup)
- Baking ginger (finely chopped ginger in syrup)
- Crystallized ginger (candied ginger with a layer of sugar)
- Ginger syrup (syrup containing candied ginger)
- Ginger tea with sugar or honey
cooking tips
Ginger is loved for its fresh, lemony, spicy and pungent taste. This spicy taste is due to the gingerol ingredient in ginger. Grated fresh ginger, together with garlic and red pepper, is a commonly used seasoning in Eastern cuisine. Ginger is delicious in curries, soups and stews. Ginger also tastes good in (non-alcoholic) cocktails.
Tasty recipes with ginger
- Granola with orange and ginger
- Stir-fried chicken with apple and ginger
- Brussels sprouts with ginger and shiitakes
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