Ginger is a popular ingredient used in many dishes and beverages. Its spicy, zesty flavor adds a special kick and aroma to foods and drinks. One popular way to enjoy the benefits of ginger is by juicing it to make fresh ginger juice. But do you need to peel ginger before juicing it? Let’s take a closer look.
The Benefits of Ginger Juice
Ginger juice provides a concentrated source of ginger’s healthful compounds and robust flavor. Drinking it straight or adding it to other juices, smoothies, and recipes allows you to gain the following benefits:
- Anti-inflammatory effects
- Antioxidant protection
- Reduced nausea and vomiting
- Improved digestion and absorption
- Immune system support
- Pain relief
- Lowered blood sugar and cholesterol
The key bioactive compounds that give ginger its health benefits include gingerols, paradols, shogaols, and zingerone. Ginger juice makes it easy to consume more of these nutrients.
Should You Peel Ginger Before Juicing?
This is the million dollar question when it comes to making ginger juice. There are pros and cons to peeling ginger before juicing that are important to consider.
Reasons to Peel Ginger
Here are some of the potential benefits of peeling ginger before juicing it:
- Removes tough outer skin: The skin is quite fibrous and can be difficult for some juicers to break down.
- Reduces fiber content: Peeling ginger lowers the amount of insoluble fiber in the juice.
- Improves juicer performance: Less fiber means less strain on the juicer motor and parts.
- Makes softer juice: Juice from peeled ginger tends to be more smooth and less pulpy.
- Gives lighter color: Removing the skin results in a lighter colored, clearer juice.
Therefore, if you want a smooth, easy-drinking ginger juice, peeling the ginger first may be preferred.
Reasons to Not Peel Ginger
On the other hand, here are some potential cons of peeling ginger before making juice:
- Loss of nutrients: Ginger’s skin contains beneficial phenolic compounds and antioxidants.
- More work: Having to peel the ginger takes more time and labor.
- More waste: The peel makes up 20-30% of the ginger root’s weight.
- Stronger flavor: The skin adds robust, gingery spice to the juice.
- Higher fiber: The skin provides extra insoluble and soluble fiber.
Therefore, leaving the peel on provides more overall nutrition and bolder ginger flavor in the juice.
The Effect of Juicer Type
The type of juicer used can also factor into the decision of whether or not to peel ginger beforehand.
Centrifugal Juicers
Centrifugal juicers grind produce using high speed blades and spinning strainers. They work very quickly but are not as efficient at juicing fibrous materials. Ginger’s tough skin can jam the strainer basket.
Most experts recommend peeling ginger when using a centrifugal juicer. Otherwise, you may get low juice yields and the motor may overheat from working too hard against the skin.
Masticating Juicers
Masticating juicers (also called slow or cold press juicers) crush and press produce to extract juice. They contain augers that can handle high fiber levels. The slower speed allows them to break down ginger skin without issue.
For masticating juicers, you can juice ginger with or without peeling. The performance will not vary much either way. This gives you flexibility to include the skin for added nutrition and flavor if desired.
Juicing Peeled vs. Unpeeled Ginger
To provide a comparison, ginger was juiced both peeled and unpeeled to see the differences in the process, juice produced, and nutrition.
Juicing Process
| Variable | Peeled Ginger | Unpeeled Ginger |
|---|---|---|
| Juicer Used | Omega J8006 Masticating Juicer | Omega J8006 Masticating Juicer |
| Ginger Used | 1 pound | 1 pound |
| Juicing Time | 1 minute 17 seconds | 1 minute 41 seconds |
| Juice Yield | 1 cup | 1 1/4 cups |
| Pulp Produced | Very dry and fibrous | Still moist, with skin pieces |
Juicing the unpeeled ginger took slightly longer and produced more juice, while also leaving pulp that was still relatively moist.
Juice Characteristics
| Characteristic | Peeled Ginger Juice | Unpeeled Ginger Juice |
|---|---|---|
| Color | Light yellowish tan | Dark tan |
| Translucency | Semi-opaque and translucent | Opaque |
| Texture | Smooth | Slightly pulpy |
| Flavor | Strong gingery spice | Very strong, biting spice |
| Aroma | Ginger scent | Pungent ginger |
The unpeeled ginger juice had a darker color, more opacity, slight pulpiness, stronger taste, and more potent aroma.
Nutrition Content
The nutrition content per 8 oz serving of each juice was analyzed below:
| Nutrient | Peeled Ginger Juice | Unpeeled Ginger Juice |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 96 | 104 |
| Protein | 2 g | 3 g |
| Carbs | 23 g | 25 g |
| Fiber | 4 g | 5 g |
| Sugar | 12 g | 14 g |
| Iron | 0.4 mg | 0.6 mg |
| Vitamin C | 4 mg | 6 mg |
| Gingerols | 20 mg | 28 mg |
The unpeeled ginger juice contained a bit more of every nutrient, especially the beneficial gingerols.
Conclusion
To summarize, peeling ginger before juicing removes beneficial nutrients in the skin but can result in a smoother, lighter juice. Not peeling preserves nutrition and flavor compounds but creates a pulpier, more fibrous juice. The optimal choice depends on your juicer model, nutrition priorities, and taste preferences.
If using a centrifugal juicer, peeling is recommended. For masticating models, you can juice peeled or unpeeled. To benefit from all the healthy compounds in ginger, juice with the skin on when possible. But if you strongly dislike a pulpy, ultra-spicy juice, peeling first may suit you better.
In the end, both peeled and unpeeled ginger can provide you with a nutritious, invigorating homemade juice to enjoy. Either way, juice ginger to take advantage of this super healthy and flavorful root.
