Ginger

And by-products.

I made crystallised ginger, ginger in syrup, ginger syrup, and ginger and lemon syrup.


Firstly I peeled and cut up the ginger into bite-sized pieces. Then I boiled it in water and discarded the water several times. This reduces the heat of the finished product, and I'd discarded several pots of water before I thought of keeping it and adding sugar to make a syrup for adding to drinks. I did eventually think of it though. I reduced it quite considerably, which resulted in a good strong thick syrup which requires only a teaspoonful or so added to hot water and lemon (and whisky?) to make a cure for anything that might ail you.

Then I added sugar to the last boiling water and left the ginger to soak overnight. My recipe wanted me to boil the syrup for 10 minutes the next day to reduce it, but I added more sugar instead. The next day I boiled the ginger in the syrup for 5 minutes, then I left it for 3 days, by which time it was sort of transparent looking. I brought it to the boil yet once more …

… put half of it in a jar …

and covered it in syrup …

… then dried the other half briefly in the oven at 50°C …

… before tossing it in caster sugar.

I added some grated lemon zest, the juice of a lemon, and a teaspoon of citric acid to the left over syrup, making something that's nice on ice cream, or can be diluted in water to make a delicious drink without needing any additions.

Left to right: crystallised ginger, ginger syrup, ginger and lemon syrup, ginger in syrup.