Crystallised Ginger

I had settled on making some Rhubarb and Ginger Jam with the rampant rhubarb from the garden, and had then been further inspired by the post on the veg plotting blog. As the recipe called for crystallised ginger it seemed sensible to have a go at making this myself first.

I have a recipe for it in The Complete Book of Small-batch Preserving, although it being an American book it calls it candied ginger.
See here for the recipe.

Recipe Costs

£1.22 130g fresh ginger
£0.14 145g sugar
£1.36 Total
£10.07 per kg crystallised ginger (very similar or more expensive to the costs in the shops)

The ginger was peeled and chopped, not a time consuming task, although I did only do a cup full. The thinly (about 2mm) sliced ginger was boiled several times, which did make the kitchen smell very nice.


While boiling for the final time I made up the sugar syrup, unlike the making of candied peel, the ginger was simmered in the syrup until it was all absorbed. This needed a bit of watching in the final ten minutes, but meant there was no sticky draining to do. I just tipped the pan straight into a bowl of sugar and rubbed until it was all coated.

The recipe suggested further drying in the oven, but as I was planning on using it straight away I didn't bother.


This was a very quick and easy recipe to do, and satisfying not to have to buy the product from the shops to use in the planned jam. You could almost prepare it as you needed it, if you had ginger in the fridge/freezer and needed crystallised ginger for a recipe.
A bit disappointing that you can buy it cheaper then make it, but that was probably down to the cost of ginger. I did at least save on the petrol costs of making a special journey to get some.

Recipe Timings

0.25 hrs Preparation
1 hr Boiling, simmering in Sugar Syrup & dusting in sugar

Taste Test

This had a real kick to it, sweet at first and then fiery in the mouth. I imagine it'll make a rich tasting addition to jam or chutney, and could in small amounts be eaten as a very treaty snack.

Crystallised Ginger Recipe

This is taken from The Complete Book of Small-batch Preserving.
See here for pictures of the method.

Ingredients

250ml Thinly sliced peeled fresh ginger
125ml Granulated sugar
175ml Water
Extra Granulated sugar

Method

Place the ginger in a small saucepan and cover with water, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain and then repeat once with fresh cold water.

Combine the ginger, 175ml of water and 125ml sugar in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and then simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes, or until all the liquid has evaporated. It's best to watch it for the last 10 minutes in case it scorches.

Put a layer of extra sugar in a dish and tip the ginger in. Toss it until all pieces are coated. Dry in a 200 degree F oven for an hour. Let stand at room temperature for 1 day to finish drying.

Crystallised or preserved ginger keeps almost indefinitely in a sealed jar, in a cool dark place.

Makes about 250ml or 135g

Ten Facts About Ginger

image source wikimedia commons

1. Ginger used in cooking is the underground stem of the ginger plant(Zingiber officinale)javascript:void(0)

2. Ginger originated in Asia and is now also grown in India, Southeast Asia, West Africa and the Caribbean.

3. Ginger can be used fresh, either grated or thinly sliced, or the root powdered and dried to make ginger powder.

4. Substitute 6 parts fresh for 1 part ground if needed, although the tastes are not exactly the same.

5. Fresh ginger is often used in pickles and chutneys, and can be pickled itself to make the Japanese delicacy gari.

6. Fresh ginger can also be preserved by crystallising, then used in baking or jam making.

7. When buying ginger make sure the skin is smooth, if it's wrinkled or cracked it means the ginger is old. It should also be very firm to the touch.

8. Ginger has been found effective for treating nausea caused by seasickness, morning sickness and chemotherapy.

9. Fresh ginger can be kept for about three weeks in the fridge, wrapped in a towel in a plastic bag.

10. It can be frozen for up to three months, either whole or grated.

Carrot Marmalade Recipe

image source wikimedia commons
This recipe is adapted from the one at the Carrot Museum website.

Ingredients

2.5 litres grated carrots (10 cups)
2kg sugar
6 oranges
4 lemons
1 tsp each of Allspice, cinnamon and ground cloves.

Method

Peel the oranges and lemons and remove as much of the membranes and pith as possible. Slice thinly.

Remove thin white membrane from the orange flesh and slice into small pieces.

Squeeze the lemons, add the juice to the carrots, orange flesh and citrus peel and allow it all to stand over night.

The next day, add spices and cook simmer for 2 hours.

Pot in steralised jars

Note on untested recipes

I have not tried this recipe, but plan to in the future. It would be good to hear from anyone who uses it.

Ten Facts About Carrots

image source wikimedia commons

1. The carrot (Daucus carota sativus), is a biennial plant which is usually grown for it's edible tap root which is eaten at the end of the first season.

2. It is a domesticated form of the wild carrot, native to Europe and southwestern Asia, thought to originate in Afghanistan.

3. Carrots can be eaten raw, cooked or made into juice.

4. Carrots are usually orange, although are available in red, purple, yellow and white varieties.

5. Carrots can be preserved by making into chutney, jam or marmalade.

6. Carrots have a pectin level of approximately 1.4%

7. Carrots are best stored in the vegetable drawer in the fridge but first remove the greens, as they will deplete the carrot of both moisture and nutrients. Don't use a plastic bag, as this can lead to rotting, use a paper one instead. For the best taste and nutrients use carrots within one to two weeks.

8. You can freeze carrots if you blanch them first. Small and tender carrots freeze best, remove the tops, wash and peel, cut large carrots into thin slices, cubes or strips. Blanch whole carrots in boiling water for a minimum of 5 minutes, slices, cubes or strips only need 2 minutes. Drain, cool and freeze as quickly as possible.

9. If you grow your own carrots, you can overwinter them in the ground if your soil is well drained. If lifted from the ground they can be stored in layers of moist sand in boxes, in a frost-free, dark place such as a shed or cellar. More information at the RHS website.

10. Masses of information can be found about carrots at the highly informative carrot museum website.

Carrot Jam Recipe

image source wikimedia commons
This recipe is adapted from the one at the Carrot Museum website.


Ingredients

1 litre Chopped carrots
750ml sugar
Three sliced lemons
One tsp cinnamon
half tsp cloves

Method

Add all the ingredients into a saucepan, and simmer slowly at a gentle heat. Stir the ingredients constantly to begin with.

After about 20 minutes, the carrots should begin to soften, and the jam will become thick. To make the jam smooth, put everything in a liquidiser and blend for a few minutes.

Pot in steralised jars.

Although the jam can be used immediately, the flavour improves after a few days.

Makes about 1 litre

Note on untested recipes

I have not tried this recipe, but plan to in the future. It would be good to hear from anyone who uses it.

Equipment: Pestle and Mortar

This granite pestle and mortar is an essential piece of equipment in my kitchen. I've had several others in the past, including a very nice blue and white striped one with a wooden pestle that was absolutely useless. The pestle needs to have enough weight to crush the contents, and the bigger it is, the more you can process in one go.
The set prior to this one was very similar and was purchased from a equipment suppliers near Manchester's curry mile. One day the pestle rolled off the worktop and broke on the floor, luckily after we had moved out of the kitchen with white ceramic floor tiles.
This is the replacement and is about 150mm square, weighing 3.2kg it needs two hands to move, which is great as it stays still when you are using it. It's also got a good course internal texture which really helps when grinding spices. You can get a similar one here.
There are some tests of different styles of pestle and mortar on the spicelines.com blog, which also come to the conclusion that a heavy set is best for spices, but points out that if you want to do delicate crushing, for instance basil leaves, then a lighter set may also be useful.