Crystallized Ginger

[Marzoli]

I hope I didn't mess up my fruitcakes! The recipe called for crystallized ginger, so I dutifully put it into the bowl with the fruit and brandy. I left it over night and the fruit was fine--the ginger, well, the ginger was the same as before. I couldn't find any information on how to treat this ingredient, so I just went ahead and put it in the batter with the other fruit. So far, I haven't cut the cakes--I've been dousing them with brandy once a week.
Do I have a problem with this ginger? Will it still be hard after baking? I'm almost scared to cut my cakes!

[coolJ]

I've never baked a fruit cake before, but I would assume that there would have been sufficient steam action during the baking to make the ginger soft enough.

[Suzanne]

I'm not sure what the problem is. You did use crystalized ginger as required, right? Not dried ginger root, nor fresh ginger. Crystalized ginger is the stuff that comes in slices, coated with sugar; it can dry out over time if not stored properly, but it should be reasonably soft, if a bit chewy. Dried ginger is really, really dry, and you'd have known you had a problem as soon as your first tried to mince or chop it. Even fresh ginger would not be such a problem, if you minced it; it would just make the cake a lot more gingery and sharp.

If it's just that your crystalized ginger was kind of dry, it might soften up some over time, what with the imbibing. But if you actually used dried ginger, you'd better warn people so they'll not break a tooth on it; that stuff will never soften in this situation.

[Marzoli]

Thanks for the response. The package said crystallized ginger. I just got worried!

[Suzanne]

Even if it stays chewy, you'll be fine. So much more interesting to bite into a piece of ginger than one of, say, fluorescent-green cherry!

[mike]

Itll be fine particularly if youve soaked the fruit mix in brandy.You might try using preserved ginger as well as this has a far superior flavour than crystalised which i find burns a bit on the tongue.

[Suzanne]

Oh, I LOVE that burn!!! But Mike is right, because preserved ginger (the kind in syrup) is not quite as concentrated as crystalized, which is somewhat dryer.

BTW: I've been getting stuff put out by a company called The Ginger People, that I like a lot. They've got quite a range of sauces and marinades, as well as all different versions of crystalized and preserved ginger, and ginger candies. Anyone else familiar with them? (I think they may use Australian ginger.)

[thebighat]

We buy Ginger People stuff all the time. I just found ginger in syrup, which was on the dessert menu of a restaraunt I worked at years ago. We served several lumps of it softly dropped into creme chantilly. It came in honest-to-god ginger jars, one of which sits on my bureau, except now it has my father's ashes in it. I made a steamed persimmon pudding for a coworker for christmas that had Ginger People ginger in it.

[shroomgirl]

I have Ginger people crystallized ginger in a candy bowl with giner chews surrounding them on a cake plate in the middle of my dining room table! they have a line of apple ginger chews but it was difficult for me to access them through my coop. LOVE UM!!!!The quality is so much better than other stuff .

[Marzoli]

And now for a report! The ginger was fine. Actually, the fruit cake was really good. I am so happy about that!
The Ginger People sounds interesting. I'll look into it.
Thanks for your responses!

[KyleW]

I just came back from a week in Jamaica drinking real live ginger beer. Man I love that stuff! Very refreshing, not real sweet and you can really taste the ginger

[thebighat]

Can you smoke it?.........

[KyleW]

not the ginger beer, but it seems there were plenty of other things being smoked!

[thebighat]

Remember The Rasta Chef on this show called Friday's? Too ridiculous. Him and the pharmacist who kept saying, I can handle it, I can handle it.

[Ganache]

Wow, haven't thought about the Rasta Chef for years. Always had a secret ingredient. Is it butter?-no, no no, is it sugar? no, no no, is it Ganja? yes, yes, yes