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
Bonnie says
Worked perfectly!! Delicious :) humid here so I put them in the oven with just the oven light on. Dried nicely.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome, Bonnie, I’m so glad they were a success, thanks for the feedback!
Jessica Brodbeck says
I haven’t made yet but this looks awesome. I made candied orange/lemon peel and this looks similar. Can’t wait to give it a try- and this is much easier than the many washes required by citrus peels.
Anonymous says
i just made these and they are great they are a way better deal than just buying candied ginger
Danika F says
I tried this yesterday. I did take an awful long time with making sure to get back and drain it twice, making sure it reaches 225degrees which took an hour for me. However, the result is utterly splendid. This is the first time i have tried this and I am pleasantly surprised. I turned the ginger water & syrup into a chai syrup so I can add it to my black tea.
I feel the need to go around showing people this outcome. “Look!!! I made candied ginger and it looks cute as well as tastes good. Hahahah”
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome, Danika, congratulations and I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Agreed, you should be totally proud of your candied ginger! :)
Barbara Casort says
Haven’t made it ye but soon.
I use candied ginger in rice and oatmeal cooked in the rice cooker. Also put it in sauces like bbq and sweet chili. Great in oriental cuisine too
David Preston says
Made it love it still supersized how good it is, this is one to try sow simple but so good
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
So glad you enjoyed it, David, thank you!
Jackie says
The first time I made this it was perfect, the second and third times it turned an ugly brown color. Do you know what caused this?
Kittie says
Second and third times, you did it correctly :)
Gwenn says
I made this recipe with young fresh ginger. 30 minutes is not enough time. After I added th he sugar a.c nd boiled a second time I was sure it would be great. It was NOT. The ginger was very spicy hot and bitter. I will boil in water for 45 minutes next time and not use ginger water in the sugaring process. I’m looking for a sweet ginger taste.
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Ben says
Have not made this recipe, although I plan to try it before I bake my next apple pie. I have used finely chopped ginger in my apple pies, along with freshly grated nutmeg, and a dash of ground cayenne pepper (and oddly enough, not even a speck of cinnamon). My mile-high Apple Pie gets rave reviews from my family and friends.
I plan on trying it next time with the candied ginger.
A couple tips that may help both previous and future commenters:
1). Candy thermometer! An absolute necessity! Make sure you cook to the temperature in the recipe. Also make sure your thermometer is not set for Celsius.
2). To complete the drying process: after candy is no longer tacky, Set two boards across a couple dining room chairs, or across a gap between two counters. Lay down a 20 inch box fan across the two boards, blowing downward. Set a cheap 20”x20” furnace filter on top of the fan (the kind made of pleated paper, NOT fiberglass strands. I said cheap, but not THAT cheap). Put a layer of paper towels on top of that, and then add your candied ginger (or egg noodles, or anything else you want to dehydrate). You can continue adding layers of filters, paper towels, and candied ginger, but remember that the higher you stack it the longer it will take.
3). Someone asked why so little water: in candy making, the purpose of the water is only to initially dissolve the sugar, and to help distribute the heat throughout the mixture (dry sugar will melt over heat, but the air spaces between the sugar crystals prevent heat from reaching the sugar on top before the sugar on the bottom overheats and burns). Since the boiling point of water is 212F, the mixture will only heat to 212F, and stay there until all of the water has been evaporated. If you watch your candy thermometer, you will notice that the temperature will climb to 212F and then stall out. After a while, it will start to climb again. This is the point at which all of the water has boiled away. Since it takes a remarkably small amount of water to dissolve a large amount of sugar, adding additional water will only increase the time it takes to reach the final temperature.
June Richardson says
I absolutely love love love,,,,,chocolate covered ginger, so I will be making this real soon, and covering it with dark chocolate from Belgium…the kind you buy in chocolate bar form from Walmart. So so so delicious! Thanks so much.
anthony j means says
i imagine that you don’t even need to coat with sugar after cooking it in sugar. my issue with store bought is too much sugar. i buy it then rub as much sugar as possible off. has anyone ever tried adding lemon?
JM says
I did add lemon zest. The result was FABULOUS
Cw says
Burnt! Heads up, no warning on turning to dark brown. I think this approach is too much trouble…
Meg Amor says
Aloha :) This recipe looks fantastic thanks :)
I will have a go at this. At home in New Zealand at Christmas time, we always have a bowl of cubed/chunked candied ginger out on the table, along with dried apricots, cashew nuts etc. As a kid I wasn’t that keen on it, but as an adult, I love it, eaten like a sweet. I would imagine the think slices would be yummy in a salad too or chopped finely and used as ‘sprinkles’ on things. Thank you!
Jenny says
Love Love Love your site Daring Gourmet! I am very curious if its been attempted with an alternative sugar like SWERVE? Love ginger but have blood sugar issues and hoping someone has attempted it with something other than white sugar. Will keep checking back. Happy Holidays~
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank so much, Jenny! :) I haven’t tried that and I’m not sure an alternative sweetener will convert into a syrup the way sugar does (that’s what gives candied ginger it’s firm and chewy texture). Perhaps one of our readers has tried it and can chime in.
Amanda says
Made it! Worked great! I added a tiny bit extra water just in case but I’m not sure I really needed it. They taste great and will work well in the Christmas cookies I needed it for. Thanks for this recipe. Now that I know it’s not too hard, I might try making more candied things such as candied clementine peels and/or slices. Yum!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Amanda, thanks so much for the feedback!