I needed some crystallized ginger for a festive recipe I was planning to make this weekend. However, the price of the crystallized ginger in the markets just didn’t appeal to me. I don’t know about you, but there are some ingredients I’m just not willing to use due to the cost.However, I found a recipe for making candied ginger in one of my canning books so I decided to make my own crystallized ginger. Now I can have my cake and eat it too!
Making crystallized ginger is really easy! I’m not sure why I didn’t do this before, but I will definitely make it again.
Crystallized Ginger
Recipe from The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving by Ellie Topp and Margaret Howard.
Makes: 1 cup
Ingredients:
1 cup thinly sliced peeled gingerroot
cold water
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup granulated sugar
extra granulated sugar
Directions:
Peel the gingerroot and slice thinly or cut it into small pieces.
Place sliced ginger in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, cover and boil gently for 15 minutes. Drain repeat process with fresh cold water.
Combine ginger, 3/4 cup water and sugar in a saucepan.
Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat and boil gently, uncovered, for about 30 minutes or until liquid is evaporated completely. You’ll need to watch carefully during the last 10 minutes or so to prevent it from scorching.
Put extra sugar in a flat dish about 1/4 inch thick. Remove a few pieces of ginger with a fork and toss them in sugar to coat both sides; place on cooling rack set on a baking pan. I put it on parchment paper because I had cut the ginger into pieces rather than slices.
Repeat until all slices are done. Dry in a 200 degrees F oven for 1 hour or until ginger feels soft and no longer sticky. Let stand at room temperature for 1 day to finish drying.
Place slices in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.
I’ll be using some of this candied ginger in a festive biscotti recipe. More to come on that one…
Thanks for joining us in the Bread Experience bread-baking blog. We hope you’ll join us again soon.
Happy Baking!
Cathy
joanna says
Definitely one to try, I’ve made candied peel but thought there was some extra mystery to doing ginger… I’m just nipping out the shops! Thanks Cathy you’re a star !!
Cathy (breadexperience) says
Thanks Joanna! I think making candied ginger is easier than making candied peel. Although I had fun with that as well.
girlichef says
Oh my gosh, this is awesome Cathy! I’ve always meant to figure out how to make my own, but never looked…then I stumbled happily onto this post! Yay! I’m definitely trying this soon. Thanks 😀
Anonymous says
Thank you for the good directions and photos. I’m going to try it make my own–I’ll let you know if it works out. Thanks again.
Cathy (breadexperience) says
Thanks for stopping by. Please do let me know how it goes.