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?
Candied Ginger Recipe
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
Michele Campbell says
So I think I got my quantities wrong the first attempt – is it 1/2 cup of the ginger water or 1/2 of the ginger water used in the first boil? Eek!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Michele, they’re one and the same. You place the ginger in water, bring it to a boil and then measure out 1/2 cup of that ginger water to use in step 2.
Michele Campbell says
Ah – since the original amount of water isn’t specified, I took out 1/2 of the water that I started with for my second boil. Makes sense now why it didn’t work! Thanks for clarifying!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Michele, there’s no specific amount, just enough water to cover the ginger, so that will vary depending on the size of pot you use. And I realized I was a little clearer in my writeup in the step-by-steps pictures than in the recipe box itself and I apologize for that.
Michelle says
Great recipe, Kimberly! I’ve altered it for my own use but the fundamentals remain the same. I’ve been using a different recipe that actually crystallizes the ginger and the sugar completely but the ginger becomes too hard and I think it has a shorter shelf life. The only problem I’ve encountered is that the syrup seems to sometimes boil away before I get to 225 degrees. When it does that I’ve compensated by drying it a little in the oven at the lowest my oven will go, 170. Then it is fine. You should look for Hawaiian Ginger. It is quite abundant in the winter months as it is a winter crop here. Costco sells Hawaiian ginger here for about $7-8 for a 3 pound bag. In Hawaii we eat TONS of ginger. A side note, you need very young ginger for Japanese pickled ginger. Thank you again!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Michelle, and thanks also for all the great tips!
Diane says
I’ve used this as a garnish for my Ginger Bread Lemon cheese cake Dessert, every one loved it!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That sounds absolutely heavenly, Diane!
Mina Joy says
Hi Kimberly, Thanks for the recipe. I love Ginger. I’ve been adding Ginger to my smoothies or buying crystallized Ginger from Wholefoods. I was just visiting my boys, and they had gotten me a pound of Ginger form Wholefoods that I didn’t know what do it. The idea of making my own Crystallized Ginger Candies came to my mind, and I just saw your recipe. I’m planning to do it with Coconut Sugar.
Thank you for the recipe and I’ll let you know how it goes with Coconut sugar. I look forward to your pickled ginger recipe :)
Thanks again Kimberly.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Mina, I look forward to hearing how it turns out with the coconut sugar!
Justin A says
I have been looking for a good, simple straight forward recipe for candy ginger glad I found yours. It sounds absolutely great. I recently bought 500 gm from a major Super Market; I was shocked what they charged me, when regular ginger is 69 cents a pound in many stores. I will try your recipe. If you have recipe for ginger as the ginger served in Japanese restaurants with Sushi, I will appreciate that.
Thank you
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Justin, no kidding! As cheap as it is fresh it is crazy what they charge just to add a few cents of sugar to it. I know exactly what you’re referring to with the pickled ginger because my husband is a total sushi nut :) I’ve actually been planning on posting a recipe for that. It may not be for a while yet but thanks for the reminder!
Deanna Mayo says
I love to add a slice of crystallized ginger to a cup of either peach or plain tea!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Great tip, Deanna, thank you!
gopi krishna kejriwal says
i am going to try this.India is top producer of ginger.mostly fresh and dried ginger is sold. value added products are not made much. i want to start making value added ginger products.ginger candy is one such product.it will help me.
thanks.
Jeff says
Can you use coconut sugar?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Jeff, yes you can use coconut sugar but as far as its preservative qualities (ie, will it preserve the fruit as long as traditional regular sugar), I’m not sure.
Jeff says
Thanks will try it and let you know
Chana says
Crystallized ginger adds zing to a cup of tea with honey. When you get to the bottom of the cup after drinking the tea, you have a nice, juicy piece of rehydrated ginger to savor.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Great tip, Chana, thank you!
NN says
That’s exactly how I use it too, funny. Love crunching on the ginger after it has rehydrated. It’s got a beautiful texture & tastes amazing, not to mention the benefits to the immune & digestive systems. It’s especially good with honey & milk mixed in. Lazy girl’s chai for when I don’t have the energy to grind up all my custom blend of chai spices by hand in the mortar & pestle.
I’m trying out my first batch of candied ginger with honey this weekend in an effort to cut my sugar consumption. Found a great recipe online. If it doesn’t work, I’ll be coming back for this one for sure, but I’ll be using my dehydrator on low to speed up the drying time. No patience with candied ginger :-)
IDA says
wanna try too thanks for sharing with us
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
You’re welcome, IDA, thanks for stopping by!
Glenda says
I pulled up a basket full of ginger out of my flower bed yesterday. I immediately started looking for recipes for candied ginger. I plan to make a batch tomorrow using your recipe. We just got back from NY where we went apple picking with our grandchildren. I managed to bring home enough for a mile high apple pie and I plan on adding candied ginger.
Thanks for all the hints on how to use the ginger.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Homegrown ginger sounds fantastic, Glenda, have fun turning it into candy! :)
Fatima says
I made this yesterday and it’s amazing ! Thank u for sharing … I had never heard of this but a recipe called for it and I wanted to make sure it’s home made 👌🏻👍🏻
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s terrific, Fatima, thank you!
Kevin says
4 batches later….
From first batch I discovered that cutting too small means the pieces fall through the rack…from second batch learnt: there are still too many pieces to handle…so resorted to skewering the discs and working with 12-15 at a time…by resting edges on a lipped dish, they take up a fraction of the space, drip-dry easier and can even sugar coat on the stick…
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
You are a trooper, Kevin, I’d go nuts after four batches! Thanks for the feedback and for those awesome tips!
Leener says
Awesome tips ! Getting ready to try, so your tips are quite timely ! Thank You !
Kevin says
I’m making some this weekend…. It works wonders in homemade Cassata-style ice-cream along with rum marinated raisins and other crystalised fruit.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Goodness, Kevin, I haven’t even had breakfast yet and you’re making me crave ice cream! :) That sounds delicious!
Tam says
I am so happy to see this recipe. Thanks for sharing, I cant wait to try it. I love to small dice and put it in zuchini bread, or tea!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Adding it to zucchini bread sounds like a terrific way to put it to use, thanks for the tip, Tam!