Pureed Ginger -2

Please see also Pureed Ginger .

A year has passed, so I’m making another batch. Each batch lasts me about 12 months.

I’m using a different method so thought to write up the differences between today’s batch and last year’s batch.

I’m starting off with 3.3 Kg (7.3 lbs) of root ginger, purchased at No Frills for $9.41 last week.

I’ve decided NOT to puree the raw ginger root before sterilizing it; instead I’m giving it a short boil to tenderize the chunks, making the pureeing process easier and faster.

Or so goes the theory!

Coupled with that is my new production line of ginger beer – one bottle per week – and I fancy adding a dash of ginger root liquor to each bottle to give it a bit more Zing!

Here are my two bags of ginger root.

7.3 pounds in all.

It will last me a year in soups, deserts, drinks, stews, cookies and so on.

Tipped onto the counter, yes, it looks formidable, but we’ll tackle it one root at a time!

Here is one root chopped into fragments small enough for my counter-top blender. I use my heaviest knife to chop through the fibrous material.

My jam dixie is filled to the brim. I can cram the remaining root, chopped and still fit on the lid.

Here we go. I have added two jars of water (see later) to help steam the roots.

Out of 7.3 lbs I got only two fragments showing any sign of disease or rot.

Into the vermicomposter with them.

Once the segments had come to the boil (one hour) and simmered (one hour), I managed to drain off a jar of liquor. I’ll use that to help the blender.

Here is my first batch for shredding.

Into the blender go three ladles of boiled root and a half-jar of liquor.

I start on “blend” speed for ten seconds then “Liquefy” for ten seconds.

Within about 15 minutes I’m all done.

Here is the blender with 3 ladles of root, waiting for some liquor.

Here is the previous batch of liquefied root, straining out liquor.

Some root is in tiny 2mm fragments, but most is reduced to fiber.

After 15 seconds draining, the sieve is tipped into my collector pot where I accumulate the strained liquefied root ready for bottling.

The liquor goes back into the blender to start the next round.

And here is the next round, ready to go.

Blend for ten, Liquefy for ten, strain for 15 (while I scoop the next 3 ladles into the blender), toss out and pour the liquor back.

Exercise caution with the pan of boiled/steamed root fragments.

No matter how well you rinse the root, soil fragments, mud-like, will be waiting for you!

Into the vermicomposter with them!

I have enough pulp to fill 8 small jars in one steamer ...

... and another eight small jars in a second steamer.

I have a largish-jar which will keep in the fridge for a week or two and get used up immediately.

I get my jar of liquor back at the end of the game, somewhat cloudy with ginger-root fine particles.

It’s going to be some tangy ginger beer for the next few months!

Later that Day

FOURTEEN lovely jars of pureed ginger!

What happened to the other two? They didn’t seal, so they have gone back for a second attempt.

Here is a close-up of the puree.

The jars themselves are somewhat dimpled, but you can see that the ginger root is pulped to a fine nature.

Search