Candied Ginger

 Ginger ginger ginger! 

So yesterday I forked over the money for almost 1 ½ pounds of fresh ginger root and got to work smelling up the house.(Believe me, Mother was thrilled.) 

Oh how I love ginger. Ginger chews. That ginger dressing you get a hibachi restaurants. Ginger snaps. Ginger-y oats. Ginger in stir-fry.

          Candied Ginger

•  ~2 c fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced 
•  ~4 c water 
•  1 ¼ c sugar, plus more for coating 
•  ¼ c honey 

 You want to slice the ginger pretty thin, but not paper thin. Does this help? 

Yeah, about that thin.Put the ginger in a pot and add enough water to just cover it, about 2 c.Bring the water to a boil, and then boil it for 7-8 minutes before draining off the water.Then add 2 c water, sugar, and honey to the same pot and bring this to a boil, uncovered. After it has boiled for about 10 minutes take a piece out and bite it. You want the ginger tender and a little on the sweet side, but the exact consistency is entirely subjective.I ended up boiling mine for about 12-14 minutes.Once the boiling is done, drain off this liquid. I would suggest saving this liquid, though, because it’s pretty much a ginger simple syrup. And you know what you make with ginger simple syrup? 

Banging holiday cocktails. But that’s a recipe for another day.Once the ginger is drained, spread it out between some paper towels and pat it dry. Leave it to dry for a few hours before sugar-coating it. If the ginger isn’t dry enough you’ll end up with a sticky mess.To sugar coat the ginger simply pour some sugar into a shallow dish and dredge each ginger slice in it. 

Now you’re probably asking what in the hell are you going to do with about half a pound of candied ginger?Well eaters, there’s plenty of things you can do with it. 

I’m planning on giving some away as gifts. Because nothing says “I love you” like a treat that aids in digestion for after those huge holiday feasts.  But because I don’t have that many competitive eater friends, I’m also using some in a recipe. 

How do you feel about ginger?

G’night eaters!