Homemade Candied Ginger

by Marisa McClellan, Posted Jul 26th 2007 @ 1:20PM

Recently, I was walking through Reading Terminal Market, a year-round farmers' market here in Philly, when I stumbled upon two-pound bags of ginger for $.99 a piece. I bought it because I love a bargain, figuring I'd come up with some way to use it up eventually.

When I got home, I googled candied ginger and discovered that it is really an easy process. You simply peel the ginger and cut it into small bits. You cook it in water for about half an hour until it's fairly tender (I actually let it go for more like 40 minutes and it still resisted the fork a little. It turned out okay). Drain the water off (I saved it, to sweeten it with some honey and drink like tea) and return the cooked ginger bits to the pan. Add a cup of sugar and 4 tablespoons of water. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and then let cook away, stirring occasionally. I let it cook in the sugar syrup for about twenty minutes, until the candy breaks and it turns back into crystals. Scrape it all out onto a cookie sheet and let it cool. Then you have a whole bunch of gorgeous candied ginger that you can use in cookies, granola, banana bread or just as good eating.

photo by Marisa McClellan

Filed Under: Ingredients
Tags: spices, sugar