Ginger — for the cure or candied

Ginger is one of those “roots” that your grandparents always tell you have the power to cure a stomach ache or motion sickness. Apparently there is something to that. Although raw ginger is not much to talk about taste-wise (I find it a little bitter and spicy), the health benefits are incredible.

Similar to cherries, ginger has antioxidants, which help improve your immune system and fight off free radicals (chemicals that have the ability to harm cells in the body). Besides this, ginger contains potassium, magnesium and anti-inflammatories, according to the University of Maryland.

Potassium is mostly used as an electrolyte in the body, such as you would find in a sports drink. However, it is also a mineral that is needed for all your cells, organs and tissues to function properly. Potassium also helps decrease intestinal gas and relaxes the intestinal tract.

So maybe before going to a job interview or any other important occasion, eat some ginger to avoid any uncomfortable moments.

Ginger can also help with weight loss because it makes you feel fuller after eating, thus causing you to eat less — perfect for those days when all you want to do is eat, especially during the holiday seasons.

Mark Niedhammer, classified ad manager at The Lakeville Journal, explained that he often gets motion sickness while snorkeling in the ocean waves and uses ginger to help treat it. However, he said that his favorite Ginger is on reruns of the television show Gilligan’s Island (that’s not the type of ginger I was talking about, though).

The following recipe, adopted from www.food.com, is for candied ginger and syrup.

Use two cups sugar, two cups of water, one cup of maple syrup and one cup of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced.

To peel the ginger, I used the back of a spoon to scrape the skin off rather than a traditional peeler or paring knife because it takes off less ginger with it. This process was not hard, and there is almost no chance that you will cut yourself.

Once peeled, cut the ginger into coin-shaped slices, about an eighth of an inch thick. While I was cutting the ginger, one slice slid onto the floor. I finally found one of the few foods our Labrador retriever, whom we nicknamed The Vacuum, refuses to eat.

In a large saucepan, mix together the maple syrup, water and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil and, once the sugar is dissolved, add the ginger slices. Boil this together for 45 minutes.

I would recommend watching the saucepan closely for at least the first five minutes after the ginger is in because the mixture may boil over. If it looks as though that will happen, turn down the heat and take the saucepan off the burner if necessary until the mixture calms.

Once you find a good temperature, where the combination is boiling but not bubbling over, attend to other activities if you feel comfortable enough to leave the ginger mixture unattended for short periods of time. Try to remain in the same room if possible, just in case.

One suggestion: If you were unfortunate and the mixture boiled over onto the stovetop, clean it up as soon as possible because it will be harder to do so when it cools. However, if the liquid made it under the burner (applicable to some coil or gas stoves), it may be better to wait, to avoid burns.

After 45 minutes the ginger should be sweet and tender. Take the mixture off the burner, take the ginger candies out and place them on a drying rack, preferably over parchment paper, for 30 minutes. Although inefficient, I used chopsticks to bob for the ginger and place them on the rack, but a small pair of tongs may work better.

If you want, boil the remaining liquid longer to give it a consistency that my recipe described as “between syrup and honey.” It’s like a ginger-flavored simple syrup that you can use  on pancakes or other foods and in drinks, such as tea.

When the ginger is dry (but still sticky) take it off the rack, toss the pieces in sugar and store it all in an upright container.

My mother recommended using the syrup for sore throats or in tea to soothe an upset stomach.