"rosaries of ginger of rustling peppers"

On Storing Ginger:

At some time when the price of fresh ginger is good, buy a pound or so. You will also need a clean glass jar with a lid (an old spaghetti sauce jar will do), and a relatively neutral vodka (Finlandia works well).

Cut the ginger into chunks -- I usually go for a mix of 1-2" pieces -- and peel off the skin. Put the ginger pieces into the jar, and when it is filled, add enough vodka to cover the ginger. Put the lid on the jar and store in the door of your refrigerator until the next time you need fresh ginger. Then, just fish a piece out of the jar and off you go.

Ginger will keep quite literally for years this way, and the vodka has no discernible effect on the flavour or aroma. What the ginger does to the vodka ... well, that's another story.

Agha Shahid Ali