CRYSTALLIZED GINGER

• 1-pound fresh ginger

• 2 cups sugar

• 1 cup ginger wine

• 1/2-cup water

Rinse ginger and cover with cold water. Soak at least 4 hours, best if overnight. Drain ginger and cover again with fresh water. Bring to a boil, uncovered. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 10 min­utes. Drain and replace with fresh water. Repeat this process of simmering and changing water 3 more times. Once again, cover with cold water to cool.

Peel skins. Cut ginger diagonally across the grain to make slices about one eighth of an inch thick. Cover sliced ginger with fresh water. Repeat simmering and changing water 5-6 more times. Taste to see if it is at desired spiciness. If still too spicy, repeat process. Drain.

In a 3 quart pan, stir together sugar, !/2 cup water and ginger wine. Bring to a boil, cover and cook for 1 minute to dissolve sugar. Add sliced ginger and bring to a full boil. Remove from heat. Allow slices to stand in syrup at room temperature, overnight.

Bring syrup back to a boil. Simmer ginger uncovered stirring occas­ionally until ginger is translucent and most of the syrup is dissolved, about 1 1/2 hours to 2 1/2 hours. Remove pan from heat and continue to stir occasionally for 5-10 minutes, until all syrup is dissolved. Place ginger on a wire rack or cookie sheet in a single layer to dry, about 1 hour. When cooled and dry to touch, pack in an airtight container. For ginger lovers, package in a decorative clamp style jar with ribbon for an appreciative gift.

DID YOU KNOW: If you save some of the water used while boiling the peeled ginger, and dilute it with addi­tional water you will have a beverage similar to ginger tea. Excellent when served hot with a slice of ginger and a drop of honey, especially on a cold windy day..