Herbs and Spices 04

Ginger was one of the earliest spice known in Western Europe, used since the ninth century. It became so popular in Europe that it was included in every table setting, like salt and pepper. A common article of medieval and Renaissance trade, it was one of the spices used against the plague. In English pubs and taverns in the nineteenth century, barkeepers put out small containers of ground ginger, for people to sprinkle into their beer — the origin of ginger ale.

In animal husbandry it was used in order to ’gee up’ a lazy horse, it is the time honoured practice of Figging - To treat a horse in such a way as to make the animal appear lively, as by putting a piece of ginger into the anus. Because Ginger is an irritant, the animal will act more lively and carry it's tail high, a favourable trait with Arabs and other highly spirited breeds of show horse. This treatment is outlawed by Equestrian organisations and today is considered as animal abuse.

The characteristic odor and flavor of ginger is caused by a mixture of zingerone, shogaols and gingerols, volatile oils that compose one to three percent of the weight of fresh ginger. In laboratory animals, the gingerols increase the motility of the gastrointestinal tract and have analgesic, sedative, antipyretic and antibacterial properties.[3] Ginger oil has been shown to prevent skin cancer in mice[4] and a study at the University of Michigan demonstrated that gingerols can kill ovarian cancer cells.

The medical form of ginger historically was called Jamaica ginger; it was classified as a stimulant and carminative, and used frequently for dyspepsia and colic. It was also frequently employed to disguise the taste of medicines. Ginger is on the FDA's "generally recognized as safe" list.

According to Paul Schullick in the book and reports from his trials “Ginger, Common Spice or Wonder Drug”, his trials in Denmark showed that ginger's anti-inflammatory properties can assist in the treatment of arthritis and also his tests reported an amazing side effect when the usual winter colds disappeared. Ginger's anti toxic properties have an anti viral, anti fungal, anti histamine and anti bacterial effect which is basically what we are taking antibiotics, cold and flu tablets, cough mixtures and aspirin for. Tests by the University of Maryland confirm many of the findings of the Denmark studies (University of Maryland Medical Centre (2006). "Ginger". http://www.umm.edu/altmed/ConsHerbs/Gingerch.html)

Case Western University dermatology researchers found that ginger oil helps prevent sun cancer in mice in preliminary tests released last year. Researchers covered mice in ginger oil and then exposed them to chemicals that create cancer. The ginger inhibited the growth of skin cancers on the mice. Here in the Southern Hemisphere where the hole in the Ozone layer has a devastating effect on skin cancer rates, this research is being followed closely.

Ginger should not be consumed in quantity by anyone suffering from gall stones as it promotes the production of bile (Al-Achi, Antoine. "A Current Look at Ginger Use ). It also can interact with some medications, including warfarin.

Ginger and Morning Sickness:
"Ginger could relieve the nausea and vomiting experienced by pregnant women, say Australian researchers. Ginger does not prevent morning sickness but it may help ease some of the nausea experienced by pregnant women, researchers reported in the April 2004 issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Researchers from the University of South Australia in Adelaide gave nearly 300 women either 350mg of ginger or 25mg of vitamin B6 three times per day for 3 weeks. The researchers found that both ginger and vitamin B6, which is sometimes taken to counteract morning sickness, worked equally well at alleviating nausea symptoms. Due to the small sample size, the researchers concluded that more research was needed to determine ginger's risks and benefits."

Ginger and Nausea:
Ginger’s ability to quell the queasies is its most widely publized product benefit. A 1982 study from Brigham University and Mount Union College in Ohio found that ginger was more effective than the common anti-nausea drug Dramamine in blocking motion sickness. Ginger most likely works against motion sickness by “interrupting the feedback between the stomach and the nausea center of the brain” says psychologist Daniel Mowrey, co-author of the Brigham Young Study. It is ideal for patients of chemotherapy, to reduce nausea and it's antibacterial properties aid their weakened immune system.

Ginger and Motion Sickness:
Why is ginger ale served on airplanes? Many studies have shown that ginger eases motion sickness and aids digestion. Commission E (a panel of experts appointed by the German equivalent of the FDA and considered to be the world’s most reliable source on herbal remedies) recommends consuming ginger to prevent motion sickness. In one study reported in The Lancet, ginger capsules were more effective than Dramamine in reducing motion sickness induced by a revolving chair. It’s no coincidence that ginger ale, as a soothing beverage, has been served on the airlines nearly since the beginning of commercial aviation.

Antioxidant:
Ginger is a good antioxidant. It contains two phenolic compounds, shogaol and zingerone, that protect fats from being damaged by highly destructive forms of oxygen (free radicals). Source: American Health *1988, James Dulce Ph.D. *Ginger is a powerful antioxidant with more than twelve constituents superior to vitamin E. Ginger helps neutralized free radicals which are widely recognized as participating or being responsible for the inflammatory process. Source: Ginger East to West *1984, Bruce Cost.

