Why it works: Ginger and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 17% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 14,054 recipes. Both carry 1-penten-3-one, which smells fish, pungent. The science ↓
Candied Chopped Ginger in Syrup
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the ginger
Scrape or pare the skin off the ginger.
Cut the ginger into sections or buds for ease of handling.
Cut the ginger into thin slices across the grain.
Place the slices in a food processor or blender and chop as finely as possible.
Cook the mixture
For each cup of packed chopped ginger, add 2 cups of sugar and 1 cup of water.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Store
Cool the mixture and package it in jars or plastic containers with lids.
Store a cup or two in the refrigerator and freeze the rest in zipper freezer bags for later use.
The mixture may not freeze solid due to high sugar content; this is normal.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 2 of 3 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 2 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Ginger | 1 tsp grated fresh (2g) | 2 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Ginger + sugartop 17% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together14,054 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-penten-3-one (fish, pungent).
Ginger and sugar barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 14,054 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Fresh ginger rhizomes
- Provides the main flavour and the fibrous body of the preserve.
- Sugar
- Sweetens and preserves the ginger, and its high concentration keeps the mixture from freezing solid.
- Water
- Dissolves the sugar and helps the ginger soften as the mixture simmers.
The step that matters
Simmering the chopped ginger. Simmering for about 20 minutes at a gentle heat lets the sugar syrup penetrate the ginger and thicken the mixture. Too little time leaves it thin and under-infused, while a hard boil can scorch the sugar.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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