Peeling Ginger with a Spoon?

     I'm posting this simple technique for peeling ginger because many people aren't aware of how easy it is to prepare it for cooking.  Put away the vegetable peeler and pick up a small sturdy spoon.  Take the edge of the spoon and scrape along the surface of the ginger.  The peel comes right off, keeping more of the ginger intact that a regular peeler.

     When you cut ginger into smaller pieces but don't peel it, sometimes the skin will end up being the majority of the bite in your dish later.  Generally if I am using bigger slices in my cooking I don't peel organic ginger; however, I will always peel non-organic ginger.

      Also use this technique on fresh turmeric as well.  I haven't tried it on galangal root yet, but let me know if you do.

       You can also peel and then grate ginger for a different effect in your dishes.  Grating ginger tends to distribute the flavor quickly in a dish.  While generally I'll add fresh ginger pieces early on in my cooking, I can add grated ginger in the middle or end of the cooking time.  

       One of the best things to do if you need an immune boost is grate some ginger in a cup, add a slice of lemon and a dollop of honey, and add hot water.  Bonus points would be adding 1/4 tsp. of bee pollen.  For vegans I would omit the honey and pollen, but substitute with maple syrup or brown rice syrup.