Homemade candied ginger, also called crystallized ginger, should be tender in the center with a dry, sparkling sugar coating and enough ginger heat to balance the sweetness. The trick is to soften the sliced ginger before it goes into the sugar syrup, then coat it while the surface is still slightly tacky. If you let the pieces dry completely first, the sugar doesn’t stick nearly as well.
This candied ginger recipe starts with fresh ginger sliced about ⅛ inch thick, briefly simmered to soften the fibers, then gently cooked in a simple sugar syrup until the slices become tender and slightly translucent. You can blanch the ginger a second time if you prefer a milder bite.
Once coated and dried, the ginger keeps well and can be eaten on its own, chopped into cookies and cakes, added to granola, or packaged as a homemade holiday gift. Don’t discard the leftover ginger syrup either. It’s useful for tea, lemonade, cocktails, and desserts.
If you like sweet recipes with a little heat, my homemade candied jalapeños use a similar sweet-and-spicy idea in a savory direction.
Ingredients (Makes about 2½ cups)
- 1 pound fresh ginger root
- 3 cups granulated sugar, plus more for coating
- 3 cups water
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
1. Prepare the Ginger
- Peel the ginger with the edge of a spoon or a vegetable peeler.
- Slice into even rounds about ⅛ inch thick. Keeping the slices close to the same thickness helps them cook evenly and prevents thicker pieces from staying fibrous.
2. Soften the Ginger
- Place the sliced ginger in a saucepan and cover with fresh water.
- Bring to a boil, reduce to a steady simmer, and cook for 10 minutes.
- Drain well.
- For milder candied ginger, cover the slices with fresh water and repeat the simmering step once more.
3. Make the Syrup
Return the saucepan to the stove and add:
- 3 cups water
- 3 cups granulated sugar
Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves.
Bring the syrup to a gentle simmer.
4. Candy the Ginger
- Add the drained ginger and a pinch of salt to the syrup.
- Simmer uncovered for 45–60 minutes, stirring gently every so often.
- The ginger is ready when the slices look slightly translucent and feel tender when pierced with a fork. Older or more fibrous ginger may need a little longer.
- Keep the heat low enough that the syrup simmers gently rather than boiling aggressively.
5. Drain Until Tacky
- Remove the ginger from the syrup with a slotted spoon and arrange the slices in a single layer on a wire rack set over a baking sheet.
- Let them drain and cool for about 1–2 hours, until the surface feels tacky but the slices are no longer dripping with syrup.
- Don’t wait until the ginger is completely dry or the sugar coating won’t stick as well.
6. Coat With Sugar
- Place some granulated sugar in a shallow bowl.
- Toss the tacky ginger slices in the sugar until evenly coated.
- Return them to the wire rack and let them air dry for 12–24 hours, or until the outside feels dry and the coating has set.
Don’t Throw Away the Ginger Syrup
Strain the remaining syrup into a clean jar and refrigerate it.
It’s excellent in:
- Tea
- Lemonade
- Cocktails
- Sparkling water
- Pancakes or waffles
- Cakes and other desserts
Tips & Variations
-
For Baking: Chop candied ginger into small pieces for cookies, muffins, or bread.
-
For Extra Spice: Skip the double blanching for a more intense ginger bite.
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Storage: If you live in a humid area, keep the container sealed tight to prevent stickiness.
Timing
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 55–70 minutes
Drying Time: 12–24 hours
Total Time: about 13–25 hours
Spiced up by our Candied Ginger recipe? Spread the zest! Pin the image below to your Pinterest. Sharing is the real spice of life!
Candied Ginger Variations
Once you’ve made the basic recipe, you can easily change the flavor without altering the main method.
Spiced Candied Ginger
Add 1 cinnamon stick, 3–5 whole cloves, and 1 star anise to the sugar syrup while the ginger cooks. Remove the whole spices before draining the ginger.
Citrus Candied Ginger
Add 3–4 strips of lemon or orange zest to the syrup, avoiding as much of the bitter white pith as possible. Remove the zest before draining the ginger.
Chocolate-Dipped Candied Ginger
After the candied ginger has completely dried, melt dark chocolate and dip each piece halfway. Place the pieces on parchment paper and let the chocolate set before storing.
Can I Make Candied Ginger Without Sugar?
Granulated sugar does more than sweeten candied ginger. It also forms the syrup, helps tenderize and preserve the ginger, and creates the crystallized coating after drying.
For that reason, I don’t recommend replacing the sugar in this recipe with monk fruit, stevia, erythritol, or xylitol using a simple 1:1 substitution. The texture, drying time, and coating can all change significantly.
If you need a reduced-sugar or sugar-free version, it’s better to use a recipe specifically developed and tested for that type of sweetener rather than modifying this one.
