Candied or Crystallized Ginger

I used to buy candied or crystallized ginger, but no more.  After discovering David Lebovitz’s recipe last year, I gathered up my courage and tried it myself.  The process is easy and the results are infinitely better than the packaged versions. 

The ingredients are minimal - fresh ginger (prices are typically best at ethnic groceries that carry it, rather than at larger grocery chains), sugar, salt, and water.                                                                                                

The process is straightforward – you peel fresh ginger, slice it thinly, rinse it, and cook in a simple syrup (you remember that from the limoncello, right?) until it reaches 225 degrees F/106 C.  Read David’s post for the details, then come back here for my tips.  The terms “candied” and “crystallized” are typically used interchangeably.  If a distinction is made, the term candied refers to ginger stored in the simple syrup and crystallized ginger means the version cooked in the sweet syrup and rolled in sugar.  

My tips for making candied or crystallized ginger:

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My 5 Favorite Spices

Last week I gave you my list of favorite herbs.  Now I’m onto spices.  But before we go further, take a look at the basics of how to store herbs and spices and suggestions for how to buy them inexpensively. 

Definition of Spices

Spices are bark, buds, seeds, flowers, or fruit of trees and plants used to flavor food and drinks.  (Herbs, as you may recall from last week’s post, are leaves of plants that die back to the ground each year.)  They can be used whole or ground, alone or in combination with other spices and with herbs. 

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My Apricot-Plum Galette Baking Adventure

I love galettes, which are round, filled, free-form pastries.  When I was a kid, I liked coloring books because the figures or shapes in the book always looked “better” than the ones I drew free-hand.  As an adult, I’ve become more comfortable going outside the lines – in baking as well as in other parts of my life.  Galettes allow you to roll and fold as you please.

The Avid Bakers group decided to make Abby Dodge’s Glazed Apricot-Plum Galette this month.  Galettes can be either sweet or savory. This one was sweet and simple.   

The dough was quick to make in a food processor.  

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