Candied or crystallized ginger, my method

[andiesenji]

Candied or crystallized ginger, my method

Following is my recipe for candied ginger.

I know it seems long and complicated, but the end result makes up for the time expended.

It is the steaming that makes all the difference. I have a large couscouserie that allows me to steam big batches at a time, but anything, even small bamboo steamers work just fine.

I make this in 10-pound batches because I have a lot of friends who rely

on it while traveling. Ginger is an old, old remedy for

motion-sickness. It seems that everyone I know travels a lot.

I use it in cooking a great deal. Apricot/Ginger scones are a favorite.

I also make ginger ice cream - 1/2 cup of finely chopped ginger added to

a regular batch of vanilla - I actually simmer it in the milk/cream

mixture for a few minutes. (Simac machine)

You can also use the syrup in which the ginger is cooked in or over ice

cream, in fruit salads. I beat it into sour cream (Daisy or Alta-Dena

because they are thicker) to make a dipping sauce for strawberries.

Sweetened sour cream is so much more flavorful than whipped cream in my

estimation. The contrasting flavors are superb.

I grow 90% of the ginger I use. Ginger is super easy to grow - I grow it in big "window-box" type planters (plastic) using a mix of 1/2 perlite and 1/2 sterile potting soil. You can just buy the ginger at a grocery store, break it up, each section will sprout a new plant, bury it in the soil about 5 inches deep. Keep moist until you see the shoots appear then water every few days, use diluted fish emulsion fertilizer about every 3 weeks or so. If you start it in April or May it will be mature in October or November.

I am not going to give exact amounts for the ginger because you may wish to begin with a small amount and work up to larger quantities once you learn how easy it is to produce a delicacy that is far superior to any commercially produced product.

Ingredients: Fresh Ginger root, sugar, water. (7-Up or similar citrus

soda)

General preparation: You will need a way to slice the ginger.

A sharp knife is o.k. for small batches.

For larger batches use a V-slicer or mandoline or other method, see below.

Also you will need a steamer, and you should have a crock pot (preferred method) or an enamel, glass or stainless steel cook pot.

You will need a wire rack on which to drain the candied ginger and allow it to dry - this may take up to 3 days depending on humidity.

Choose roots that are fairly large as they are easier to peel.

Break off all the smaller "buds" and store in a plastic bag in the fridge - these can be used for pastes, grated, etc.

Peel the ginger with a vegetable peeler or you can use the rounded end of a spoon and scrape the skin off. Blanching will make this even easier.

Drop the sections into a solution of 1/2 water and 1/2 7-Up or similar citrus beverage until you have all the pieces peeled.

If you have a mandoline or other adjustable slicer, set it to 1/8 inch and slice all the pieces, CROSSWISE or on a diagonal to obtain the largest slices possible (You can also use a rotary slicer, powered or hand-held, use the medium attachment or use a slicing blade on a food processor). However you want to be sure that you cut across the fibers that run lengthwise in the corms.

Return the slices to the liquid until you are finished slicing all the ginger and are ready to proceed to the next step.

Drain the ginger and make stacks of the slices and place the slices on edge in the bottom of a steamer or flat colander so the bottom is solidly covered - then do the same with a second layer and a third if necessary. If there are a few loose slices on top they may lay flat.

Place the steamer over simmering water, cover and allow to steam for 30

to 40 minutes - or until the ginger is quite tender.

Older, larger, more fibrous roots may require an additional 10 to 20 minutes. (This is the "secret" of tender, moist candied ginger which is ideal for eating, cooking, baking)

In a crockpot prepare a "light" simple syrup. For each cup of sliced ginger you will need 1 cup water and 1 1/2 cups sugar. (Regular simple syrup is 2 parts sugar to 1 part water, i.e., 2 cups sugar dissolved in 1 cup water)

If you do not have a crockpot or slow-cooker, be prepared to keep an eye on the ginger to make sure the liquid does not boil away and there is enough liquid to cover the ginger.

Bring the sugar/water mixture to a boil. Add the ginger, when the liquid again comes to a boil, reduce heat to "Low" then cover and allow to simmer gently for 6 to 8 hours, stirring occasionally and adding additional "syrup" if needed to keep ginger covered.

Note: If you are cooking on a stovetop, you may turn it off, leave at room temperature (covered) and resume cooking later. It is the total time of cooking that counts.

After 6 hours, remove a couple of slices, allow to drain and cool completely – the ginger will be very sticky at this point.

Taste and test the tenderness. The ginger should be very tender, if it is still a bit too "al dente" continue simmering - test again after an additional 2 hours.

Allow to cool for 30 to 40 minutes, it should still be warm but not hot enough to burn. Using a skimmer or tongs, remove the slices from syrup and place on a wire rack over a tray or sheet pan so the slices do not overlap.

Strain the remaining syrup into a jar and save. This is now ginger flavored and

may be used in cooking, in drinks, fruit salads, etc.

Allow the ginger slices to dry on the rack until just "tacky" - it

should feel just slightly tacky but should not stick to a finger pressed

onto a slice then lifted.

Place 1/2 cup of regular granulated sugar (or the coarser sanding sugar if you can find it) into a shallow 1 quart covered plastic container. (Tupperware,

Rubbermaid, etc.)

Drop several ginger slices into the container, cover and shake to be

sure the slices are well sugared. Place on a clean rack.

Continue until all the slices have been sugared, adding more sugar as

needed.

Leave the slices on the rack overnight, depending on humidity. If you

are in an area of high humidity, you may want to use a fan to speed up

the final drying time.

Test by squeezing 2 slices together. If they do not stick together you

may now place them in airtight containers (screw or snap-top glass jars,

food storage containers - do not use re-closable plastic bags).

Ginger prepared in this manner will keep indefinitely. If it does dry

out after a time, do not discard, simply chop finely and use in cooking

or baking.

Or you can dry it in a very low oven and grind to a fine powder in a spice grinder.

I prepare candied ginger in very large amounts and cook it in a

40-year-old Nesco electric roaster. For smaller batches I use a 6 quart

crockpot. One of my neighbors uses a 2-quart crockpot to cook 1 or 2

cups of ginger. A friend who has a 1950s electric stove uses the

"deep-well" cooker built into that stove. You may find something else

that works for you. The trick is the long, slow simmering and of course

the initial steaming which tenderizes the ginger without extracting too

much of the flavor which happens with parboiling, which is the usual process.

You can use the ginger syrup in many ways, including candying fruit or citrus peel and if cooked long enough, to the hard crack stage, make hard candies which can be tinted with food coloring, dropped by teaspoon onto a Silpat sheet to make candy “drops.”

( RG1548 )