Ginger and Circulation:
Ginger is known to be a rubefacient, reddening the skin by stimulating the flow of blood to a given area. This property alone accounts for much of its ability to ease soreness. It is also a carminative (ridding the stomach and intestines of gas) and an aid in the digestion of fatty foods. Source: Readers Digest: Magic and Medicine of Plants.

In general, ginger intake should not exceed 4 grams daily (this includes the ginger obtained through diet such as from ginger ale, ginger snaps, and ginger bread). Usually, food sources contain no more than 0.5% ginger.

Standardized dose: Take 75 - 2,000 mg in divided doses with food, standardized to contain 4% volatile oils or 5% total pungent compounds including 6-gingerol or 6-shogaol.

For nausea, gas, or indigestion: 2 - 4 grams of fresh root daily (0.25 - 1.0 g of powdered root) or 1.5 - 3.0 mL (30 - 90 drops) liquid extract daily. To prevent vomiting, take 1 gram of powdered ginger (1/2 tsp) or its equivalent, every 4 hours as needed (not to exceed 4 doses daily), or 2 ginger capsules (1 gram), 3 times daily. You may also chew a 1/4 oz piece of fresh ginger when needed.

To relieve arthritis pain: Take fresh ginger juice, extract, or tea, 2 - 4 grams daily. Topical ginger oil may also be rubbed into a painful joint. Fresh ginger root may also be placed in a warm poultice or compress and apply to painful areas.

For cold and flu symptoms, sore throat, headache and menstrual cramps: Steep 2 tbsp of freshly shredded ginger in hot water, 2 - 3 times daily. A drop of ginger oil or a few slices of fresh rhizome may also be placed in steaming water and inhaled.

The Chinese particularly liked ginger’s tenderizing properties as a marinade, the Dutch have made ginger cake for breakfast for centuries whilst the Japanese insist on the best pickled ginger or "gari" for their sushi. Meanwhile we in “the West” are creating fusions to stimulate our palate and our health : Crystallised ginger chips in cookies, ginger in soups, pickled ginger on salads. Ginger is used in a variety of forms:

Fresh ginger - Often referred to a s “Root Ginger” it is actually a rhizome, not a root. A piece of the rhizome, called a ‘hand’. It has a pale yellow interior and a skin varying in colour from brown to off-white. Buderim ginger, (from Buderim, Australia) which is pale buff, is regarded as one of the best varieties in the world. African and Indian ginger is darker skinned and generally inferior, with the exception of Kenya ginger. Buy fresh ginger

Powdered ginger is the buff-coloured ground spice made from dried root. The powder should be yellow and not white. Over time it will bleach with age and white powder is indicative of age.

Ginger flakes are slices of fresh ginger dried. This is usually only used in asian cultures and mostly in asian medicine rather than cuisine.

Preserved or ‘stem’ ginger is made from fresh young roots, peeled and sliced, then cooked in a heavy sugar syrup. The ginger pieces and syrup are canned together. They are soft and pulpy, but extremely hot and spicy.

Crystallized ginger is also cooked in sugar syrup, then air dried and rolled in sugar.

Pickled ginger has the root sliced paper-thin and pickled in a vinegar solution. This pickle is known in Japan as gari, which often accompanies sushi, and is served to refresh the palate between courses. We buy our ginger in season and preserve it this way ourselves, for use the rest of the year.

Ginger Juice is usually used in catering applications and available from the growers. However some arthritis sufferers claim it is an excellent additive to a warm bath to relieve arthritis pain.

Ginger chips these are small pieces of either preserved or crystallized ginger and can be substituted for chocolate chips in any cookie, muffin or cake recipe.

Ginger can be preserved in a variety of ways but for most of us, the easiest way is to pickle it as gari. If you get into that 'cottage' look, with the shelves of preserves, this one is for you. Try white wine vinegar for pale gari, and red wine vinegar for pink gari or add some ribena to white vinegar, for red gari.

Gari is easy to make. Simply finely slice some fresh ginger while you bring some wine vinegar to the boil. Have some clean jam jars with metal lids warming in the oven. Put some boiling vinegar into a hot jar and add the sliced ginger, removing any air bubbles. Cap the jar while it's still hot so it vacuum seals (in about a hour it will make a loud pop as the lid seals). Keep in the pantry until opened then store in the refrigerator.

To use in cooking, a handy cheat is to put it through your garlic press, with the garlic - much easier than cutting it up fine, if you have a family like mine who don't react too well to a peice of hot ginger turning up in their stir fry.

This fresh hand of ginger has a well developed growth "horn" or eye at the top - ideal for planting.

