Ok, i didn't write this article, it's off the internet - it IS my go to How to Guide on the use of Ginger. For those of you out there looking to try something a little different, it's a wonderful toy - it's written from the viewpoint of a a Dom, but it doesn't have to be a D/s thing
Figging & Ginger
Ginger, in its natural state, is sold as a "hand." For you non-gourmets, it's called a hand because it somewhat resembles one. The protuberances from the hand are called fingers. Unfortunately, many supermarkets now precut the hand into fingers and package them as convenience. Avoid using anything precut unless you've had enough experience to safely play with small fingers. Find a place that sells a hand. If the supermarket doesn't have any, visit any oriental grocery store. Buy the largest hand you can find and scurry home with it. Keep the entire hand in a cool dry place until you are ready to use it. The sooner you use it, however, the better the effect unless you age it properly, which I'll get to later.
When playtime rolls around, I usually like to have my sub bound, face down on the bed over a pillow. No blindfold here. I make it a point of allowing her to watch and hear me prepare the ginger. The anticipation is spectacular especially if she's never experienced it before. The gyrations generated from the anticipation alone are well worth the experience.
Now you are ready to cut a finger of ginger from the hand. Unless the fingers are very long, do not cut the finger off at the joint of the hand. Remove the finger by cutting down into the palm of the hand so that you get a long, uniform width finger. I like to use a finger no smaller than 4 inches. Longer is better. Take a paring knife or vegetable peeler and remove the brown skin. Make sure all the skin is off as well as ensuring that all the bumps and knots are cut off and smoothed as well. Try not to remove too much meat underneath, as you want to retain as full a finger as possible.
Take your time and don't rush this step. As you work, rinse it under cold water periodically to help wash away pieces of skin. Ginger is fibrous and sometimes takes a little time to prepare properly. If you're into oriental cooking, you'll love the delicate ginger aroma that is released as you do this step. The smell is a great stimulus for the sub as well. It heralds things ahead.
After you have the skinned root all smooth and nice, you now have to perform the tricky bit. With the paring knife, about two-thirds of the way down the root carve a concavity around the finger. This will act as a retention device. Similar to a butt plug where the sphincter locks around the tapered portion of the plug, the concavity will do the same thing.
Make the ring no more than a half-inch wide. Remember: Do not taper the finger all the way down to the end. You want full circumference of the finger two-thirds of the way down, a half-inch retention ring and then full circumference continuing down to the end of the finger. Do not carve out too much however, as this will weaken the finger and increase the possibility of breaking it while in the sub. You don't need a very deep ring for retention.
After you have carefully completed this step, rinse the finger off and dip it in cold water. Make sure the tip of the finger is sufficiently rounded. You can always touch this area up with a knife or a peeler.
When you're finished, your ginger finger should look something like this:
Let the Play Begin
Now it's ready to insert. Unlike your own finger, you do not use lube with a ginger finger. Lubricant acts as a sealant and prevents the ginger moisture from releasing. Instead, use the cold water to keep the finger wet.
Slowly insert the finger into the sub's anus. Don't rush at this point. Take your time. Wet ginger is slick enough to slide in with care. When the anus finally opens and accepts the ginger, slide it in up to the ring and let the sub close around it. The beauty of ginger is that it takes a little while for the effects to take place. Once it begins, it builds steadily. While you are waiting for the fun to begin, go wash your hands. You don't want to touch your eyes or your sub's eyes by accident with ginger on your hands.
Now sit down, get comfy and enjoy your work. Or, as the Victorians did, start your caning. Most submissives will become rather vocal as the ginger works its magic. Depending on the fortitude of the sub, the potency of the ginger and the mental attitude you projected will give you a variety of reactions. A few subs have reported that the ginger doesn't do any more than, let's say, Ben Gay; however, they are far and few between. Most subs report that the effects were far greater than they imagined.
To increase the effect, pinch your sub's buttocks together and hold them for a minute or two. This causes a big boost in burning sensation and if done every so often, keeps your sub awake. The effects of the ginger will last approximately twenty minutes or so — after which, the effects diminish rapidly.
The nice thing about ginger is that no matter how intense the effect on the sub, you won't hurt her/him and it is short-lived. Once the sensation ceases, remove the ginger and go about your other session business. Ginger also has a property that puts it far ahead of any ginger substitutes.
So it is said, the juice of the root has the ability to cause incredible sexual desires. I have had subs begin to sob, begging to have something inserted into their female opening and to have orgasm. The reaction is tenfold if the ginger juice comes in contact with the clitoris. Cut a small slice of ginger, making sure it has one flat side. Place this side directly onto the clitoris and hold it there. Depending on anatomy, some women will be able to retain the slice on their own without assistance.