How to make soft and chewy candied ginger
For a spicy and sweet treat, make your own soft chewy homemade candied ginger. The flavor is pronounced, giving it an edge that will have you coming back again for more! And the best part? No any unnecessary additives! This is the perfect recipe when you have too much ginger and want to preserve it.
Have you ever made homemade ginger candy? It's really simple and the results are delicious. The recipe I'm going to share with you today produces soft and chewy ginger pieces that are perfect for snacking on or using in recipes. No candy thermometer needed!
Making your own candied ginger at home is easy! It's a great way to add that special touch to cakes, pies or any other dessert you're making. You can even use the leftover ginger syrup as an ingredient in cocktails if desired--it will give them just enough kick without being too overpowering.
What is candied ginger?
Also known as crystallized ginger, Candied ginger comes from slicing whole peeled ginger into small sliced ginger, placed in a heated sugar syrup, and soaked to absorb moisture from within the fruit. The ginger slices are then coated with sugar - and you have yourself some fresh ginger candies. This process preserves the ginger and allows the fruit to have a long shelf life, and retain it's quality for up to one year. This process has existed since the 14th century. And not only are you preventing food waste, and if we look passed the large sugar content in candied ginger - this recipe has some impressive health benefits!
Benefits of candied ginger:
Ginger is a great winter warmer and you can enjoy it in many ways. Crystallized ginger tea always seems to soothe my throat on those cold days, but adding this spicy treat into desserts will make them even healthier! Crystallised pieces of ginger feels like an old-fashioned luxury that I am craving right now that winter is here.
- It's rich in iron, vitamin C, fiber, and other minerals. Iron is essential in our bodies as it helps increase blood count. Candied ginger is rich in this vital mineral. Iron is also great in helping your body cells produce energy and it is also an essential aspect of boosting your immunity.
- It's an excellent remedy for sore throats and nausea. For thousands of years candied ginger has been used to reduce nausea that is caused by chemotherapy, morning sickness or motion sickness.
- No additives like other store bought candies
- You can make it with any sugar you desire
Tools that will be useful when making candied ginger:
- A cooling rack
- Mandolin
Ingredients in candied ginger:
- 4 cups of water
- 4 cups of sugar, plus more for dipping
- 1 pound of fresh ginger root
Step by step how to make this ginger candy recipe
- Peel ginger root and cut into small chunks.
- Add 4 cups of water into a large sauce pan and boil.
- Add sugar and let dissolve.
- Add ginger, and reduce heat to low. Cook for an hour covered, until ginger is soft and tender.
- Pour all syrup and candied ginger into a large jar and let it sit overnight to continue to soften.
- Reserve ¼ cup of ginger syrup, and drain the remaining (if desired, you can keep it for cocktails)
- Weigh the ginger and measure an equal amount of sugar.
- Dip the ginger into the sugar and place on a cooling rack.
Best uses for leftover ginger syrup
The syrup has variety of uses, some of our favorites are:
- Ginger tea
- Ginger cocktails
- Candied ginger ice cream
Variations:
You can add a healthy herb and citrus to your candied ginger if you desire. I added fresh lemon and orange peel and thyme on mine.
If you love making candy at home, visit more homemade candy recipes here.
