Crystallized Candied Ginger

Submitted by BecR2400

"Candied ginger is delicious served as a sweet snack with tea, as a garnish, or mixed into a variety of baked goods or pastries! Be sure the ginger root is very fresh: unblemished, smooth light brown and no wrinkles. Sightly adapted from my friend Caroline's recipe. Note: The repeated blanching is in order to boil out the sharpness of the ginger. If your ginger is not too sharp, you may only need to blanch it once or twice. It helps to have a second opinion on this."

 

• Ready In: 2hrs
• Ingredients: 3
• Yields: 4 cups of Candied Ginger
• Serves: 32

ingredients

• 1 lb fresh ginger, peeled
• 6 cups water
• 3 cups granulated sugar, plus 1 cup for tossing

directions

1. Peel the ginger using a sharp-edged teaspoon (or a small knife) -- yep that is the easiest way, just scrape it toward you and all comes off. In the joints just break apart the pieces to get all the peeling.
2. Now slice it in 1/4-inch-thick slices -- I used the Cuisinart since I was doing so much but you can use a mandoline or sharp knife.
3. Place the slices in a large nonreactive saucepan with cold water to cover, bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes. Drain, cover with fresh cold water, boil, and again cook 15 minutes. Repeat this blanching process 2 more times, for a total of 4 blanchings in all.
4. After the last blanching, drain and cover with 6 cups of fresh cold water and 3 cups of sugar. Slowly bring the syrup to a boil, stirring often, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the ginger is translucent and the syrup is thickened, about 20-30 minutes; watch carefully. Remove from heat.
5. You now have Canton candied ginger and can store it this way (in it's syrup, in a sterilized jar with a tight fitting lid, and refrigerated) for practically forever.
6. Or, for crystallized ginger, let stand for about 30 minutes, for the ginger to absorb more syrup. Then you can take the pieces of ginger from the syrup and toss it in granulated sugar and put it on a rack (or on a parchment lined baking sheet) to dry, uncovered at room temperature, for at least 8 hours or overnight, until the sugar coating is firm and the slices are no longer sticky. This also keeps for at least a year, stored in a cool dry place in an airtight container.
7. Notes: Save the syrup for flavoring, it has a strong ginger flavor and can be used to flavor drinks-- it is so yummy! I also save the sugar that I tossed it in to use in recipes.

Reviews

[The_Swedish_Chef]

If I could not only rate this recipe with 10 stars but also send Becky a real "Thank You" card, I would! The topic of preserving ginger came up in a thread and Becky was kind enough to share this recipe and what a keeper it is! I adore crystalized ginger but NOT the price that stores charge for it, so more times than I want to count, I couldn't/wouldn't make a recipe that required it because of the cost. With these simple and easy directions, the only thing you really "spend" is your time doing it! I'll make crystalized ginger of my own from now on and plan to make large batches of it during Christmas to give as posh gifts to my fellow chef friends. Thank you, Becky!!!

 

[saran19]

The best crystalized ginger recipe that I have found. I raise my own ginger and this recipe will keep a year. I nibble all year and make new every fall. Perfect, perfect... Thank you Becky!