Recipe: Candied Ginger and Candied Citrus

Candied Ginger
Mellow yet poignant, candied ginger is a holiday treat that is also renowned for soothing an upset stomach.

1/3 pound fresh ginger root
enough water to cover
1 cup Sucanat

Peel the ginger using a vegetable peeler, or scrape off the skin with a knife. Slice the ginger into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Julienne the slices if desired, or leave coin-shaped. Place the ginger in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the ginger is tender. Drain and cool. Combine the ginger and sugar in a saucepan, with four tablespoons of water. Bring the mixture slowly to a full boil, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved. Simmer for 10 minutes (the ginger should become transparent, and the syrup almost boiled away), stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat, and using a slotted spoon, remove the ginger, toss it in a bowl with Sucanat to lightly coat, and place on a drying rack.

Candied Citrus
The tangy flavor of candied grapefruit peel is particularly unusual and good. A little bit of this candy goes a long way.

2 cups organic grapefruit, orange, lime or lemon peel
water

Combine the citrus peel and 1 1/2 cups water in a saucepan. Bring the mixture slowly to a full boil, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Repeat three to four times using fresh water each time. Remove the pan from the heat, and using a slotted spoon, remove the peels, toss them in a bowl with Sucanat to lightly coat, and place on a drying rack.