Freeze Ginger to Reduce Waste

I'm obsessed with Ginger Tea. Not only is it delicious and refreshing but it's great for you.  If you didn't know here are just a few of the benefits of ginger:

Maintains Normal Blood Circulation: Ginger contains chromium, magnesium and zinc which can help to improve blood flow, as well as help prevent chills, fever, and excessive sweat.

Remedies Motion Sickness: Ginger is a known effective remedy for the nausea associated with motion sickness. The exact reason is unknown, but in a study of naval cadets, those given ginger powder suffered less.
Improves absorption. Ginger improves the absorption and stimulation of essential nutrients in the body. It does this by stimulating gastric and pancreatic enzyme secretion.

Cold and Flu Prevention: Ginger has been used for thousands of years as a natural treatment for colds and flu around Asia. The University of Maryland Medical Center states that to treat cold and flu symptoms in adults, steep 2 tbsp. of freshly shredded or chopped ginger root in hot water, two to three times a day

Combats Stomach Discomfort: Ginger is ideal in assisting digestion, thereby improving food absorption and avoiding possible stomach ache. Ginger appears to reduce inflammation in a similar way to aspirin and ibuprofen.

Colon Cancer Prevention: A study at the University of Minnesota found that ginger may slow the growth of colorectal cancer cells.

Reduce Pain and Inflammation: Ginger contains some of the most potent anti-inflammatory fighting substances known and is a natural powerful painkiller.

Fights Common Respiratory Problems: If you’re suffering from common respiratory diseases such as a cough, ginger aids in expanding your lungs and loosening up phlegm because it is a natural expectorant that breaks down and removes mucus.. That way you can quickly recover from difficulty in breathing.

Ovarian Cancer Treatment: Ginger powder induces cell death in ovarian cancer cells.

Strengthens Immunity: Ginger helps improve the immune system. Consuming a little bit ginger a day can help foil potential risk of a stroke by inhibiting fatty deposits from the arteries. It also decreases bacterial infections in the stomach, and helps battle a bad cough and throat irritation.

Combats Morning Sickness: Ginger has demonstrated a success rate of 75 percent in curing morning sickness and stomach flu.

Ginger tea and tea made with Unsulphured Blackstrap molasses are the ones that I turn to when it's that time of the month. Both seem to help with the gut wrenching cramps that I experience. 
Instead of buying the pre - made ginger tea I always buy ginger root from the grocery store then I use a knife to peel the outer layer of the root. Then I either cut the ginger in slices and place in a cup of boiling water or I grate it and place the grated ginger in my tea infuser which is then placed in a mug of hot water. I tend to sweeten with raw honey, sugar in the raw, or I enjoy it without any sweetener at all.  

Now back to the topic at hand. I purchase significant amounts of ginger because I use it often however there have been many times that some of the ginger root would spoil before I was able to use it all. I'm not one who enjoys throwing my hard earned dollars into the trash so it was very important to find a way to make it last. Oddly enough while looking for a low carb recipe online I stumbled onto a simple solution. Freeze the ginger root.

It's so simple and a method that I use for preserving my bananas and berry's that I use to make smoothies. I honestly don't know why I didn't think of it but hey no one's perfect right. It's ridiculously simple. Peel the ginger root and cut it into thin slices or grate it then I place the slices or grated ginger into little Ziploc bags or my favorite way is to put the grated pieces into ice tray with about a tablespoon of water per cube. When I need the ginger for a recipe or to make tea I simply go into my freezer and use the  frozen slices or ginger ice cubes. Simple yet and cost effective.      

Enjoy =)