How to store fresh ginseng so it keeps for a long time

After washing fresh ginseng, soak it in baijiu (Chinese liquor) for storage; you can also wrap fresh ginseng in plastic wrap and place it in a refrigerator compartment at 0-2 degrees; or alternatively, sun-dry fresh ginseng, put it in a plastic bag, and then store it in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator.

Types of commercial ginseng currently on the market:

Sun-dried ginseng: the main root is about 3-10 cm long and about 0.3-2 cm in diameter. The surface is earth-yellow, with dark brown transverse wrinkles and longitudinal furrows; the fine branch roots and fibrous roots have all been removed, leaving only traces. The texture is brittle, the body is light, the cross-section is flat and white, with radial fissures. It has a fragrant odor and a bitter taste. Those with a complete rhizome and fibrous roots are called “whole-root sun-dried ginseng”.

White ginseng: the properties are the same as sugar ginseng, with a better shape, similar to wild mountain ginseng, but mostly straight and upright, with a longer rhizome than red ginseng, and scattered fibrous roots that are short and brittle.

White dried ginseng: the epidermis of the main root has been completely removed, the body surface is pale yellow or off-white, the transverse wrinkles at the upper end are not obvious, but shallow longitudinal furrows and branch root scars are visible. Other properties are similar to sun-dried ginseng.

Red ginseng: the main root is about 5-20 cm long and about 0.7-2 cm in diameter. The surface is brownish-red, semi-transparent, with large longitudinal furrows, inconspicuous ring lines, and branch root scars. The rhizome is earth-yellow, with 4-6 bowl-shaped stem scars on it. The texture is hard but brittle, the cross-section is flat, horny, brownish-red, with a pale-colored concentric center. It has a fragrant odor and a slightly bitter taste.

Pinched-skin ginseng: the main root is about 6-15 cm long and about 1.2-2.5 cm in diameter; the surface is pale yellow, the ring lines at the upper end are not obvious, but many concave spots caused by processing are visible. The branch roots are light brown, and the branch roots and fibrous roots are tied with thread into an ox-tail shape. The cross-section is white. It has a fragrant odor and a sweet, slightly bitter taste.

Edge-strip ginseng: the properties are the same as red ginseng, except that it is generally characterized by a longer rhizome, a long, round body, and longer branch roots.

Organic ginseng: no pesticide residues, no chemical fertilizers, no genetically modified organisms. It preserves the components and effects of ginseng to the greatest extent.

In addition, wild mountain ginseng, Dali ginseng, Korean red ginseng, and transplanted mountain ginseng are all ginseng that can be purchased on the market; everyone can choose and buy according to their own needs.