I love candied ginger so much, I probably shouldn’t know how to make it myself. The only thing keeping me from over-indulging is the fact that it is sold in such small packages in Italy. When I am capable of making a kilo of the stuff at a time, who’s to stop me from eating it all in one day? Definitely not my wimpy will-power. Fortunately, peeling and slicing a kilo of ginger is a tedious task, so I won’t be doing it very often. Besides the peeling, I was surprised at how simple it is to make candied ginger from scratch. I always imagined it to be a complicated and delicate process, but this recipe is actually pretty straightforward and fool-proof. Candied ginger is a great addition to spice up your home-made cookies, cakes and ice-creams. It will keep for a couple months at room temperature, though it never seems to make it through the weekend in my house!
Candied Ginger
- 1 lb fresh ginger
- 1 lb sugar (plus 1 cup for coating the finished slices)
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
Peel the ginger; the easiest way to do this is using the edge of a spoon to scrape away the skin. Slice the ginger as thinly as possible with a sharp knife and place in a non-reactive pot. Cover with about 4 cups of water and bring to a boil over moderate heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 40 minutes, or until ginger is tender. Return the ginger slices to the pot with the sugar, salt, and one cup of water. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for another 40-50 minutes, stirring often. Drain the slices (reserve the syrup for another use) and set them on a rack or parchment paper to dry overnight. Toss the slices in sugar, if desired, and store in an airtight container.
