Ginger Doesn’t Need to Be Peeled
With age I have become more picky about most things, but the longer I live, the less picky I am about peels. Unlike my seven-year-old self, who didn’t eat an apple unless it was peeled, cored and cut into wedges, I am now a big fan of nature’s edible wrapping paper. (The exception, oddly enough, is the bell pepper skins; the peeled bell peppers melt in the sauces.)
Currently, my favorite thing is not to peel the ginger. It all started slowly, carefully – I hadn’t removed the 1-inch handle before I sliced it up for the poached chicken, and the chicken came out as juicy and flavorful as ever. Then I got a little bolder and chopped it, also unpeeled, before adding it to the fried rice. Again, there was no discernible difference in taste or quality. Finally, I tasted it raw, grated unpeeled ginger right on top of my tiny tomato toast . It was delicious.
The only thing you really need to make the ginger is to rinse quickly under running water and maybe scrub a little with a bristle brush if you’re really worried about dirt. There is no point in cleaning it. The skin of ginger is so thin and delicate that it is almost impossible to find it in whatever you add. You cannot taste the peel, you cannot taste the peel on your tongue, and – unless you leave it in large, raw chunks – you cannot even see the peel. Not peeling ginger is also a less wasteful and economical approach. Instead of trying to scoop up those tiny pieces and shoots with a spoon – which is rarely successful – you can chop, dice, grate, and chop them along with the larger thumb-shaped chunks. There is no downside.
The only exception is if you are dealing with old, wrinkled ginger with tough skin. If you plan to add it to a dish, you will have to get rid of it, as well as any woody and fibrous pulp. (For this tough guy, a spoon won’t work – use a peeler.) Honestly, once the ginger gets to this point, I just chop it up – unpeeled – and sprinkle it with harsh hot oil to make a ginger-flavored ginger. oil . Add tiny cloves of garlic – which I refuse to peel, too – and you have a good base for the dipping sauce.