Make your own homemade candied ginger! The flavor is WAY better than store-bought, much fresher and more vibrant. It will bring your baked goods to life, plus they’re fabulous just to snack on! PLUS there’s the additional bonus of an amazing ginger simple syrup you’ll get at the end of the cooking process that is phenomenal in drinks!
Have you ever come across a recipe calling for candied ginger but passed because you didn’t have any, couldn’t find any in the store, or just didn’t want to bother trying to find it? Or have you thought about making it yourself but weren’t sure how or figured it would be too much work? Well this is for you!
If you like candied ginger just wait until you’ve tried homemade! The flavor is worlds better – so much fresher with a stronger, more vibrant flavor. And if you don’t care for candied ginger, you’ll be converted once you’ve tried it in a few recipes (see ideas below).
Because it’s so fresh, and you know the source, you can also reap the health benefits of ginger. Ginger has been used medicinally for centuries. Ginger is an extremely healthy herb with a variety of benefits. Research has shown it to be effective in treating upset stomachs, nausea, motion-sickness, pregnancy, lowering cholesterol and inflammation, preventing clogged arteries and may even kill cancer cells.
So while you obviously want to eat candied ginger in moderation because of its sugar content, ginger has some great health benefits and if you do have a sweet tooth this is arguably a much better alternative to straight up candy, right?
Health benefits of ginger aside, some of you may be asking “Why would I even want candied ginger?” I’ll tell you!
Candied ginger (aka crystallized ginger) is not only a yummy snack on its own, it’s a versatile ingredient that will liven up so many dishes!
Bottom line: This makes a large batch, keeps for months, and you will be so glad to have it on hand.
Here are just a few ideas of how you can use candied ginger:
Add it to the following: Banana bread, sugar cookies, citrus salad, granola bars, cakes, pies, muffins, cupcakes, shortbread, pancakes, waffles, sprinkled over ice cream, lemon bread, pound cake (try my Preserved Lemon Ginger Pound Cake), ginger snaps, cranberry relish, pear or apple crisp, homemade jam, and the list goes on and on!
Or add it to this delicious Healthy Homemade Granola or this phenomenal Pineapple Mango Coconut Crumble with Candied Ginger.
These are just a few ideas and the sky’s the limit!
Leave a comment below: What are some other ways you’ve used candied ginger?
Okay, are you ready to rock?
Then let’s get started!
Generally you want to use young, small ginger roots because they’re less woody/more tender. But medium-sized will work just fine as well. I recommend organic if possible.
Peel the ginger and slice it thinly and evenly. You can either do it by hand or use a mandolin. I highly recommend the Swissmar Borner Mandolin.
If you slice it paper thin the result will be crunchy crystallized ginger, but you also don’t want it too thick. 1/8 is thick is about right. You’ll need about 1 pound of sliced ginger.
Place the sliced ginger in a medium-sized pot and cover with water and just a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.
Reserve 1/2 cup of the ginger water and then drain the sliced ginger (you can also keep the ginger water for tea or a tonic).
Place the reserved ginger water and sugar in the pot.
Add the sliced ginger, bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer uncovered for about 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
The mixture will become somewhat thickened as the sugar turns to a syrup.
Simmer until a candy thermometer reads 225 degrees F. You don’t have to use a candy thermometer but it sure makes it a lot easier than guesswork.
This thermometer is what I’m using now – it has great reviews and can be used for both candy and meats. A thermometer, in my opinion, is an essential kitchen gadget.
Once the ginger mixture has reached 225 F drain the ginger immediately while hot. Use a colander over a bowl so you can collect the drained syrup. Don’t discard that syrup. This recipe produces a delicious by product: GINGER SIMPLE SYRUP! Add a teaspoon or two to your drinks for a refreshing ZING!
Lay the ginger slices out on a large cooling rack over a cookie sheet, separating the individual slices the best you can (this is the more tedious part of the process).
Let the ginger sit for 2 hours so they’re sticky but not wet (you want the sugar to be able to adhere without dissolving).
Toss the pieces in a bowl of sugar to coat all sides.
Lay the crystallized ginger back on the cooling rack to sit overnight to dry. Note: If you’re in a place with high humidity you can also dry these in a food dehydrator or in the oven on the very lowest temperature setting (you may need to keep the oven door cracked open).
Store the crystallized ginger in an airtight container in a dark, cool place. Because it’s cooked and sugar and then coated with sugar, it will keep for several months.
Enjoy!
PIN ME!
Be sure to also try our Homemade Candied Orange Peel (or lemon, grapefruit and lime)!
How To Make Candied Ginger
Ingredients
- 1 pound peeled and sliced ginger ,preferably young/smaller roots, sliced about 1/8 inch thick (by hand or use a mandolin - it's much easier)
- Pinch of salt
- 2 cups white granulated sugar
- Extra sugar for coating
Instructions
- Place the sliced ginger in a medium pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the ginger water and then drain the ginger slices.
- Place the sliced ginger back in the pot with the reserved ginger water, sugar and pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until the temperature on a candy thermometer reads 225 degrees F.
- Drain the ginger in a colander over a bowl to catch the syrup (see Note).
- Lay out the ginger slices on a cooling rack over a cookie sheet, separating the slices the best you can. Let cool for 2 hours (you want them sticky but not wet so that the sugar will adhere without dissolving).
