All about ginger, young and old. How to pickle it and a recipe that makes the most of it
The young ginger in the markets in late spring is very different from the old ginger that is available year-round. Yes, they are both a rhizome and come from the same plant but the former is harvested when the shoots are off-white with pink tips.
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Young ginger is moist and tender with a very thin, edible skin and mild flavour. It is often eaten as a vegetable or made into a pickle.
Old ginger has been allowed to mature on the plant and the skin is thicker, the flesh fibrous and the flavour hot and strong, so it is usually used as a seasoning. Old ginger can be dried and then used to make ginger powder.
Young and old ginger should be chosen the same way: buy 'hands' that have smooth skin and which feel heavy.
Pickled ginger is often eaten with sushi. Photo: Shutterstock
Pickled ginger
Pickled young ginger is easy to make. Use a teaspoon to scrape off the skin. Sprinkle salt over the ginger, mix it well, then refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until the rhizome is slightly softened. Rinse it and pat it dry, then put it into a tall, narrow glass jar; if needed, trim the ginger into smaller pieces so they fit into the jar.
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