Question

The single topic that this question focuses on is - how to remove gingerol and only gingerol from a piece of ginger in a manner that it remains safe to eat using equipment found in a well stocked domestic kitchen.

I found Ref (1) which adds information to the question suggesting that several hours above the boiling point of water is required:
After 3 h of heat treatment at 75, 100, and 125°C, the gingerol's content was reduced by 6.8, 12.6, and 42.7%, respectively, and the shogaol's content was increased by 2.95, 4.85, and 9.34 fold, respectively. After 3 h of heat treatment at 150°C, the gingerol's content was dramatically reduced by 89.5% and the increased shogaol's content was even lower than treatment at 125°C.
Below I give some examples of things that I have tried.

I am trying to find out how to make preserved ginger without pungency.I assume the main thing is to break down the gingerol into safe products. Or extract it out into a fluid that can be discarded - without removing the other tastes. Experiments suggest that boiling in lemon juice has some effect. I suspect that the acidity is the operative principle. I have tried acetic acid - eg. white wine vinegar. Success is partial. Perhaps it should be heated under pressure or for a rather long time. And research suggests sodium chloride, sodium hydroxide, or potassium hydroxide.

What is the best, most effective and most safe, way to remove the pungency?

Answer 1

To reduce gingerol in ginger, applying heat treatments like boiling for extended hours or using a pressure cooker can be effective, keeping in mind that it may not remove all gingerol without altering the ginger's overall quality.

Step-by-step explanation:

To reduce the pungency of ginger by removing gingerol, certain heat treatments can be applied using methods found in a well-stocked domestic kitchen.

According to the information provided, heating ginger at higher temperatures reduces gingerol content but can also increase shogaol content, which is another pungent compound. Below are a couple of suggested techniques for removing gingerol.

• Boiling: You can try boiling ginger for several hours. Although boiling won't reach the temperature required for maximum reduction of gingerol, extended boiling time can still reduce its content to some extent.
• Pressure Cooking: A domestic pressure cooker can reach higher temperatures than boiling. Cooking ginger in a pressure cooker could potentially reduce gingerol content more effectively, as the referenced research indicates higher temperatures lead to a greater reduction of gingerol.

Ideally, you want to use treatments that are safe for consumption and that do not adversely affect the other flavors. It's important to note that, while these methods can reduce gingerol, complete removal may not be possible without impacting other sensory qualities of the ginger.

Caution: Any home preservation method should also ensure that the food is safe to eat. For example, killing C. botulinum endospores requires temperatures that can only be reached in a pressure canner.

However, for reducing gingerol while preserving ginger, pressure cooking for an extended time could be a practical approach without the need for complete sterilization, which is not always practical for food and can alter its quality.