Candied ginger is a delicious nibble when you're having a cup of tea or after-dinner coffee. The ginger can also be chopped for flavoring ice cream, dessert sauces, or a special cake.

Prepare The Ginger

Break rhizomes apart at joints and scrape off think skin, using a small, sharp knife. Turn off leafy stem bases and any bruised or discolored ends. Slice sections slightly on the bias into pieces about 1/4-inch thick.

If You Are Using Stem Ginger: The day before you will make this, place ginger in large saucepan.

Add cold water to cover the pieces by 2 inches. Bring to boil over medium heat. Lower heat. Cover pot, and simmer for 2 1/2 hours.

If liquid level drops below ginger at any point, add boiling water.

Drain ginger. Add fresh water to cover.

Simmer for another hour, or until slices are very tender.

Drain ginger.

If You Are Using Mature Ginger: Two days before you will make this, place slices in bowl.

Add cold water to cover the pieces by 2 inches. Let stand overnight.

Drain ginger.

Place slices in large saucepan. Add water to cover pieces by 1 inch.

Bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower heat.

Cover pan, and simmer 10 minutes. Drain ginger.

Add fresh water to cover.

Repeat the simmering-and-draining process at least three times.

After the fourth simmering, taste a scrap of ginger to see whether or not its hotness suits you ...

If the flavor is too strong, change the water and repeat the simmering-and-draining process once or twice more.

Continue cooking ginger in final water until the pieces are very tender (2 or 3 hours), adding boiling water as needed to keep the ginger covered with liquid. Drain ginger.

Candy The Ginger

Combine the 3 cups sugar, 3 cups water, and 2 tablespoons light corn syrup in large saucepan. Bring mixture to boil over medium-high heat.

Boil 2 minutes. Add ginger slices.

Again heat syrup to boiling, shaking pan often.

Boil hard for 1 minute. Remove pan from heat.

Let stand until ginger and syrup are completely cool (overnight is fine).

Return pan to heat and again bring syrup to a boil.

Adjust heat, cover, and simmer ginger until pieces are translucent and very tender (about 1-3 hours), stirring occasionally. (If syrup becomes too thick before ginger is translucent, add a little hot water to restore its consistency.)

Cook ginger, uncovered, shaking pan often, until syrup is reduced to a spoonful or two. Remove pan from heat. Let stand for a few minutes.

Using fork, transfer ginger pieces onto wire rack.

Set aside to dry at room temperature (which will take 1-2 hours).

When they are no longer sticky, roll ginger pieces in granulated sugar, coating them well.

Store ginger in a covered container at room temperature. (It will remain fresh for many months.)

adapted from Helen Witty's _Fancy Pantry_

Mm-format by Petra <phildeb@gmx. Net>