Preserved Ginger Food

GINGER MARMALADE

Steps:

• Divide the ginger in half, and chop half into cubes; shred the other half with a box grater or in a food processor using the shredding blade. Total ginger should equal 3 cups. Place the ginger into a large saucepan with water over medium heat, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover the pot, and simmer the ginger until tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Add more water if needed to keep mixture from drying out. Pour the cooked ginger into a fine-mesh strainer, drain, and retain 1/2 cup of the ginger-flavored water. Place the cooked ginger in a bowl with the retained liquid, and cool at least 4 hours or overnight in refrigerator.
• When ginger is thoroughly cooled, place into a large, heavy-bottomed pot, and stir in the sugar; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in the pouch of liquid pectin, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for 7 more minutes, skimming foam from top of marmalade.
• Sterilize the canning jars and lids in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Pack the marmalade into the hot, sterilized jars, filling the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a knife or a thin spatula around the insides of the jars after they have been filled to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids, and screw on rings.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then carefully lower the jars into the pot using a holder. Leave a 2 inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary until the water level is at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a full boil, cover the pot, and process for 15 minutes.
• Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. Once cool, press the top of each lid with a finger, ensuring that the seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all). Store in a cool, dark area.

PRESERVED GINGER

Steps:

• Rinse scrubbed and peeled roots and soak in cold water overnight. Drain.
• Place in kettle in cold water to cover. Bring to a boil. Drain and repeat process 3 or more times (depends on how old the ginger is).
• In a separate pan, boil sugar and 1-1/2 cups water together for 20 minutes to make the syrup. Stir in the drained ginger root and heat until syrup comes to a boil. Remove pan from heat and let stant overnight.
• Store in airtight glass jars in the refrigerator or process in a water bath in the usual way.

ENGLISH HIGH TEA PRESERVED GINGER DRIZZLE CAKE

Steps:

• You will need a non-stick round cake tin measuring 8", at least 1"deep, and some silicone paper (parchment).
• Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 180C/350F/gas4.
• First, prepare the cake tin by greasing lightly and lining it with the silicone paper: press it into the tin, folding the corners in to make it fit neatly - the paper should come up 1 inch above the edge.
• To make the cake, in a large pan, gently melt the butter with the sugar, golden syrup & black treacle over a low to medium heat.
• Cool briefly & stir in the milk.
• Beat the eggs into the mixture & add the chopped stem ginger - mix well.
• Sift in the flour into a bowl and combine thoroughly, then add the ground ginger, baking powder & freshly grated ginger root. Combine thoroughly.
• Pour the cake mixture into the prepared cake tin & spread the cake mixture evenly in the cake tin.
• Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 45-50 minutes, or until the cake is risen, springy and firm to touch in the centre.
• Take the cake out of the oven & prick all over with a skewer or a toothpick; pour the ginger syrup over the cake, making sure it all sinks down into the holes.
• Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 60 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack and make sure it is absolutely cold before you attempt to ice it.
• For the icing, sift the icing sugar into a bowl and mix with enough of the lemon juice to make a consistency of thick cream - you might not need all the lemon juice.
• Now spread the icing over the top of the cake, and do not worry if it dribbles down the sides in places, as this looks quite attractive.
• Cut the remaining ginger into 12 pieces & arrange around the edge of the cake so that when you cut it you will have 12 slices, each with a piece of ginger in the centre.
• If you would like one or two of these cakes tucked away for a rainy day, they freeze beautifully - simply defrost and put the icing on half an hour before serving.

PICKLED GINGER FOR SUSHI AND SASHIMI

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Peel the ginger root.
• Slice the peeled ginger root super thin.
• Rub the salt and sliced ginger together with your clean hands. Really give it a good massage. Let the salted ginger sit in a bowl, covered, for 6 hours or overnight (a few extra hours won't hurt) in the refrigerator.
• Rinse the ginger under cold water to remove excess salt.
• Again using clean hands, squeeze the ginger hard to release most of the liquid. Discard the liquid. Loosely pack the ginger into a clean, sterilized 1/2-pint canning jar.
• Put the rice vinegar, water, and sugar or honey into a small, non-reactive pot. Stir over medium heat until the sugar has completely dissolved. Raise the heat and allow the mixture to come to a boil. As soon as it does, turn off the heat.
• Pour the liquid brine over the ginger. Use the back of a spoon to press out any air bubbles and ensure the ginger is completely immersed in the brine.
• Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 6 months. For longer storage at room temperature, process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (adjust the time for high altitude canning ).
• Enjoy!

PRESERVED GINGER CAKE

Steps:

• Begin by placing the opened tin of black treacle in a saucepan of barely simmering water to warm it and make it easier to spoon. Meanwhile sift the flour and baking powder into a roomy mixing bowl, lifting the sieve quite high to give the flour a good airing as it goes down, then add the butter, golden caster sugar, eggs, treacle and ground ginger. Now, using an electric hand whisk, combine them for about 1 minute until you have a smooth creamy consistency. After that fold in the milk, along with the heaped tablespoon of ground almonds and the ginger syrup. Then chop 5 of the pieces of stem ginger fairly small and fold these into the cake mix too. Spread the cake mix in the tin, level it off with the back of a tablespoon and bake for 40-50 minutes near the centre of the oven or until the cake is risen, springy and firm to the touch in the centre. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then lift the cake out of the tin using the liner and place it on a wire rack. Then, holding the liner at one end, use a palette knife to slide the cake directly onto the rack, and leave until cold. For the icing: sift the icing sugar into a bowl and mix with enough lemon juice to make the consistency of thin cream. Spread the icing over the top of the cake, and never mind if it dribbles down the side in a few places - it looks nice and homemade. Cut the remaining 2 pieces of stem ginger into 15 pieces and arrange in lines of three across the cake. Watch our Cookery School Video for Layering and Icing Cakes on this page. For serving, cut the cake into 15 squares.