Candied Ginger

When my roommate told me she was making candied ginger from scratch I gave her a side glance and thought "it must be nice to have time like that".

However, when I saw her make it the tune I was singing immediately changed and I jumped on the wagon.

Twice boiled ginger with sugar - and voila! A life time supply of ginger candy - no effort or thermometer required.

Yes you could say I regret being enlightened by how terrible candied ginger actually is for you, I am already shamelessly thinking of how this will bring my Ginger Muffins to a whole new level.  This candy comes with a gingery kick that its store bought counterpart is most definitely missing. The spice makes it a great afternoon pick me up (literally), but also has a flavor that comes with enough strength to carry it's weight when added to a dessert or baked good.

Candied Ginger

Ingredients

• 1-1 1/2 lbs of ginger
• water as needed
• 1 1/2 cups sugar + 1-3 tablespoons

Combine:

1. Using a paring knife or hand held peeler, remove the skin from the ginger root.
2. Slice the roots into thin pieces against the grain of the root.  Note: it's okay that there will be some variance in size and shape.
3. Place the roots in a large pot and cover with water until they are submerged but not more than half an inch under water.
4. Boil the roots for about 10 minutes then lower the heat to medium and continue to cook at a strong simmer for about 30 minutes.
5. Save 1/3 of a cup of the ginger water to use in the next step, then empty the contents of the pot into a strainer.
6. Transfer the ginger roots back to the pot with the reserved 1/3 cup of water, and add the sugar.
7. Stir the pot thoroughly as you bring it back to a boil. Once the sugar is dissolved, lower the heat to medium-low so the water is bubbling at a low simmer.
8. Stir the mixture every minute or two while cooking for 30-40 minutes.  During this cooking time you'll see the liquid thickening as the water evaporates and sugar concentrates into a syrup.  Stir more frequently as the liquid reduces so the sugar doesn't burn.
9. When the liquid is completely cooked off (it's okay if there is a tiny bit left), remove the pot from the heat, and use metal tongs to transfer the ginger someplace to cool. I placed mine on cooling racks but you can also lay them on parchment paper - just don't let the pieces overlap or else they will stick together.
10. Let them cool overnight then toss with 2 tablespoons of sugar so the pieces are lightly coated in crystals.
11. Enjoy!