Crystallised Ginger

Make homemade crystallised ginger with a sweet, spicy sugar coating, optional dark chocolate dipping and bonus ginger syrup, perfect for baking or thoughtful edible gifts.

CHRISTMAS

10/17/20262 min read

Crystallized candied ginger pieces coated in sugar stored in small amber glass jars for healthy snacking.

Crystallised Ginger: Sweet, Spicy and Sparkling

Crystallised ginger is a gift for anyone who loves a bit of a bite. Soft, chewy pieces of ginger, sweet on the outside and fiery in the middle, rolled in sugar so they sparkle. They're lovely with a cup of tea, brilliant chopped into baking, and wonderfully good dipped in dark chocolate. The shop-bought ones are expensive, and the ones you make yourself are better.

It's a gentle, slow recipe. You simmer the ginger to soften it, cook it in a sugar syrup until it turns glassy, and leave it to dry. There's a bonus too: the golden ginger syrup left in the pot is a gift in its own right, and I'll show you what to do with it.

Suits both a summer and a winter Christmas. In summer, keep it in a cool place. Make it up to 6 weeks before gifting.

Making It With the Grandkids

The knife work and hot syrup are for adults only. Keep children well away from the stove, and from the pot until it's completely cool. There are still some fun jobs.

• Ages 4 and up: peel the ginger with a teaspoon (it's easy and safe), and decorate labels and gift tags.

• Ages 5 and up: toss the cooled, tacky ginger in sugar. It's sticky, sparkly fun.

• Ages 6 and up: tie ribbon on jars, and help layer the baking paper in the jar.

• Ages 8 and up: dip the ginger in warm (not hot) melted chocolate, with supervision.

• Adults only: the slicing, the simmering and the hot syrup.

Variations

• Chocolate-dipped: dip half of each piece in dark chocolate and add a sprinkle of flaky salt.

• Ginger sugar: keep the leftover sugar from tossing. It's lovely in tea, on porridge or in baking.

• Lemon ginger: add a strip of lemon zest to the syrup and remove it before drying.

• Diced for baking: cut the dried ginger into small cubes and pack it in a jar as a gift for bakers. It's wonderful in fruit cake, gingerbread and scones.

Handy Hints

• ♥ Use the edge of a teaspoon to peel the ginger. It's quicker than a peeler and you lose far less.

• ♥ Don't throw the ginger syrup away. It's a gift in itself. Stir a spoonful into hot water, lemon and honey, or into sparkling water with ice.

• ♥ Drizzle a little of the syrup over ice cream or porridge, or use it in a cake glaze.

• ♥ Wear an apron. Sugar spatters and ginger stains.

• ♥ Make extra to chop into your Christmas baking. Fruit cake and gingerbread love it. You will find a delicious chutney recipe here.

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This post is part of my Edible Gifts From the Kitchen series. You can find other delicious Christmas gift and baking ideas here.

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With love, Kim xx

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