The Spice You Should Never Put Inside Your Blender

If you love to cook, chances are that you love to experiment with different spices and flavorings. After all, that's half the fun of cooking. However, some things just don't work well in certain appliances. Take blenders, for instance. It's easy enough to toss everything into the blender and hit the "puree" button. It's also oddly satisfying to watch as all the ingredients come together to create a smooth, delicious concoction — whether it be a smoothie or a savory sauce. Unfortunately, not everything is meant for the blender.

Think of your blender like your sink's garbage disposal. You wouldn't throw things like bones, fruit pits, or potato peels down the drain. If you did, you'd end up with a clogged drain and a huge mess to clean up, while ultimately reducing the lifespan of your garbage disposal. The same thing goes for blenders – you need to be careful about what you put in them.

Unfortunately, one of the culinary world's most versatile spices is also one of the worst offenders when it comes to blenders. Ginger, which adds a delicious flavor and incredible health benefits to soups, curries, and smoothies alike, can wreak havoc on your blender.

Ginger is a spice that is used in cuisines all over the world. It has a distinct, slightly spicy flavor that can add a real zing to any dish. However, ginger is also very fibrous. This means that when you put it into a blender, you'll likely end up with a mess of stringy ginger bits. Regardless of how long you blend them, ginger pieces will never fully break down, which means your soup or smoothie will be full of unappetizing grit. Not exactly what you were going for, right?

If you want to use ginger in your soup or smoothie, it's best to chop it up into small pieces before adding it to the rest of the ingredients (via I Live For Greens). This will help ensure that it blends smoothly and doesn't end up ruining your meal. You can also use ginger powder, but it may not have quite the same punch as fresh ginger root. So before you toss that knob of fresh ginger into your blender, think twice! It's a spice that can add a lot of flavor to your dish, but only if it's properly prepared.