If I have a jar of candied ginger within arm’s reach, there’s an excellent chance that you’ll find my hand reaching into it. Yes, you can buy candied ginger, but it’s not at all difficult to make your own. From one good-size knob of fresh ginger, you can make enough so that even if you are caught with your hand in the ginger jar as much as I am, you’ll have some left to toss with fruit dessert, such as the Nectarine-Berry Cobbler with Fluffy Biscuits (page 104) or to add to a batch of Nonfat Gingersnaps (page 200). Take time to cut the ginger across the grain into thin slices no thicker than a coin because you want to make sure that any fibers in the ginger are minimized. If you can find young ginger in the spring, you should definitely use it.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 1/2 pound (225 g)

　　1/2 pound (225 g) fresh ginger

　　3 cups (750 ml) water

　　3 cups (600 g) sugar, plus 1 cup (200 g) for coating the ginger slices

　　Pinch of salt

　　1 tablespoon light corn syrup (optional; see Tip)

　　

Step 1

Peel the fresh ginger and slice it as thinly as possible, cutting crosswise against the fibers. Put the ginger slices in a large saucepan, add water to cover, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer for 3 minutes. Drain the ginger and repeat this step twice more. You will have blanched the ginger slices a total of 3 times.

　　

Step 2

After the third draining, return the ginger to the saucepan and attach a candy thermometer to the side. Add the 3 cups (750 ml) water, 3 cups (600 g) sugar, salt, and corn syrup, if using, and cook until the liquid reaches 225°F (110°C). Remove from the heat and let the ginger rest in the syrup for 1 hour.

　　

Step 3

Place the ginger slices in a strainer and stir a few times to make sure as much syrup drips off as possible. (If you wish, save the syrup for another use, such as for sweetening lemonade or mixing with sparkling water and fresh lime juice.) Spread the ginger slices out on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and allow to dry for 2 to 3 hours.

　　

Step 4

Spread the remaining 1 cup (200 g) sugar on a baking sheet. Place the ginger slices in the sugar and toss with your fingers to separate the pieces and coat them well with sugar. Lift out the slices and shake off the excess sugar with your hands or place them in a colander and shake well. Set the sugar-coated ginger slices on the wire rack and let dry overnight at room temperature.

　　

Storage

Step 5

The candied ginger will keep in an airtight container for up to 6 months. The ginger can also be left in its syrup, without draining and tossing in sugar, and kept for a similar length of time in the refrigerator.

　　

tip

Step 6

In the candying process, ginger slices or citrus peels are cooked in a thick sugar syrup to preserve them. But, over time, the sugar has a tendency to recrystallize, causing the ginger or citrus peel to dry out a bit. Adding a bit of corn syrup inhibits this recrystallization. (Most other liquid sweeteners, like honey and maple syrup, don’t behave the same way, so they’re not interchangeable for corn syrup.) I’ve made the corn syrup optional, so you can decide whether to use it.

　　Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz. Copyright © 2010 by David Lebovitz. Published by Ten Speed Press. All Rights Reserved.David Lebovitz lived in San Francisco for twenty years before moving to Paris. He baked at several notable restaurants before starting his career as a cookbook author and food writer. He's the author of four highly regarded books on desserts, and has written for many major food magazines, sharing his well-tested recipes written with a soupçon of humor. His popular, award-winning blog, www.davidlebovitz.com, entertains readers from around the world with sweet and savory recipes as he tries to unravel the complexities of living in Paris.