- Toss the ginger slices in a bowl of sugar so they are coated all over. Place the ginger slices back on the cooling rack to sit overnight. Note: If you're in a very humid area you can dry the candied ginger in a food dehydrator or in the oven set to the lowest temperature (you may need to crack the oven door open.)
- Store in an airtight container in a dark, cool place. Will keep for several months.
Notes
Lizzy says
Strangely, I have been unable to find candied ginger in stores this Christmas, and I need some for my Christmas cake. I used the ginger root I had in the freezer and it worked brilliantly. I will be making my own from now on. Thank you for a terrific recipe.
Kimberly Killebrew says
Awesome, Lizzy, I’m happy you enjoyed them, thank you!
Kris says
Turned out fantastic! The syrup is delicious as well. I think I’m going to buy a mandolin slicer for the next batch. I’m not very uniform in my slicing, but I do enjoy the chewy thick parts as well. The recipe was bang on. Good stuff! Although, I hit the temperature needed after only 20 minutes. But, directions were right. I think a candy thermometer is best for this one. Thank you for the wonderful recipe to satisfy my ginger cravings. :)
Kimberly Killebrew says
Awesome, Kris, thank you so much for the feedback!
Anonymous says
My ginger is still very wet after drying over night. Help!
Kimberly Killebrew says
The temperature in the room as well as humidity level will play a role in how long it takes to dry. You can put the tray in the oven and let it dry at very low heat. If your oven doesn’t go very low you can crack the oven door open.
Eliane says
I probably don’t have an awesome thermometer, because mine never reached 225F (at one point it even went down from 220F to 215F) and eventually I realized the syrup was getting super thick, so I drained the ginger and the syrup became solid! Maybe a visual cue would help… When I bake some caramel to pour over a cake, I can tell it’s ready by the size of the bubbles, maybe a cue like that would help those of us with no helpful thermometer! :D
Anyways, I added some ginger water to my hard syrup and heated gently until I had a syrup again, so it’s all good. And after emptying the pan, I cooked some pears in it, delicious mix of flavours!
Theresa says
I just made this. I had.8 lg of pared ginger. Accidentally used only one cup of sugar (conflated two recipes) and the 1/2 cup water. it candied up just fine, but had VERY little syrup left.
seems like I needed more water to sugar ratio to get the syrup.Thank you for the recipe!
Kimberly Killebrew says
Hi Theresa, the sugar itself dissolves into liquid so having used only half of the sugar called for was the problem in not having enough syrup.
sarah says
perfect!
Rochelle says
Someone else mentioned boiling with more water–i added additional sugar because i needed 3 cups of simple syrup and I also did 3 lbs of cut ginger using the medium blade on the mandolin. The crystallized ginger is a big hitcwith my family.
I made it like this, reserved the syrup and used the ginger syrup on baklava. Not even a crumb left!!! Keeper!!!!!
Kimberly Killebrew says
Fantastic, Rochelle, thanks so much for the feedback and brilliant idea using the syrup for baklava!
Jessie Ann says
I’m curious why we’re boiling the ginger first, draining, then adding some of the water back with sugar… like why would I not just mix all the stuff at the beginning and simmer until it’s the right temp? Seems like Boiling then draining in the first step is just gonna make it so it has less ginger flavor…
Mellisa says
It’s probably because raw ginger is hot, spicy even. The first round cooks the ginger and probably takes away some of the bite while also giving you a cup of ginger water to cook with the sugar round. I imagine if you want it to still be spicy in the end you could skip the first step, but if you want a sweet final product, follow the recipe.
Samantha says
I’ve made this twice with 3 pounds of ginger and greatly increased the water and sugar. Turned out phenomenal. I’m making some tonight to give as gifts. The ginger syrup is so good in tea. I also increased water to get a lot of it. It’s especially good in green tea but also delicious with black tea.
Kimberly Killebrew says
Fantastic, Samantha, thanks so much for the feedback!
Tiffany says
Fantastic recipe! How do I store the simple syrup?
Kimberly Killebrew says
Thank you, Tiffany! I keep it in a sealed glass jar in the fridge just so it lasts even longer.
Moira Kennedy says
Is it necessary to make the Syrup with such a high concentration of sugar?
Kimberly Killebrew says
Hi Moira, yes, the sugar to water ratio is what enables it to become syrup that enables the “candied” effect of the ginger as opposed to a thin watery liquid. The high sugar concentration is also necessary to act as a preservative.
Eva says
Am I missing the sugar amount? I’ve scrolled the recipe several times without finding the sugar measurement. Please display the ingredients more prominently.
Anonymous says
It states 2 cups of sugar
Carol says
Can I do this with dried ginger
John says
Excellent ! I tried it this morning, worked like a charm. I used smaller quantities, no problem. I may, later today, chocolate dip some and taste how the chocolate and ginger combine, Thank you for an excellent and adaptable recipe. John Anthony Unsworth.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, John, I’m so glad it was a success, thank you for the feedback!
Marinang says
I don’t have a candy thermometer and 35 minutes are too much and my ginger burned. I guess you need more water or less time.
Nicole says
Same problem. Mine also burned, and I followed the recipe to the letter. So disappointed in this recipe.