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Crystallized Candied Ginger recipe
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Candied Ginger
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 15 mins
 
Making your own candy ginger is easy to do and tastes a lot better than store bought. In addition to the candy ginger, this recipe makes two other by-products, ginger simple syrup and ginger sugar. So don't throw out anything. The syrup is great in drinks or used in baked goods. The total time to make candied ginger does not include the couple of hours needed to dry the ginger after it is cooked in the simple syrup and before you coat the ginger with granulated sugar. Candied ginger, also known as crystallized ginger, tastes great served with fresh fruit, like pears and apples. It is also a great addition in muffins, pies, cookies and cakes. I like to add it to my bowl of yogurt and granola. This recipe is slightly adapted from David Lebovitz recipe
Author: Ginger
Ingredients
Candied Ginger
  • 1/2 lb fresh ginger root
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • small pinch of salt
Special equipment
  • 3-4 quart saucepan
  • Candy thermometer
  • Lightly greased cooling rack or parchment paper
  • Sheet pan large enough for the cooling rack to fit in
  • Air tight container to store the candied ginger
Instructions
Candied Ginger
  1. Peel the ginger using the side of a spoon and scrape off the thin skin. Slice the ginger into 1/8-inch (3 mm) pieces with a thin and sharp paring knife or mandoline slicer.
  2. Add the ginger slices to a saucepan then add enough water to cover the ginger slices by one inch (2.5 cm). Bring the water to a boil and simmer for twenty minutes or until the ginger slices are tender and easily pierced with a fork*.
  3. Pour out the tender ginger slices into a fine mesh strainer resting over a bowl to catch the water. Measure the water and add more to equal 2 cups for a half pound of ginger.
  4. Add the water and 2 cups of sugar, pinch of kosher salt to the saucepan and add the ginger slices. (if you are concerned with the ginger syrup crystallizing add 1- 2 TB of corn syrup). Stir to help the sugar dissolve.
  5. Bring the sugar water to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium-high and cook the ginger until the sugar water reaches 225°F (107°C).
  6. Turn off heat and set the saucepan aside.
  7. If you want to keep the candied ginger in the syrup, let it steep in the syrup for at least one hour, up to overnight. Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about one year.
  8. If you want to dry the ginger and add a sugar coating, immediately pour the ginger into a fine mesh strainer resting over a bowl large enough to hold the ginger syrup. The ginger syrup is delicious and can be used in many different recipes.
  9. Spread the candied ginger over a cooling rack, resting on a sheet pan to catch any drips. Make sure the ginger slices are not stuck together. Let them air dry for 2 hours. You are ready to coat the ginger when it is sticky but not too wet or dry.
  10. Pour about 1/2 cup (125 ml) of granulated sugar on a plate and toss the ginger slices in the sugar to coat. Return the ginger to a clean cooling rack resting over a clean sheet pan and let it dry for 2 hours.
  11. Store in an air tight container, in a cool, dry place. The candied ginger will last for about one month.
Recipe Notes

*The time spent simmering the ginger depends on the age of your ginger root. The younger the ginger is the more tender it is. Older ginger can get a very fibrous texture. Simmer the ginger slices until it is just tender.