How to Make Candied Ginger

You’re probably wondering how to make candied ginger at home if you’re buying candied ginger for holiday recipes. So often I find that the candied ginger at the store is expensive and sometimes it’s even dried out and kind of yucky!

Well, this recipe for candied ginger is easy to make and cheaper than the store bought stuff.

Best of all, this is a recipe for sugar free candied ginger! Not only will it make your holiday baked goods a little more guilt free, but sugar free candied ginger is a wonderful homemade gift for the holidays.

How to make candied ginger

I got the idea to make candied ginger from Lemon in Ginger, a blog I read frequently. Deepali made one of my favorite childhood treats, Candied Ginger.

My friend’s father used to buy candied ginger at a candy store on the Asbury Park boardwalk and claimed it was good for your tummy. I just thought it was delicious! Later on I would occasionally buy a box of candied ginger at Cost Plus World Market even though I knew indulging in all that sugar was not such a great idea.

Seeing how easy Deepali’s candied ginger recipe was, I thought I’d give it a try but would health it up using Swerve Sweetener. (I love using Swerve in baking and cooking since it’s a natural no calorie sweetener with no yucky aftertaste.) This time the candy would have all the goodness and health properties of ginger and no calories (or guilt) from Swerve – perfect!

Other ways to use sugar free candied ginger

If sugar free candied ginger isn’t your thing as a candy, you can use it in baking or  to flavor a cup of hot tea or mulled wine. Try candied ginger in a cocktail such as a mojito or mint julep! If you’re going to use it in drinks, you may want to cut the ginger into “swizzle sticks” like I did.

My candied ginger recipe also has the benefit of producing about a cup of ginger syrup that you can use as a coffee syrup, as a base for cocktails, or in Italian style sodas. And since it’s made with Swerve, it’s practically calorie free!

Sugar Free Candied Ginger

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Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups peeled and sliced ginger
• 1 1/2 cups Swerve Sweetener (granular)
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 3/4 cup Swerve Sweetener (granular) for rolling the ginger

Directions

1. Place ginger strips into a pan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer for two minutes. Strain and discard water.
2. Repeat process 2 more times. Doing this removes the bitter taste of the ginger. It will also remove any grey color from the ginger and leave it a solid gold.
3. Add 1 1/2 cups Swerve Sweetener and 1 1/2 cups water to saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and let simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Add ginger. Bring back to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Adjust heat a little higher if needed, so simmering bubbles completely cover the ginger. Cook for 20 minutes until the strips of ginger seem to be translucent. Do not stir or the Swerve may crystalize.
5. Remove pan from stove. Carefully strain ginger syrup and store for future use in an airtight container or bottle.
6. Take 3/4 cup Swerve Sweetener and sprinkle on to a large dinner plate. Roll the ginger strips into the Swerve then place on a wire rack to dry overnight. If there is leftover Swerve from this process, save in an airtight container for to sweeten tea, coffee or cereal, or to use in a recipe.
7. Store ginger in an airtight container or ziploc baggie.

Prep Time: 12 Hours 30 Minutes

Cook Time: 1 Hour

Total Time: 13 Hours 30 Minutes

Servings: Makes 2 cups candied ginger, 1 cup ginger syrup

• Serving size: 2 pieces

Originally published on December 18, 2013. Updated with new pictures and information.