Homemade Ginger Liqueur
Crafting Your Own Ginger Liqueur: The Secret to Eliminating Gamey Smells in Cooking, Replacing Mirin
Ginger, a powerhouse of health benefits, is also a fantastic ingredient for enhancing the flavor of your dishes! During fresh ginger season, many people make ginger syrup or candied ginger. By using leftover ginger to create your own ginger liqueur, you can effortlessly eliminate any unpleasant odors in your cooking, making every dish exceptionally clean and delicious. Trust Food Mom for this simple and effective ginger liqueur recipe!
Main Ingredients- 100g Fresh Ginger
- 200-300ml Cheongju (Korean rice wine) or clear cooking sake
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare the ginger. Fresh ginger has a thin, soft peel that’s easy to clean by scraping off dirt with a knife’s edge or scrubbing with a scouring pad. Once cleaned, slice the ginger thinly into rounds (for wider jar openings) or into fine matchsticks for a more intense ginger flavor. While you can dedicate ginger specifically for this liqueur, using leftover ginger from making ginger syrup or candied ginger is also a cost-effective option.
Step 2
Sterilize the jar you’ll be using by boiling it in hot water and ensure it’s completely dry. Add the prepared ginger (matchsticks or rounds) into the sterilized jar. If your jar has a narrow opening, using thinly sliced ginger matchsticks is advisable. Sliced ginger pieces might escape from a narrow opening over time.
Step 3
Now, pour in the Cheongju (or a clear, mild-tasting cooking sake) to fill the jar. The general ratio recommended is about 1 part ginger to 3 or 2 parts Cheongju, but you can adjust this based on the ginger’s spiciness and your desired flavor intensity. For this recipe, I used 100g of ginger with about 200ml of Cheongju for a more concentrated ginger liqueur. Ensure the Cheongju fully submerges the ginger.
Step 4
Seal the jar tightly with its lid. Give it a gentle shake to mix the ginger and Cheongju well. It’s also a good idea to label the jar with the date it was made and its contents so you can easily identify it later.
Step 5
While you can use the ginger liqueur immediately, allowing it to mature in the refrigerator for about a week will help the ginger flavor and aroma infuse more deeply into the Cheongju. Once made, store the ginger liqueur in the refrigerator and it should stay fresh for about 6 months. Use a small amount of this homemade ginger liqueur in your cooking instead of mirin or regular cooking sake to effectively remove gamey smells from meats and fish, adding a subtle ginger aroma. Remember to keep it refrigerated for the best quality!
