Baking with Ginger

table with candles, dried hydrangeas, ginger pear loaf and copper pot

March 20, 2019

Autumn, Food, Recipe Collections

By Bekah

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bake, baking, baking prompt, dessert, ginger, recipes

table with candles, dried hydrangeas,
pear loaf and copper pot

pear loaf with dried hydrangeas and copper pot

woman pouring coffee into mug next to pear loaf

Things are about to get a tad spicy! As you may know from past baking prompts, cinnamon is one of my favorite spices. It’s a popular one, of course, and very versatile too, but it’s sassy sister in the spice world is ginger. Ginger has a strong flavor (think gingerbread of course), and it’s just as adaptable in the savory realm as in the sweet. Like cinnamon, it pairs well with other spices as well as fruits. We’re going to give ginger the spotlight this weekend so get those tastebuds ready for flavor!

FACTS ABOUT GINGER:

Here’s a fun fact: ginger isn’t actually a spice. It’s easy to think of it as one since we find it in the spice aisle at our local grocer, but it’s actually an herb. It also comes from the same family as turmeric and cardamom. Now if you’re thinking, “but can’t I buy ginger root in the produce department?” Absolutely, but there again, you’d be mistaken. Ginger “root” is actually a ginger rhizome, better described as an underground stem.

Now that we’ve squared away what ginger really is, I don’t think it’s a surprise that ginger has many health benefits. In fact during ancient times, Greeks would eat ginger to help with digestive issues, often wrapping it in bread. This eventually led to what we know as gingerbread (fascinating, right?). As for another fun health fact, honey and ginger together are amazing for treating respiratory conditions. When choosing fresh ginger, make sure they are firm, fragrant and smooth. Cracked or wilted is not the way to go. Wrap and keep refrigerated for 2-3 weeks.