How to Make Candied Ginger

Candied or crystallized ginger is a delicious treat that is very easy to make at home. Peel and slice the ginger root before cooking it until it’s tender. Then crystallize the ginger in sugar in a saucepan and coat each piece in more sugar. You can store the candied ginger for up to 3 months in an airtight container, which means that you will always have a sweet snack at hand!

EditIngredients

• of fresh ginger
• of water
• of granulated sugar, approximately

EditSteps

EditSlicing and Cooking the Ginger

1. Choose a young, fresh ginger root to make the candied ginger with. Look for a ginger root that is tender and firm. Avoid any ginger roots which feel papery, as this means that they are old.^[1]
   
2. Grease a cooling rack and line a half sheet pan. Use a non-stick cooking spray to lightly coat the cooling rack. Then line the half sheet pan with a sheet of parchment paper.^[2]
   
   
   • A half sheet pan is .^[3]
3. Wash of fresh ginger and peel it using a spoon. Wash the ginger root first under cool, running water. Then scrape the skin off with the edge of a spoon using strong, downward strokes.^[4]
   
   
   • You can peel the ginger whole, or you can break lobes off and peel each one individually.
4. Slice the ginger into ⅛ in (3.2 mm) thick slices. Use a mandoline to evenly slice the entire ginger root. Place the ginger into the handguard, and push it down the runway to create the slices.^[5]
   
   
   • Alternatively, if you don’t have a mandoline, use a paring knife to slice the ginger as thinly as possible.^[6]
5. Cook the ginger in of water for 35 minutes. Place the ginger slices into a saucepan, and turn the stovetop burner on to medium-high heat. Cover the saucepan as the ginger cooks, and leave the saucepan over the heat until the ginger is tender.^[7]
   
   
   • A 4-quart saucepan is the best size to use for cooking the ginger in the water.
   • Use a fork to check if the ginger is tender.
6. Drain the ginger and retain ¼ cup (60 ml) of the liquid. Put a colander into a large bowl, and transfer the ginger pieces into it. Lift the colander up and gently move it around to drain the water from the ginger. Use a measuring cup to reserve some of the liquid.^[8]
   
   
   • The rest of the cooking liquid can either be discarded or kept to make a ginger infused tea.^[9]

EditCandying the Ginger

1. Weigh the cooked ginger and measure out the same weight of sugar. Place the ginger onto a set of kitchen scales, and remember the measurement. Remove the ginger from the scales, and measure out the exact same amount of granulated sugar. This will most likely be approximately of sugar.^[10]
   
   
   • Keep the remaining granulated sugar, as you will use this to coat the ginger when it has crystallized.^[11]
2. Bring the ginger, cooking liquid, and granulated sugar to a boil. Place the ginger, sugar, and ¼ cup (60 ml) of the cooking liquid into the saucepan. Adjust the stovetop to a medium-high heat, and stir the ingredients as you bring it to a boil.^[12]
   
   
   • Use a wooden spoon to stir the ingredients.
3. Cook the ingredients over a medium heat for approximately 20 minutes. Once the ingredients start boiling, reduce the heat down to medium. Let the ginger cook until the sugar syrup has almost evaporated and looks very dry, and then remove it from the heat.^[13]
   
   
   • Continue stirring the ingredients frequently as they cook.
   • The sugar syrup will be recrystallizing by around 20 minutes.
4. Coat the ginger pieces in the remaining sugar on the half sheet pan. Use a slotted spoon or a serving spoon to take the ginger from the saucepan to the half sheet pan. Use tongs to thoroughly cover the ginger pieces in the extra sugar.^[14]
   
   
   • A slotted spoon or a serving spoon will help to drain any excess syrup off the ginger pieces before they go onto the half sheet pan.
   • You can keep any leftover syrup to mix it into refreshing drinks or to drizzle over ice cream. If you prefer it to be slightly thicker, simply boil the syrup for a few more minutes.^[15]
5. Transfer the ginger to the cooling rack and let it cool for 2 hours. Use a fork or tongs to spread out the pieces. Make sure that none of the pieces are sticking together.^[16]
   
   
   • The cooling time of 2 hours is approximate. Check that the candied ginger has hardened before you store it.
6. Store the candied ginger pieces for up to 3 months. Place the ginger into an airtight container. Keep the container in a cool, dark place such as a pantry.^[17]
   
   • Make sure that the pieces are completely cool to touch before you store them, otherwise, they won’t keep well.
   • You can keep the sugar that falls away from the ginger pieces and onto the half sheet pan. This can be used for sweetening coffee, topping ginger snaps, or sprinkling over ice cream.

EditTips

• There are many recipes that can be enhanced with the addition of candied ginger. Try adding it to banana bread, citrus salads, granola bars, muffins, cakes, and homemade jam just to name a few.^[18]

EditThings You’ll Need

• Cooling rack
• Half sheet pan
• Parchment paper
• Spoon
• Mandoline or paring knife
• 4-quart saucepan
• Fork
• Colander
• Measuring cup
• Kitchen scales
• Wooden spoon
• Slotted spoon or serving spoon
• Airtight container

EditRelated wikiHows

• Measure Fresh vs Dried Herbs

EditSources and Citations

EditQuick Summary

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