Welcome to Official Portal of Agriculture Department, Sikkim!

  • Change Font Size:
  • -A
  • |
  • A
  • |
  • +A
  • ||
  • Change Theme:
 
logo user
emblem userSign In
Home About Us Contact Us

More Menu

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous

Value Addition of Ginger
Ginger, like cinnamon, clove and pepper, is one of the oldest spices of the world. The sundried rhizomes are known as ‘hands’ or ‘races’ which either with outer brownish cortical layers intact (‘coated’ or ‘unscraped’), or with outer cortical partially or completely removed (‘uncoated’ or ‘scraped’ or ‘decorated’ ginger). 

The earliest example of ginger use leads us to India, where it was utilized by the Yogi as a seasoning to promote mental clarity. Also, the Yogi contrasted it to garlic, where the ginger had a sweet essence which was inoffensive to the gods. Soon, ginger usage spread to China, where it was used in treating nausea, vomiting, and motion sickness. Also, it was adopted in reducing the toxicity of other herbs, absorbing and neutralizing the toxins in the stomach. Further, Asian countries used the ginger as a diaphoretic, purging the body of toxins via its invigoration of the sweat glands. Made into a tea, ginger was used as a carminative, an agent which expels gas from intestines. 

In the sixth century, usage of ginger spread to Japan, where today it remains the favored base for soups and sauces, and prescribed topically for aches and pains. In the Western World, ginger received its debut from the Muslims, who after occupying Spain, made it popular. The Spaniards in turn introduced it to the West Indies and Jamaica. 

Application
Known to the scientific world as Zingiber officinalis, the medicinal portion of the plant is derived from the tuberous rhizome (underground root) of the perennial plant from the family Zingiberaceae. Know to some areas of the world as Cochin ginger, it is most common in Jamaica, India, Africa, China, and Indonesia, where it is used as a spice, condiment, and flavoring agent. 

A special combination of volatile oils and resin is responsible for the unique aroma of the ginger; the same compound has been found to possess properties aiding the treatment of colds, coughs, colon and stomach spasms, constipation, indigestion and gas problems, heartburn, headaches, motion sickness, morning sickness, nausea, and sinus congestion. 

Other possible applications :
  • Stomach flu,
  • Post-chemotherapy nausea,
  • Hot flashes,
  • Menstrual cramps,
  • Cleanses colon,
  • Stimulates circulation - improves body heat,
  • Inhibits deleterious blood clotting and atherosclerosis,
  • Clears head of sinus and allergy complications,
  • Used for colitis and diverticulitis,
  • Helps in the paralysis of tongue,
  • Protects from ulcers,
  • Promotes secretions of liver, gall bladder, saliva, and gastric juices.
  • Protects liver from toxins,
  • Antibacterial - fights E. coli, Proteus, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Salmonella sp. 
            - beneficial when eating sushi due to its parasite fighting power (including Anisakis - the most common parasite in Japan, and Schistosoma, the second major parasitic disease in the world. )
  • Stimulates immunity,
  • Stimulates growth of lactobacillus - a beneficial microflora,
  • Expectorant - helps with bronchitis, coughs, sore throats, colds, flu, and mild fevers,
  • Lowers blood cholesterol, strengthen heart muscles,
  • Anti-oxidant,
  • Anti-inflammatory,
  • Anti-spasmodic,
  • Eliminates dandruff,
  • As a detoxifying agent in a hot bath or foot bath,
  • Relieves sore joints when used as a topical lotion.
Value Added Products of Ginger :

1. Dehydrated Ginger (Technology Source: CFTRI) : 
 
Ginger is marketed in India as a whole in raw condition or in dried form and to some extent it is also used for oil/oleoresin extraction. Ginger is grown mainly in N.E. States.

Ginger can be dehydrated suitably on a cottage scale in the rural parts. The skin is peeled mechanically using an abrasive peeler (used for potato, beetroot and carrots) and sliced. Then it is dried in a mechanical drier at a critical temperature flow drier. The dehydrated ginger is then packed in suitable containers where it can be kept stored for a period.

 1.. Bleached Dry Ginger (Technology Source: CFTRI) : 
 
Dry ginger is prepared by peeling the outer skin of the rhizomes and drying in the sun for about a week. It is known as "Unbleached ginger ". Bleached ginger is prepared by peeling off the outer skin, steeping in a solution of milk of lime and drying in the sun. Bulk of the ginger produced in the country is marketed in the whole raw condition or in dried form.

3. Ginger Candy and Preserve : 

Ginger candy is traditionally consumed as a chewing material. It is used as an appetizer, mouth refresher and as a health food. It is also used for top dressing and decoration of cakes, puddings and as ingredient in fruit cocktail and salads.

The candy is prepared from low fiber type tender ginger with mild pungency. The process involves cleaning, peeling, dicing, steeping/ curing in sugar syrup of increasing concentrations to get ginger preserve. The candy is then prepared from preserve by draining off the syrup, coating the cubes with powered sugar and drying under controlled conditions. The product is packed in pouches or tins. 

4. Ginger Paste :
This paste has many uses. Besides adding a very rich flavor to food, it thickens broths. Ginger and garlic are also reputed to clean up your blood stream by thinning your blood out a bit. It can be used in our versions of chicken curry, also in stir fries, stews, or even thick, creamy-textured soups. It's very easy to make, but when you do use it, add it later in the cooking process or it may burn. But add it early enough that its flavors distribute well through the dish. This works best if you add it to a large quantity of liquid, such as water or broth. 

