Topic: Garlic/Ginger Paste

[Stephen Lindsay]

failsafe - get some garlic and ginger from your local Asian grocer which is much cheaper than from your supermarket. I blend a 60:40 ratio of garlic to ginger with just enough oil to make it liquid. Pour into a jar and Bob's your uncle. It will keep in the fridge for a month and when a recipe calls for "garlic ginger paste" that's what you use.

[colin grigson]

Welcome failsafe !

Fresh is loads better , easier to work with , more tasty ( natural I mean without acidic preservatives and God knows what ) and it can be frozen too .. I usually make up about 500g at a time and freeze in 50g tablet containers which then lasts a couple of months .. to not do fresh is idleness IMHO   

[goncalo]

I bought 3 jars, one of ginger paste and one of garlic paste (same brand) and one of garlic-ginger paste from a different brand in my local asian grocer. I am quite pleased with the garlic paste, but not pleased at all the with the ginger one. I think the garlic-ginger one is fine too, but I always top it up with extra garlic. I have not given myself the trouble of making my own paste since. I find the difference to be negligible.

[StoneCut]

Good general tip for pastes: It's worth adding just a little bit of salt when making the paste. It helps your mixer grind everything easier. At least that's what I found.

[goncalo]

Here's my tip (then again, I can only speak of mine): Don't use a jungle-blender to make g&g, unless you want it chunky  (again, might just be mine, which I cannot vouch for the quality as it was offered..!)

[Peripatetic Phil]

Here's my tip (then again, I can only speak of mine): Don't use a jungle-blender to make g&g, !)

I hate to seem na

[goncalo]

Here's my tip (then again, I can only speak of mine): Don't use a jungle-blender to make g&g, !)

I hate to seem na

[failsafe]

failsafe - get some garlic and ginger from your local Asian grocer which is much cheaper than from your supermarket. I blend a 60:40 ratio of garlic to ginger with just enough oil to make it liquid. Pour into a jar and Bob's your uncle. It will keep in the fridge for a month and when a recipe calls for "garlic ginger paste" that's what you use.

That's useful info which i will consider.
problem i have is that i have arthritis in my hands so getting and peeling [which applies to other ingredients that have to be peeled] ginger is out of the question, sadly. But thanks to all. Expect I'll have to consider buying commercially available paste!

[Peripatetic Phil]

That's useful info which i will consider.  problem i have is that i have arthritis in my hands so getting and peeling [which applies to other ingredients that have to be peeled] ginger is out of the question, sadly. But thanks to all. Expect I'll have to consider buying commercially available paste!

Sorry to learn about the arthritis : my aunt had that (rheumatoid arthritis) and I know how debilitating she found it.  But I think you can buy frozen pre-peeled garlic cloves : that may be worth a try.  As for the ginger, many advocate leaving the skin on and just removing the gnarly ends : that may also help.

** Phil.

[Secret Santa]

Failsafe, you can get garlic and ginger in frozen cubes from Asian shops and some supermarkets as well. It's good stuff and has no nasty tasting preservatives like the jarred pastes.