Stem Ginger in Syrup
I'm a sucker for fresh ginger. Whenever I see it in the store I just have to buy a pound or so. Whatever I don't use immediately I save by making stem ginger.
It is great to have on hand for baking. I much prefer it to crystallize ginger. The syrup is an added bonus. It is good in all types of beverages. It makes a great ginger tea and is delicious stirred into a glass of carbonated water. I even use it as part of the liquid in recipes to give an added ginger kick.
12 oz young ginger (if you can find it)*
4 cups water
1 cup sugar
Peel the ginger and cut into bite-sized pieces. Place the peeled ginger into a saucepan and cover with cold water.
Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes (the liquid will be reduced by about half).
Drain the ginger and reserve the liquid.
Mix two cups of reserved liquid (add more water if necessary) and one cup of sugar in the saucepan. Dissolve the sugar over medium low heat, stirring constantly.
Add the ginger and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes.
Place the ginger in sterilized jars and cover with the ginger syrup. Store in the refrigerator.
Notes: I like to make this with the fresh young ginger. To make peeling easier, you can put it in the freezer for a couple hours. You can peel it with the tip of a teaspoon and the skin will slide off better.
The original recipe said that you can keep this for a year in the refrigerator. I prefer to keep most of it in the freezer and take out what I will use in a month or so.
* if you can't find young ginger, get ginger that is firm and not wrinkled.
