How to Juice Ginger Root

The distinctively invigorating and fiery flavor of fresh ginger is incomparable. Ginger root juice packs in all the robust flavors of the spice without its fibrous pulp, making it an ideal addition to fresh fruit and vegetable juice blends, hot and cold teas, and smoothies, among countless other ginger juice recipe ideas. The best way to extract ginger juice is with an electronic juicer, but there are a few alternative methods that work almost as well, albeit with a bit more effort required.

You can juice fresh ginger root in an electronic juicer in the exact same way as any other vegetable or fruit. There’s no need to peel the ginger before juicing as the machine will easily extract the juice from the skin and pulp. However, you should wash the ginger and examine it for spoilage beforehand. If you see any discolored or moldy spots, cut them away with a sharp knife.

You should always follow the instructions for your specific model of juicer, but you’ll generally need to do the following:

1. Set a glass under the spout.
2. Place whole or cut-up pieces of fresh ginger root into the shoot.
3. Turn on the juicer and press down with the plunger.

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Extracting ginger root juice without an electronic juicer is less efficient, and you won’t get quite so much juice out of the pulp, but it’s fairly straightforward. The best way to extract ginger juice without an electric juicer is to use a food processor or a high-powered blender as follows:

1. Wash the ginger, but don’t peel it. Cut away any spoiled parts.
2. Use a sharp knife to chop the ginger into small pieces.
3. Place the pieces in a food processor or blender, and chop or blend them until you have as smooth a pulp as possible.
4. Place a layer of cheesecloth across a bowl. Use a spatula to transfer the ginger pulp to the center of the cheesecloth.
5. Gather the corners of the cheesecloth together to contain the ginger pulp inside; then squeeze the pulp with your hands. The juice will drip into the bowl below. 
6. Keep squeezing until all the juice is extracted; then discard the pulp.

An alternative method is to shred the ginger with a box grater. Shred the ginger directly onto the cheesecloth set over a bowl to catch all the juice. Squeeze the juice out of the shredded ginger in the same manner described above.

The best way to extract ginger juice when you only need a very small amount is to use a garlic press. Simply peel and chop a small enough piece of ginger to fit inside a garlic press, and squeeze the press together so that the juice drips into a bowl or glass.

A basic internet search for ginger juice recipes will yield thousands of results, most of them fresh juice blends. You can also experiment with your own recipes. Know that ginger juice has a very strong flavor, so start with a small amount. Here are just a few ginger juice recipe ideas:

• Add a shot of ginger juice to fruit and vegetable juice blends. Ginger complements most fruit and vegetable flavors, especially citrus, carrots, apples, kiwi, pineapple and leafy greens.
• Dilute ginger juice with hot water for a simple ginger tea. Add honey, fresh lemon juice or your favorite tea bag for alternative flavors. 
• Add a spoonful of ginger juice to homemade salad dressings and stir-fry sauces. It works especially well with Asian-inspired ingredients such as sesame oil, soy sauce, miso paste, rice vinegar, garlic and chili. 
• Try a dash of ginger juice in adult cocktails. It’s particularly nice in bourbon and rum drinks.