Ginger Syrup

"Bitingly hot and sweet, this ginger syrup is a snap to make. Drizzle it over gingerbread, biscuits or scones, pancakes, or oatmeal. It's a wonderful addition to tea, too."

4 cups (about 13 ounces) fresh gingerroot, unpeeled, cut into 1/8-1/4" thick slices (a food processor makes short work of this task.)

3 1/2 cups sugar

3 1/2 cups water

In a large, heave saucepan, bring the ginger, sugar, and water to a boil. Boil the mixture for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until it registers 216-220 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. The lower temperature will give you a thinner syrup, one that's easy to stir into drinks; the higher temperature will yield a thicker syrup, more the consistency of corn syrup. (You can't tell how thick the syrup will be while it's still hot; you have to go by its temperature, as it'll thicken as it cools.)

Remove the pan from the burner and carefully strain the syrup into a nonreactive container. Store in the refrigerator.

SOURCE: It's a page copied from some cookbook. I got the recipe from Becky Brounstein and it's pretty fantastic. Her notes say it lasts months in the refrigerator, it's great in seltzer for homemade ginger ale (good for sour stomach), makes a great glaze of fruits and tarts, and really good in tea.

NOTES: I made this to use in and on a gingerbread cake recipe. Yum! Mine never did get up to the higher temperature, in spite of the long cooking time. It tastes fantastic and is really easy to make. (It really didn't even need to be stirred.) The only change I'd make is to possibly peel the ginger root. It was delicious and could possibly be chopped and used in some recipe (maybe even the gingerbread recipe noted above). I highly recommend slicing it in the food processor. It was super-easy.

YIELD: Two pints of syrup and a bunch of delicious (somewhat) candied ginger.