The ginger is unpacked from the gunny bags and spread in a well-ventilated room to prevent any deterioration. Suitable quantities of rhizomes are taken for washing. This is done manually in tubs and finally in running water. The rhizomes are then hand scrubbed on stones to peel the skin. The skin in the joints is scooped with a spoon. The skinned rhizomes are then manually chopped or finely macerated with a large knife. This reduces the load on the grinders. 

Ginger and garlic are then ground into a paste using the proportions 55% ginger, 35% garlic and 10% salt. Industrial wet grinders are used for the purpose. The paste from the grinder is removed into plastic or stainless steel buckets. From the buckets the paste is scooped with a stainless steel spoon which takes 200 g material, and this is filled into the packets using a funnel. The funnel is used so that the paste does not wet the lips of the packet, which will not seal if moist. 

Packaging of Ginger Paste 
Two types of bags-polythene and metalized polyester are used for packaging of ginger-garlic paste. 

Polythene packing is done in two bags, one inner and the other outer. The inner bag is made of virgin grade high molecular, high density polythene sheet of size 4 ½ ”x5”. The outer bag is milky white and screen printed to label and advertises the product. Each set of inner and outer bag put together costs 25 to 30 p. 

The metalized polyester packs are of two types-trend pack pouches and flat pouches. The trend pack pouches can stand erect when filled with the product, while the others lie flat. These are made of two layered sheet, the outer layer being metalized polyester and the inner layer being low density polythene. 

The packets are sealed with electric hand or foot sealer. The mouth of the packet is covered with butter paper or silicon paper or teflon cloth before sealer is run over it. The covering material is reused 50 to 60 times before it is discarded for fresh ones. There are marketed at the rate of Rs.5 per 200 g packages for polythene pack and Rs.6 for metalized polyester pack. 

5. Ginger Syrup :
Delicious golden-coloured syrup flavored with natural ginger, this is a really convenient form of ginger for both sweet and savory dishes. It is sold in bottles. 

6. Ginger RTS (Ready To Serve) :
Ginger RTS is highly refreshing, appetizing, thirst quenching, easily digestible nutritionally far superior to any other aerated/synthetic drinks. It provides vitamins like Vit.A, B, C and minerals like calcium and iron. The preparation method is very simple and it can be prepared in home or in large scale within very short period of time. 

7. Ginger Juice :
Ginger juice is prepared from good quality healthy ginger. Freshly prepared ginger juice is required for the preparation of different unfermented beverages, like ginger syrup, ginger RTS, etc. which are appetizing, thirst quenching, highly refreshing and nutritionally far superior than any other aerated or synthetic beverages. 

Ingredients :
Tomato – 2
Coriander - 1/4 tsp
Pepper - 1/4 tsp
Cumin - 1/4 tsp
Garlic - 2 cloves
Ginger juice - 3 tsp
Salt to taste
Rasam powder - 3 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander leaves 
Lemon juice - 3 tsp

Preparation
Add 2 cups of water in a pan, and add the tomatoes & ginger juice and crush them well, Add the ingredients with coriander seeds, pepper, jeera ground well together. Let the rasam boil for about 6 minutes in low medium heat. Then finally add the coriander leaves. Heat some oil in a separate pan and add some mustard seeds, with curry leaves, urud dal, chana dal and asafoetida fry them till the dals turn golden brown to finally add to the rasam. 

8. Ginger/Ginger-Green Chilli Pickle : 
There are various types of pickles made from various fruits and vegetables in different medium, like mustard oil, vinegar, lemon juice, etc. The ginger pickles are prepared in vinegar and lemon juice medium. So there is no chance of fear about oily appearance or fat content. It is highly tasty and delicious product made from ginger rhizomes. The method of preparation is also very simple. So in home or in large scale the ginger pickle can easily be prepared. 

Ingredients : 
500 gm ginger 
500 gm green chilly 
350 gm lemon juice 
100 gm mustard seed powder 
25 gm fennel seeds powder 
pinch of asafoetida 
salt, turmeric powder, oil, mustard seeds as per requirement 

Method 
Peel of green ginger. Make small pieces with knife. Wash whole green chillies. Dry them with a linen cloth. Cut it 1/4th. Mix the filling of turmeric powder, mustard seed powder, fennel seeds powder. Mix it with green ginger pieces. Add lemon juice. Mix it properly. Store in an airtight jar. Keep the jar in sunshine for 7 to 8 days. Then prepare season of mustard seeds and asafoetida. Let it cool. Pour it into pickle and stir it well. 

9. Essential Oils : 
The essential oil content at the final harvest (240th day) varied from 1.2% in ‘Arippa’ to 2.5% in ‘China’. Even though the essential oil content was more during the initial stages of growth, per hectre yield was maximum at full maturity in all the caltivars except in ‘Jamaica’, ‘cv.646’ and ‘Arippa’. 

10. Oleoresin : 
The oleoresin percentage was generally maximum in immature crops (i.e., 150th day) in all the cultivars except in ‘Maran’ and ‘cv. 646’ and thereafter the tendency was to decrease steadily with maturity. Experiment showed that among the different varieties, the maximum oleoresin per ha at 240th day was in cultivar ‘Nadia’ followed by ‘Ernad Chernad’. 

11. Gingerol in Ginger Oleoresin : 
The pungent principle in ginger is gingerol and the estimation of gingerol shows that it varies from 9.10% in ‘Vengara’ Selection to 28.05% in ‘Jugijan’ in different cultivars at varying maturity. The gingerol is seen in oleoresin about a month before the rhizome reaches full maturity (between 186 and 210 days) in majority of the cultivar except in ‘No. 646’, ‘Ernad Chernad’ and ‘Sleeva Local’ in which the gingerol content was maximum at full maturity.