Preserved Ginger Antilles Recipes

HOMEMADE GINGERBREAD WITH FRESH GINGER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease (with butter) and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan. Tap out excess flour.
• In a medium sized bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and salt. Stir well and set bowl aside. In a separate small bowl, stir together buttermilk and vanilla and set aside.
• Combine butter and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium speed until fluffy and light in color, about 3-4 minutes. Beat in molasses and ginger until combined and then one at a time, add in the eggs, beating in until well incorporated. Once everything is mixed in, scrape down bowl and paddle. add one third of the flour mixture and beat on low speed until incorporated. add half of the buttermilk mixture and beat until the batter looks smooth, add in another third of the flour mixture. add remaining buttermilk and then the remaining flour mixture. the batter should be nice and smooth.
• Pour batter into prepared pan and place on the center rack of your oven. bake for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely in the pan before removing.
• While the gingerbread is cooling, prepare your icing. Make the icing by stirring the vanilla and the powdered sugar together in a small bowl. Stir the milk, 1 Tbsp at a time until you get a pourable consistency. We used about 4 1/2 Tbsp of milk for this.
• When the gingerbread is cooled and removed from the pan, evenly pour on the icing. You may not need all of it. Let the icing set before slicing and serving.

PRESERVED GINGER - ANTILLES

Steps:

• Peel the ginger, and cut it into thin slices.
• Let these slices sit in a bowl of cold water for an hour.
• Drain the ginger. Cover again with cold water.
• Boil this for 5 minutes.
• Repeat for three times: drain the ginger; cover again with cold water; bring to the boil and boil for 5 minutes.
• This process weakens the fibers of the ginger.
• Finally, just drain the ginger.
• Bring the sugar and water to a boil, and pour this over the drained ginger.
• Cover and let it infuse for 12 hours.
• Drain this, and keep the syrup. Boil the syrup for 10 minutes, and pour it over the ginger.
• Put a lid on this mix, and let it sit for 2 days.
• Boil everything together for 5 minutes, then let this sit for 3 days. Using a slotted spoon, lift out the ginger, and spread the pieces out over waxed paper, as though you plan to dry these slices.
• Sprinkle extra sugar over these pieces to coat them.
• Put in a jar and keep in a cool, dry place.

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.