If you bought yours from the fruit shop, soak the rhizomes in water over night, since shop bought ginger might have been treated with a growth retardant.

Location and Soil Preparation

Ginger loves a sheltered spot, filtered sunlight, warm weather, humidity, and rich, moist soil. (What else did you expect from a tropical plant?) What ginger can't stand is frost, direct sun, strong winds, and soggy, waterlogged soil

A young ginger plant

A young healthy ginger plant

Whether you grow your ginger root in a pot or in the ground, you do need really good soil to start with. It needs to be rich enough to feed your ginger (you can always add some fertiliser, see below), it needs to hold enough moisture so it doesn't dry out, but it needs to be free draining so the ginger roots don't become water logged. Good compost is of course ideal. I use a mix of one part of my best compost with one part of sandy garden soil. The compost supplies the nutrition and holds water, and the sand/loam makes sure the mix drains freely.

If your garden has reasonable soil just dig in some compost and that should be good enough. If your soil is too heavy you can make a raised bed or a small hill or ridge to improve drainage.

Planting
The best planting time is late winter/early spring (late dry season/early wet season, in the true tropics). Make sure you select a spot where the plants get plenty of light but no direct sun, and where they are protected from wind. You can cut or break up the ginger rhizomes in little pieces with a couple of growing buds each. Or just plant the whole thing. Plant your ginger root five to ten centimetres deep, with the growing buds facing up.

Ginger doesn't take up much room at all. Every rhizome you plant will first only grow a few stems, in the one spot. Over time it will become a dense clump and very slowly get bigger, but only if it isn't harvested. Ginger seems to prefer being crowded, probably because it increases the humidity. The rhizomes underground also don't seem to mind if they become a bit crowded. A 14 inch pot easily holds three average rhizomes, a rectangular styrofoam box holds about nine to a dozen. If planting them in the ground plant them about six to eight inches apart.

Ginger only grows to about two to three feet in height.

(If you want to plant a whole hectare you'll need to order 1000 - 1500 kg of fresh ginger rhizomes!)

Ginger rhyzome

A strong shoot can appear often before any roots develop

Growing Care
Ginger needs a lot of moisture while actively growing. The soil should never dry out. Don't overwater, though, because the water that drains away will take nutrients with it. Ginger loves humidity. If you have problems with dry air then regular spraying and misting might help. Dry air can cause problems with spider mites. But that's rather a problem for people who try to grow ginger out of its range and indoors. A sheltered, moist spot in a warm climate will provide enough humidity. If you are growing ginger in the ground mulch it thickly. It helps to keep the ground moist, it helps feed the ginger as the mulch breaks down, and it also keeps down weeds, because ginger is a slow growing plant and easily overgrown by others.

Ginger plants reach a height of two to four feet tall. Slender stems and narrow, glossy leaves may reach up to a foot long and resemble the foliage of a lily. Occasionally, your ginger may produce a yellow green flower, but flowers are both rare and unnecessary for the health of your ginger plant.

Fresh Ginger root

Harvesting Ginger
Towards the end of summer, as the weather starts cooling down, your ginger will start to die back. Reduce the water, even let the ground dry out (this encourages the ginger to form rhizomes). Once all the leaves have died down your ginger is ready for harvest. If you are growing ginger root in the garden you can start stealing little bits of it once it is about four months old. Just dig carefully at the side of a clump. This "green ginger" doesn't have as much flavour as the mature stuff, though. The best time to harvest ginger is any time after the leaves have died down. Usually it takes eight to ten months from planting time.

You can now dig up the whole plant. Growing ginger in styrofoam tubs makes the harvest so much easier – no digging- just tip out the tub.

Break up the rhizomes, select a few nice ones with good growing buds for replanting (you can replant them straight away), and keep the rest for the kitchen. (I simply peel, chop and freeze the whole lot.)

The rhizomes that have been replanted or left in the ground don't need any water or attention until the weather warms up again. The other way to grow and harvest ginger is to have many clumps growing around your place, and to just dig up what you need, when you need it. The plants grow outwards from the mature rhizomes. Once a clump is big enough you can harvest the mature tubers without damaging new shoots, by taking from the middle of the clump.

If you are serious about growing ginger at home then resist the urge to harvest it for a year or two. Rather build up a good resource stock first. I started with one little rhizome and dug it up the first time after two years. I replanted every single promising looking bud and still had some to eat. Next year I did the same, and after that I harvested enough to last me a year.

Hybrids
A lot of work is being done with hybrid gingers. These are of little or no value as a spice plant, rather these are aimed at the home gardener, mainly for the resulting spectacular blooms as shown below.

Ginger temalawak Flower

Hybrid Ginger temalawak Flower

But Hey! - Whats wrong with a little eye candy in the herb garden?

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