Here’s a fun way to enjoy homemade ginger candy. Adding sugar to something healthy, like ginger makes it easy to take a bitter pill. And, though ginger, by itself, has a bitter flavor, Hildegard of Bingen was a big proponent of the health benefits related to bitter tasting foods and bitters.
Homemade Ginger Candy
Ginger ranks among Hildegard’s favorite healing spices; she recommended it for it’s warming effect on bodily humors and balance. In addition ginger ranks high among the list of known bitter foods that Hildegard would have promoted for improved digestion, reduced appetite, and detoxification. When added as an enhanced sweetener to oatmeal or spelt breakfast habermuss, this homemade ginger candy fits within Hildergard’s most basic fasting guidelines.
Ingredients
- Ginger
- Sugar
Preparation
Ideally, preparing this recipe takes place over three days; we were able to complete this in one day.
Start by peeling the ginger and cut into sticks or cubes (approx. 1/5th inch thick). Add ginger to boiling water and let simmer for 20 minutes. The ginger should still have some bite.
Add sugar to the mixture and allow it to dissolve. Allow the mixture to cool. On each of the following 2 days, warm the mixture to a simmer for 20 minutes, and allow to cool. On the 3rd day allow the broth to simmer, until the ginger pieces are translucent and the broth is syrupy. Remove the ginger from the syrup broth and allow to dry on a drying rack.
You can keep the candied ginger stored in an airtight jar, in a cool dry place for up to 6 months.