Crystallized Ginger - candy is dandy, and easy peasy, too!

(Homemade Crystallized Ginger - recipe in post)

Crystallized ginger is an old favorite of mine. When I was a kid my mom always had a bag stashed somewhere, so I suppose you could say it runs in the family. With such a big kick, you wouldn't think a little kid would like such a treat... but the spicy bite didn't stop me.

Candying your own isn't difficult, either. The hardest part, by far, is peeling all the ginger - but don't worry, it's worth it. Not only is this just as delicious as store-bought, but it's quite a bit cheaper. Plus, you get bragging rights that you made it yourself. Bonus!

And of course we're all familiar with the classic sugar-tossed slices, but have you ever had chocolate-covered candied ginger? If not, you are in for a serious treat. Dark chocolate cuts through that sharp bite of heat, and the whole thing mingles into one perfect ginger experience. This stuff can be hard to find on the shelves, too, so is just one more reason to make your own.


Crystallized Ginger
(Recipe adapted from Alton Brown)

1 lb. fresh ginger root (buy slightly more than a pound, as you will lose some from peeling)
water
1 lb. granulated sugar

Extra sugar for tossing, or chocolate for coating (I recommend dark)

Method:

First, lightly grease or spray a cooling rack, and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment or foil. Set aside.

(Tip: to tell if ginger is fresh, squeeze it between your thumb and forefinger. It should be firm, and have little to no give. Next, break off a chunk. It should snap off crisply, and reveal a yellow (not green, grey, or faded) interior. The smell should be clean and fresh)

Peel all of the ginger. When peeling this much at once, I suggest wearing gloves (un-powdered, latex-free, such as Nitrile) to prevent any skin irritation.

(Tip: to peel, scrape the edge of a spoon along the ginger to peel away just the outer skin, and to prevent any possible cuts from a vegetable peeler. A spoon will also help get into bends and around knobs. Peeling is by far the most labor-intensive part, but can be done ahead of time. store peeled ginger in the freezer to be used at a later date. For this recipe, if using frozen ginger, I suggest slicing it cold and then letting it come to room temperature before continuing with the recipe)

Carefully slice the peeled ginger very thinly, using either a mandolin slicer or a very sharp knife.

Weigh your slices, and measure out an equal amount of sugar. If you don't have a scale, but weighed your ginger when buying it, you can use that weight as an estimate. One pound of granulated sugar is about 2 level cups. Set sugar aside.

Place ginger slices in a medium size pot, and fill with just enough cold water to cover all of the ginger.
Set over medium-high heat, and cook for about 40-50 minutes, or until the ginger is fairly tender.

Strain the ginger, reserving the water in a bowl for later. (You will need 1/3 cup for the rest of this recipe, but any extra can be mixed with honey to make tea, or stirred into other tea or beverages. Be careful though - it's potent stuff!)

Return the ginger to the pot, along with 1/3 cup of the cooking liquid. Add in the sugar, and set over medium-high heat until it begins to boil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook for 20 minutes. Swirl the pot from time to time to make sure all of the ginger is covered, and the sugar isn't burning, but do not stir.

(Tip: stirring or agitating will introduce crystals into the sugar - which, technically, is fine. If this happens, simple dump the ginger out onto your cooling rack and spread it apart to cool. Once it's dry, knock off any large chunks of sugar and store in an airtight container. However - this will result in a rougher looking ginger, with more crunch to the sugar exterior, and will mean you won't have any of this wonderful ginger-infused syrup left over.)

Set a colander or fine mesh sieve over a jar or other heat-proof container and strain the ginger. Spread candied ginger onto your prepared cooling rack and let it dry for at least 2-3 hours, or as long as overnight.

(Tip: this syrup can be used later, added to seltzer water like ginger-ale, or drizzled over ice cream - divine!)

Fill a small container or baggie with granulated sugar, add several slices of ginger, and toss to coat. Set aside and repeat until all of the ginger is covered.

Or, melt chocolate in 20 second intervals in the microwave. Add ginger, stir, and remove to a parchment or foil lined plat or tray. Chill in the fridge 10-15 minutes, or until the chocolate is fully hardened.

Store candied ginger in an airtight container or baggie at room temperature (or in the fridge, if chocolate covered). Candied ginger should easily last several months - you know, in case you forget it's there and don't eat all of it.

I'm not sure how many of ginger's wonderful health benefits there really are after it's been boiled in sugar and dipped in chocolate... but let's just assume it's still a good-for-you treat!