Candied Ginger Recipe that is Chewy, Sweet, and Failproof (2024)
By Joybilee Farm5 Comments
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Candied ginger and crystallized ginger are two different candies. One is fudge-like, firm and crumbly. The other is firm, chewy, and covered in sugar crystals. This recipe for crystalized ginger is everything crystallized ginger should be. It’s chewy, light in colour, spicy hot, sweet, and dry. Not sticky at all. When you make this recipe for candied ginger, you’ll also end up with a thick ginger syrup that’s lovely in tea, or spooned over ice cream. All you need is ginger, lemons, and sugar to get started.
Candied ginger is soft, gummy, and spicy-sweet, with the chewy texture of a gummy and the fibre of the ginger root it is made from. It’s useful for quelling a carsick child on the twisty, turny road going between the ferry depots from Langdale to Earl’s Cove. I wish I knew about it when my boys were little. It would have saved us quite a few mop-ups in the back seat. Ginger is way more effective than Gravol and the kids are a lot happier with ginger. Now that I’m an older and wiser grandma I keep a stash of candied ginger for car sick kiddos that come for a visit. We’ve saved many a back seat by liberally handing out crystallized ginger to visitors before they left for home.
But crystallized ginger is not gluten-free, so with our household wheat allergies, buying store-bought candied ginger is no longer an option. I’ve made a few candied ginger recipes trying to capture that soft, flexible, gummy texture, but until now my crystallized ginger was more like ginger fudge than that lovely yellow ginger coated in sugar crystals.
Last week when I was making marmalade I stumbled on the secret I was missing. And I want to share with you how you can make failproof crystalized ginger that is soft, chewy, and coated in sugar crystals as candied ginger should be.
Candied ginger that’s chewy, sweet, and gluten free.
Ingredients
Scale
1 large hand of ginger, peeled and sliced into 1/8th inch thick slices
Juice and zest of 2 medium lemons
3 cups of water
3 cups sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon of butter
Instructions
Add prepared ginger, juice and zest to a heavy bottom sauce pan. Add 3 cups of water. Simmer ginger in the water for 1 hour, until soft. Top up with additional water to make 2 1/2 cups of liquid in total. Stir in 2 1/2 cups of sugar. Stir until all sugar is dissolved.
Simmer over medium heat until mixture comes to a rapid boil. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of butter to reduce foaming. Stiroccasionallyto keep ginger from sticking to the bottom of the pot. When mixture reaches 220 degrees F. on a candy thermometer remove from heat.
Prepare a cooling rack, by placing it on a baking sheet to catch drips. Strain out ginger pieces and placein a single layer on the cooling rack. Strain the remaining ginger syrup into a sanitized mason pint jar (500 ml).Save the ginger syrup for another use.
Put 1/2 cup of sugar into a bowl. Dredge each piece of ginger through the sugar, coating both sides. Return to cooling rack to cool fully. Save the extra ginger sugar for another use.
Keywords: Crystalized ginger, candied ginger
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The secret ingredient is lemons. Lemons contain the pectin needed to turn the ginger pieces into a sweet, chewy delight, instead of crystalized fudge. The zest and juice of a few lemons add the acid and pectin necessary to keep the ginger from discolouring and to keep the pieces soft and pliable.
It’s very important to cook the ginger pieces in syrup to 220 degrees on a candy thermometer. This is the “gel” stage and allows the pectin to bloom. Most ginger candy recipes tell you to cook the ginger to the softball stage and then beat it to get the crystals. Don’t do that. That’s how fudge is formed. It will make the ginger pieces hard and crumbly. Instead, just add the lemons and cook the ginger syrup and ginger pieces to the gel stage.
The ginger syrup you’ll have leftover is thick like honey and absolutely delicious. Save it for ginger cough syrup or ginger ice cream topping.
The terms “candied” and “crystallized” are typically used interchangeably. If a distinction is made, the term candied refers to ginger stored in the simple syrup and crystallized ginger means the version cooked in the sweet syrup and rolled in sugar which is the one you are buying now.
When ginger is heated, gingerol changes and becomes zingerone, due to a reverse aldol reaction. This process softens the pungent taste found in fresh ginger and produces a spicy yet sweet aroma, just like the ginger we can taste in gingerbread.
Rich in essential oils, vitamin B and minerals potassium, magnesium, manganese and copper, ginger is universal medicine, so it has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects, improves circulation and heart function, stimulates the digestive system, reduces allergy symptoms and strengthens the immune system.
The harder and older it is the longer it will take to soften and the taste won't be as good! Cook the ginger in 350ml / 1.5 cups of water on medium-low heat (simmering) for about 50-60 minutes until the ginger is between soft and al dente. Cook it open for the first 15 minutes before you close the pot with a lid.
Ginger is safe to eat daily, but experts recommend limiting yourself to 3 to 4 grams a day — stick to 1 gram daily if you're pregnant. Taking more than 6 grams of ginger a day has been proven to cause gastrointestinal issues such as reflux, heartburn and diarrhea.
One of the most outstanding benefits of crystallized ginger is its ability to ease motion sickness, morning sickness and general feelings of nausea. Dried ginger supports a healthy digestive system. It can also ease the discomfort associated with intestinal gas. Ginger provides support to your immune system.
Each finger of ginger has tough fibers running lengthwise through it, so the key to getting tender pieces is to always cut across the grain, just as you would for carving a steak.
Crystallized or candied ginger is fresh ginger root that has been cooked in sugar syrup and coated with coarse sugar to make it sweet and gummy. You can make your own or find it in the spice aisle of many grocery stores. Sweet ginger bits are another form of crystallized ginger.
However, if the ginger also has a mushy texture, an off smell, a brown color, or visible mold, it is likely bad and should be discarded. It's always best to trust your senses and look for the signs of bad ginger before using it in your recipes. Lightly wrinkled ginger that's still good to use.
Pregnant or breastfeeding women, people with heart conditions, and people with diabetes should not take ginger without talking to their doctors. DO NOT take ginger if you have a bleeding disorder or if you are taking blood-thinning medications, including aspirin.
Generally, ginger is safe for consumption by individuals with diabetes. It may also offer several health benefits that can support diabetes management. Evidence notes that ginger can be beneficial for digestive health and reducing nausea and vomiting.
The root can ease the pain and swelling if you take it in tea form, include it in a meal, eat it as a candy, or use in a compress on the affected part of the body.
It does get bitter if overcooked or burned so timing and temperature are important. That might be the slightly acrid / pungent taste you're picking up.
Once opened, refrigerate and consume within three months. Once opened, if stored in an airtight container, crystallised ginger will last for two years.
Crystallized ginger refers to soft pieces of ginger that have literally been crystallized. To achieve this form, fresh ginger is cut into small pieces and soaked in a solution of sugar and water. The sugar crystals permeate and soften the course ginger fibers, before the ginger pieces are rolled in sugar and dried.
Any recipe that calls for ginger in a batter (gingerbread, spice cake and the like) can have candied ginger added if you want pops of intense flavor. Best used in sweet cooking and baking or eating straight.
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