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With the price of our weekly food shop continuing to rise, we should all endeavour to maximise the lifespan of our perishable items, particularly fresh produce.

Fortunately, one culinary expert is ready to share how we can begin ensuring the popular root vegetable, ginger, remains fresh for longer. Maria Keenan, who has published a range of cookbooks and goes by Oxford Girl Cooks on social media, turned to TikTok to share her invaluable advice.

"If you're anything like me, you'll buy ginger and it'll go bad before you've had chance to use it," she began in a video. However, those days may soon be behind us, as Maria outlined her method: "Take a spoon and scrape off all the skin - this is the most effective way to do it in terms of the least amount of waste."

Warning her followers to be wary of any juice squirting into their eyes, she then chopped the ginger up into smaller pieces and placed them into a zip lock bag. "There's no real secret to this," she added. "Now you can pop it in the freezer and it will last for six months."

Maria closed by enthusing: "You can now have nice fresh ginger whenever you want it." And to keep track of it's use-by date, she suggested writing the date of freezing on the bag to avoid any mishap.

While numerous TikTok users applauded the tip, one individual questioned: "I have heard you shouldn't keep ginger in the fridge." This prompted Maria to disclose: "I always do but it still dries up after a while and goes mouldy. So freezing is the best for longevity."

A second person commented: "I never peel my ginger. There is lots of flavour in the skin too so i blend it all with the skin. Give it a try." Maria shared her own preference: "Blend? I just finely chop for cooking or take whole slice in hot water with lemon."

Meanwhile, a third person pointed out: "Problem is it [frozen ginger] will all stick together." To which Maria suggested: "You can give it a shake after 1-2 hours and it should separate. I spread it out in the bag to minimise sticking together. Each slice will be thawed by the time you've sliced it up."

Meanwhile, Abbie Leeson, owner of The Ginger People and Gin Gins, is also a firm advocate of the method, noting that freezing ginger is the most effective way to preserve the root without affecting its texture. The food expert told Martha Stewart that freezing ginger is her favourite way to store it in the long-term - and it can last for six months this way.

"The best way to do this it to cut it into coin size pieces and store it in a freezer bag," she agreed. Abbie also noted that keeping ginger at room temperature is viable in the short term, but should not be left for longer than a week. "With time, it will start to lose its moisture and flavor, then shrivel," she warned.

Ginger can last up to four weeks when kept in the fridge, though the texture may deteriorate, according to the expert. "It can last three to four weeks, but it may get spongy in the refrigerator," she said, admitting that this is her least favourite way to store the vegetable.