[Sca-cooks] Ginger Woes, was Jadwiga's Ginger Syrup recipe

[Volker Bach]

Am Sonntag, 23. April 2006 05:30 schrieb Sue Clemenger:
> Uh-oh.  I've goofed.  Hugely.  Having been more than a little intrigued by
> the discussions of Jadwiga's Cureall <g>, I decided I had to partake of
> some myself, but being without the recipe when I was at the grocery store,
> I purchased, well, *koff* a LOT of ginger, and not some simple 4-5 inch
> piece, as I saw in her original post, post-purchase.  I also have whole
> lemons rather than lemon juice.  Urkkk.....
> Anybody got any ideas on what I can do with the better part of a pound of
> fresh ginger, and some fresh lemons? My first thought was gingerale, but I
> don't have the brewing equipment, or the time to deal with it right now
> (going out of town next weekend), or, come to think of it, the room for the
> brewing equipment.  What's my best bet? Some sort of candied ginger? About
> the only thing I've come up with for the lemons is my spring favorite,
> completely unperiod, Ohio Lemon Pie, but it's just me, and I don't want to
> be eating pie for a week.  *sigh*

You can juice the lemons rightaway. Lemon juice freezes nicely, and you can 
use it to make lemon custard, lemon.quince syrup, and a lot of other lemony 
things. I inherited one and a halöf crates of limes after a Christmas party 
this year, froze the juice, and can use it whenever I need to. That's very 
useful. 

As to the ginger, if you are good at candying, that would be an option. Myself 
I've never found the knack, so I would dry some of it and pickle the rest. 
These 'breath fresheners' are period, though definitely an acquired taste, 
but I think they will find friends. 

”Item wiltu guot ymber grünne machen vast als man sy pringt von damasco. So 
nym ain warm wasser und thue den ymber uber nacht darein, und lass doch das 
wasser stan über nacht pej eine klainen glütlein. So ist der ymber des nachts 
wol waich worden So nym jn und schell die haut darvon mit ainem messer, und 
doerr die haut und stoeß sie zu puluer, Darnacvh nym hönig und laütter das 
also das der schaim davon kum. Item zue vier lot nym ain lot weisser ymber 
gestossner und zwaj lot naegelein. Item drew lot zucker geribn. Ain lot zimt 
Rindn. Das thue alles mit dem weissen ymber jn ain pfannen und lass es ain 
gouten lanngn wall thuen. So ist der Syroppel gerecht. Item Nym glasirte 
krüglein die jnnen und aussen ge glasirt sein, und leg zwelff stuck jn ain 
krüglein, und geuß den syroppel daran piß das die krüglein vol werdn, So ist 
er gout.”

”Also if you want to make good green ginger, almost like they bring it from 
Damascus. Take warm water and place the ginger into it overnight. Let the 
water stand by the embers overnight. This way it becomes quite soft during 
the night. Take it then and peel it with a knife. Keep and dry the skin and 
grind it to a powder. Then take honey and clear it, so that the scum goes 
away from it. With four /lot/ take one /lot/ ground white ginger, two /lot/ 
cloves, three /lot/ ground sugar, and one /lot/ cinnamon bark. Put all of 
this into a pan with the white ginger and let it boil nice and long. That way 
the syrup is good.  Then take glazed jars, which must be glazed inside and 
out, and place twelve pieces into each. Pour the syrup into them until they 
are full, then it is good.” 

Meister Hans #153 (1460)

Obviously, the author had no access to fresh ginger in 15th century Germany, 
but I've used the recipe with fresh and founfd the results pleasant, if 
somewhat bity. 

Giano


		
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