2.25 Ginger

Latin name: Zingiber officinale

2.25.3 Using / preserving ginger

Also see 4.8.2, Ginger beer, below.

From wouk.alumni.cs.colorado.edu (Arthur Wouk):
>I have a couple of recipes that call for crystallized ginger. Much to my dismay it's about $7.00 per bottle. Upon close examination is looks like nothing more than peeled ginger coarsely chopped and slathered in sugar. How far off the mark am I??

You are off by about 8 hours of cooking the ginger in a sugary syrup.

>Does anyone know how to make preserved ginger? I've also seen it called crystalized ginger. It is small chunks of sugar-coated ginger and the texture is quite chewy. If you have a recipe for this I would appreciate a copy.

From: Eve Dexter (evedex.hookup.net)
Scrape and cut into ¼ inch slices enough non-fibrous young Ginger root to make 1 quart. Put the slices into a large non-aluminum pat and cover generously with water. Bring slowly to the boil an simmer, covered until tender (20 min). Add 1 cup sugar and stir until the mixture boils. Remove from heat.
Cover and let stand overnight at room temperature.
Recook, simmering gently for about 15 min (after coming to the boil). Add 1 seeded sliced lemon and 1 cup light corn syrup. Uncover and simmer 15 minutes longer, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat and let stand covered overnight.
Bring the mixture to the boil again and add 1 cup sugar and simmer for 30 min STIRRING CONSTANTLY (burns easily). Add 1 cup sugar, bring back to the boil and remove from heat.
Cover and let stand overnight again.
In the fourth cooking, bring the mixture to a boil once more. When the syrup drops heavily from the side of a spoon, and the ginger is translucent, pour the mixture into sterile jars and seal. This yields about 5 cups.
If you want Candied ginger...drain the ginger after the last cooking. Reserve the syrup for flavoring sauces and allow the slices to dry on a sheet or better still a rack, overnight. When well dried, roll in granulated sugar and store in tightly covered glass jars.

From: albersa.aztec.asu.edu (ANN ALBERS)
Before grilling a thick whitefish, I sometimes coat it with this mixture:

1 cup orange juice
¼ cup honey
½-inch gingerroot, chopped very fine
Sweet but tasty.

Slivered macadamia nuts or almonds may be sprinkled on after the fish comes off the grill.

From: jdtrach.islandnet.com (Julia Trachsel)

This is a great recipes which I always make in our cool, rainy season out here on the west coast. Hope you enjoy it as much as my family and guests do.

Gingerbread

½ cup shortening
½ cup sugar
1 egg beaten
1 cup molasses
2 ½ cups flour
1 ½ teas. baking soda
1 tbsp. ginger
1 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. cloves
1 cup boiling water
1 cup raisins (optional)
1 cup crystalized ginger, chopped

Cream shortening, sugar, add beaten egg and molasses. Add dry ingredients. Add boiling water, mix well. Add chopped crystalized ginger and stir gently. Pour inti 2 small greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. A skewer inserted into the middle should come out clean when the gingerbread is done.

My personal twist to this recipe is to add 1 cup of crystalized ginger (instead of ½ cup) and to serve it with hot lemon pie filling which has been extended by adding enough extra water to make it pourable.