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I Love Dried or Candied Ginger

post #1 of 6
5/27/08 at 1:38pm
Thread Starter 
I love ginger, in all it's shapes and guises. Candied, or dried, ginger is a favorite, but it's often too sweet for me and getting rid of some of the sugar would be just fine. Recently, I've been washing of the exterior sugar under warm running water, and today decided to try that plus soaking the ginger to let some of the sugar leach out into the water. The results were pretty good - the ginger was noticeably less sweet, yet the ginger taste was strong enough to satisfy my craving. The next step would be to more thoroughly dry the ginger instead of just draining it and drying it with a towel. Does anyone have any other suggestions for getting rid of the excess sugar?

Finally, I found a nice sounding, simple recipe for making this type of ginger candy at home. However, I have a question: the recipe calls for a fair amount of sugar which I'd like to reduce substantially. Will reducing the sugar diminish the ginger taste of the candy, IOW, is the sugar needed to enhance the taste of the dried ginger? Knowing this might provide some ideas as to how little sugar I can get away with. And, if anyone has a recipe or technique for dried ginger, please let me know. I'd love to explore the possibilities.

Thanks,
shel
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post #2 of 6
5/30/08 at 11:39am
Hi Shel,

If you want to diminish the sugar content, may I suggest splenda, it tastes the same

SPLENDA® Brand Sweetener
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post #3 of 6
5/30/08 at 12:09pm
Hello Shel,

That's my recipe for candied ginger:

- For each cup of ginger bring 3 cups water and 3 cups of sugar to a boil.
- Reduce sugar mixture until it is of the consistency of maple syrup.
- Add sliced ginger and slow boil it for 45 minutes or until translucent.
- Dry on rack.
_ You can dust the candied ginger with fine sugar after it has cooled a bit.

Save the syrup to add a little to your lemonade.
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post #4 of 6
5/30/08 at 2:19pm
Thread Starter 
Yep.'m familiar with Splenda, and I won't use it. There are some health concerns with Splenda, plus I just don't like using artificial ingredients at all. Thanks for the suggestion though ...

scb
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post #5 of 6
6/10/08 at 6:24am
What are these health concerns with Splenda - I've been using it like mad to avoid aspertame - and the calories in sugar, of course
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post #6 of 6
6/10/08 at 9:50am
Thread Starter 
Sugar substitutes and the potential danger of Splenda References

Depending on how you do the math, and whose information you read, Sucralose has about 86% of the calories of sugar - not a significant saving IMO. If I feel a need for a sugar substitute there are numerous natural choices available. Xylitol and Stevia come quickly to mind. Depends on what you're using the sweetener for which of the above and other choices is best.

As a diabetic I need to watch my carbohydrate intake, and sugar is just another carb. When I want something sweet, such as commercial ice cream or a piece of cake, I'll go for the real sugar instead of products with artificial sweeteners. I'll eat sugar as part of my overall intake of carbs, taking care to consider whatever else I've eaten.

scb
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