Blog

Mar 25, 2025

Why I Always Buy These $2.69 Ginger Cubes At Trader Joe's

Trader Joe's I am well-known for my love of Trader Joe’s; my family is probably annoyed with how often they get a photo of a new item in my store that I’m excited about. It’s my go-to place for frozen

Trader Joe's

I am well-known for my love of Trader Joe’s; my family is probably annoyed with how often they get a photo of a new item in my store that I’m excited about. It’s my go-to place for frozen meals, cut flowers, houseplants, birthday cards, road-trip snacks, and so much more. No shopping trip is as fun for me as my bimonthly jaunt to TJ’s. And I’m always waiting with bated breath to see what seasonal delights hit the shelves as each month passes. But, actually, one of the least thrilling items there is the most important purchase I make every time I’m there.

The Dorot Gardens Crushed Ginger is the hero of my shopping trips and my kitchen. It might fit in one hand and have a small price tag—just $2.69—but its impact on my cooking is massive. You’ll find this unassuming package in the frozen aisle near the bags of vegetables. Each one comes with 20 cubes of precrushed ginger ready for you to pop in sauces, stir-fries, marinades, baking, and more.

Katie Akin

Preprepped ingredients, like the Dorot Gardens ginger, can be confusing to adapt to when you’re used to preparing your own fresh additions. But these cubes couldn’t be more simple to integrate into your cooking. For any dish you’ll be putting over heat, simply plop them right in the pan; they’ll defrost quickly as your other ingredients cook and will be easy to incorporate with a stir or two. In the case of something like a batter or a dipping sauce, I’d recommend leaving them on the counter for a few minutes to thaw before dropping them into your mixing bowl. Because they’re so small, they don’t take long at all to soften enough to be broken up and mixed in.

The cubes are 1 teaspoon each, making it easier than ever to portion your ginger—no measuring spoons needed. Ginger is sometimes measured by the length of the fresh knob, which can be confusing with these volume-based cubes. But, in general, a 1-inch piece of ginger will yield 1 Tablespoon, meaning three of these Dorot Gardens cubes.

Getty Images

Convenience: I do a lot of cooking that calls for ginger, a flavor I love, but I don’t always have the energy to try to peel a fresh knob, with all its nooks and crannies and impossible-to-use-a-peeler-on angles. Having these packs on hand in my freezer makes my life easier and my dishes tastier. I have one less tool to wash and minutes of prep back, both of which are invaluable on busy weeknights.

Easy-to-use: You can also find a Crushed Garlic version in the Trader Joe’s aisles, which I try to keep on hand too. I can’t count how many times I’ve gone for a clove in my produce bowl only to find it shriveled, sprouted, and dry. In these dire straits, I am always very thankful to past me for stocking up on these easy-to-use, affordable cubes. Not to mention, I am loath to have my fingers smell like garlic after chopping up a clove, so these help me avoid that entirely.

Whatever way you use the Dorot Gardens Chopped Ginger (or Garlic), they are always worth it. Make sure to pick some up on your next trip to your local TJ’s—your dinner guests will thank you.