ginger madness... crystallised ginger & ginger syrup

There are many things in this world that I love. Lemons, my dog, thunder storms, acoustic guitars, sugar cravings, home remedies & post-it-notes. The list goes on & on, but I'm not sure it will matter much to anyone other than me.

Another thing that I love is ginger. You know, that weird looking root you find in the grocery store & in so many Asian dishes.

Can't say the Greeks are such a big fan of it though.

A couple years back when I had a stall over at The Meet Market, I used to make candied ginger to sell off in little packages... there was also a bowl of samples left for people to try at will....

YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THEIR FACES!!!! The most common reaction was for people to chew a couple times & then a look of horror would come over their face as they'd search for a bin or a napkin to spit it out! (I laughed. A lot.)

That's Greeks though... we're not all that big on the spicy. Well, I should say THEY are not all that big on the spicy. I personally love it.

About 25% of the taste testers (the ones who weren't adverse to the intense flavor) loved it so much they'd buy three of four bags of the stuff & walk off with one bag already open popping the treats into their mouths one by one.

So there you have it. This clearly isn't a candy for everyone, but if you're a ginger lover, I'd strongly recommend it. There's a ginger syrup too!

....and how about a fun fact for the day: ginger is a great cure for nausea!

You're welcome!

Ingredients, candied ginger: - 500g fresh ginger root - 400g sugar - 135ml (9tbs) water

Directions, candied ginger: 1. peel all the flesh from the ginger & chop into 5mm (0.2") cubes. 2. place the ginger in a pot & top with water, bring to a boil & then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 30-45 minutes until the ginger is tender. Drain the ginger & reserve the water. 3. weigh the ginger & then gram for gram match the weight of the ginger with sugar. For me, I ended up with 400g of ginger after it was peeled & boiled, so I used 400g of sugar. Place the sugar & ginger back into your pot along with the 135ml of water & bring to a boil. Boil the mix until the ginger turns translucent, then reduce the temperature to low & cook until all the liquid evaporates completely. Stir constantly throughout the whole cooking process. 4. Transfer the ginger to a large piece of parchment & allow to cool for an hour or so to ensure it's dry. The ginger can be stored in an air-tight container for several months.

Ingredients, ginger syrup: - 500ml (2 cups) ginger water (from above) - 460g (2 cups) sugar

Directions, ginger syrup: 1. place the ginger water & sugar in a pot & bring to a boil. Allow to boil for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Remove from the heat & allow to cool completely before pouring into a bottle to store. 2. this syrup can be used on ice cream, combined with soda water to make your own soft drink, added to a cocktail, poured onto a cake. Anything you can think of really, just be careful, it packs quite a punch!

By the way...

If you're interested in the type of stuff I keep stocked in my kitchen or the equipment that I use regularly... here's a pretty comprehensive list.

Tools/ Equipment/ Machinery/ Ingredients:

Machinery:

Electric Scale - Etekcity - http://amzn.to/2xkKpQk

Hand Mixer - Kenwood - http://amzn.to/2xkjowh

Stand Mixer - Kenwood - http://amzn.to/2yqXPiH

Candy Thermometer - Etekcity - http://amzn.to/2xklw7k

Food Processor - Cuisinart - http://amzn.to/2xkkZqK

Blender - Kenwood - http://amzn.to/2xXQgwU

Tools:

Silicone Spatula - Zyliss - http://amzn.to/2y3Srkw

Chef's Knife 8" - Miyabi - http://amzn.to/2fUtyRK

Pots & Pans:

Cast Iron Skillet 12" - Lodge - http://amzn.to/2fMHb1x Cast Iron Pot 5.5 Quart - La Cocotte Staub - http://amzn.to/2fUqxAG

Cast Iron Grill Skillet 10.5" - Lodge - http://amzn.to/2z2GPwi

Cake tins & Pie Plates:

Bunt Pan - Nordic Ware - http://amzn.to/2xjGB1N

Square Cake Tin - Patisse - http://amzn.to/2xkn5Ce

Springform cake tin 22cm (9”) - Farberware - http://amzn.to/2xkdQ4T

Ceramic Pie Plate- Emile Henry - http://amzn.to/2gex5qR

Cupcake Tin - Wilton - http://amzn.to/2xkp4GG

Tart Tin Loose Bottom 9.5” - Patisse - http://amzn.to/2xje3u2

Decorating Equipment:

Non-Slip Pipping Bags - Pastry Gear - http://amzn.to/2fLxAZ0

Pipping Tips - Wilton - http://amzn.to/2yJVPy1

Food Gels - Wilton - http://amzn.to/2kpOCky

Fondant Smoother - Wilton - http://amzn.to/2xkyZRl

Fondant Modelling Tools - Happisland - http://amzn.to/2xjOWSV Fondant Rolling Pin - Wilton - http://amzn.to/2xkbLe5

Fondant Rolling Mat - The Mat - http://amzn.to/2y2bg76

Ingredients:

Active Dry Yeast - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2gcC2R4

Almond Flour - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2xkP3xI

Arrow root - Bob’s Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2ycT0WF

Baking Powder - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2xkJz5U

Bicarbonate of Soda - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2yL7Lj4

Brown Rice Flour - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2z1MUt1

Buckwheat Flour - Anthony’s Organic - http://amzn.to/2xjRS6T

Cocoa Powder - Valrhona - https://amzn.to/2ouIwlr Coconut Flour - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2xkAHNX

Flaxseed Meel - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2ybK0Rm

Millet flour - Bob’s Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2iBZqYw

Oat Flour - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2fNUuyZ

Potato Starch - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2yKpYgH

Quinoa Flour - Amisa Organic - https://amzn.to/2oyWVg9 Sorghum Flour - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2yClSf5 Sweet White Rice Flour - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2y2xmXK

Tapioca Starch - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2xjv879

Vanilla Extract Organic - Simply Organic - http://amzn.to/2xXdt2e

Vanilla Beans - Vanilla Products - http://amzn.to/2yLMqWQ

White Flour GF - Dove's Farm - http://amzn.to/2z1b5I1​

Xanthan Gum - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2zoYxuC

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