DIY: Dried Ginger

I wanted to make my own Masala Chai spice and to do that, I needed dried ginger root. You can probably buy this somewhere but I didn’t recall seeing it readily available so I figured I’d make it myself. It’s so easy!

Dried Ginger

Basically all you have to do is peel, slice and dry the ginger root.

Peel - I find using a paring knife easier than a vegetable peeler because of all the knobby protrusions on the root.

Slice - Hey, you can use that same paring knife! You can slice or chop it as you like, depending on what you want to use the finished product for. Since I wanted very small bits for my tea spice, I sliced it very thin.

Dry - This is where you have a few options. Lay out the slices in a single layer on a cookie sheet. (I recommend using parchment paper or tin foil as a liner.) 

Now, you can set them in sun for sun-dried ginger, just let them sit out on the counter or do the quicker oven method. If you want them dried ASAP, you can place the tray in the oven, set it to “keep warm” or it’s lowest setting and prop open the door so the moisture can escape. The oven method takes hours, while just leaving it out will take days.

Test it to make sure it is completely dry before you store it. If there is any moisture in it, it will go moldy.

Note that the dried ginger will shrink considerably from the original root. Keep this in mind when deciding how you want to slice it.

This much fresh...

... turned into this much dried.