Since I'm on a ginger kick today, I've one more technique to share regarding ginger - making your own crystallized ginger. I use crystallized ginger in various baked goods. For example, see my comment and pic in this link: http://stellaculinary.com/podcasts/video/savory-caramelized-onion-scones-video-recipe
Crystallized ginger is not always easy to come by and can be costly, so I make my own. This is not my technique, but one that I use from Bo Friberg's book, The Professional Pastry Chef: Fundamentals of Baking and Pastry, which has been a great resource for me for several years now.
Here it is:
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. (455 g.) Fresh Ginger, sliced in 1/4” thick pieces
- 1 lb. (455 g.) Granulated Sugar
- 1/3 c. (80 ml.) Water
Instructions:
- Place the ginger slices in a saucepan and add enough water to cover. Simmer over low heat until the ginger is tender, approximately 40 minutes.
- Drain the ginger, discarding the liquid.
- Place the sugar in the empty saucepan, add the water and stir to moisten all of the sugar.
- Bring the sugar/water to a boil, add the drained ginger slices, and lower the heat to gently boil, stirring frequently until the ginger looks translucent, about 20 minutes.
- Reduce the heat and simmer until the syrup is quite thick. The sugar syrup is likely to form lumps if you cook it too long. This is okay; however, you should remove any large lumps that stick to the ginger pieces.
- Using two forks, remove the ginger slices from the syrup and toss them in granulated sugar to coat.
- Place the sugarcoated ginger pieces in a single layer, spaced well apart, on a sheet pan. Let sit overnight in a warm place.
- Store the ginger in an airtight container for up to 6 months.