Probably Similar Recipes

three responses

  1. Mr. Choo writes:

    Sugar makes a great napalm, I'm glad it tastes better! Now i'm going to have to try this...

    29 August @ 4pm
  2. Julia writes:

    It's pretty yummy. Now what am I supposed to do with it? This might not fly with the coffee crowd- but the syrup was really good in my coffee. (but then, aren't I one of the coffee crowd?)

    30 August @ 4pm
  3. J9 writes:

    you are definitely one of the coffee crowd. I enjoyed the syrup in my tea... s'pose it would make a good substitute for honey in granola making?

    30 August @ 4pm

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  • 29
  • August
  • 2006

Candied Ginger

I have been ogling one of my favorite cookbooks a lot lately: David Lebovitz's Room for Dessert. It's gorgeous to look at, intelligently presented, the recipes aren't massively difficult, and they're darned impressive-looking when you're done. Anyhoo, tonight I candied ginger per his instructions. I've never candied anything before, and for some reason I was a bit nervous. Maybe it was all that boiling sugar. Sugar burns hurt a lot. A lot.

It went like this, and I think you should try it:

You'll need a medium-smallish saucepan, a mesh strainer, and a candy thermometer.

  • •• Peel 1/2 pound fresh ginger and slice thin. Be sure to cut against the fibers, not with them.
  • •• Put the ginger in your saucepan and cover with water.
  • ••Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and let cook 3 minutes.
  • •• Drain.
  • •• Repeat.
  • •• Drain.
  • •• Repeat. That's three blanchings when all is said and done.
  • •• After the final draining, return ginger to saucepan and attach the candy thermometer.
  • •• Add to the saucepan 3 cups of water and 3 cups of sugar.
  • •• Stir to help dissolve and crank the heat up.
  • •• Cook until the temperature reaches 222º F. (I'm not making that up.)
  • •• Once desired temperature has been reached (this takes a while - the last five degrees especially), turn off heat and let ginger sit in syrup for one hour.
  • •• Strain the ginger from the syrup, again for an hour. You may wish to reserve the syrup for another use. I'm keeping mine for sweetening drinks at least, and perhaps as a jam component. It's the color and consistency of runny honey and it tastes just delightful.
  • •• Toss the ginger in 3/4 C sugar. Make sure all pieces are separate and well coated.
  • •• Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to several months.

Not to toot my own horn - because really I just followed directions; a monkey could do it - but what I like about the way mine turned out as discrete from the stuff I've been paying $10 or more per pound, is that it's soft, not hard or crunchy or dry at all. Maybe I did it wrong. Either way, I'm happy.