SC - Candied Ginger

[Christina M. Krupp]

- ----------
> From: Kathleen M Everitt <kathe1 at juno.com>
> To: sca-cooks at eden.com
> Subject: Re: SC - SC: Candied Ginger
> Date: Sunday, April 20, 1997 1:34 PM
> I made some candied ginger last year but I'm not sure which of the
> sources the recipe I used came from. It was awful! It was hard and very
> hot. I cooked it longer than the recipe called for to try and soften it
> up some, but it still didn't make it soft and crystalized. And it sure
> didn't taste like candy! I would also be interested to know how other
> people make ginger candy.
> 
> Julleran

There must not be any Sushi eaters out there. My family and I just had
Sushi the other day and enjoyed sliced ginger and wasabi. The sliced ginger
is raw and has a tangy bite to it. I have also had a pickled ginger, which
would make an excellent palette cleaner. I think you will find that the
fresher the ginger the more pungent it is and the older the hotter. As I
sit here I wonder if your grocery may have mismarked or bought mislabled
horseradish root. Both products have whitish flesh, but ginger is much more
knuckly (it has more joints than horseradish). Sorry you had trouble with
it Julleran!

The brown candy ginger is just that. The ginger is chopped, cooked down and
then strained. Sugar is added to the liquid and that is boiled down until
is reaches a hard crack stage. It is cooled, broken up and sold for much
more than it is worth. The darker the color usually reflects that the sugar
is begining to burn, which means the flavor will change. Good candy ginger
should be a white/crystal to a tan/crystal. Ain't capitalism wonderful

Lord Mandrigal of Mu