Candied Zucchini (Mock Candied Ginger)

We have a lot of zucchini in the garden this year. While we're cramming as much of it into our bellies as we can with stir fries, ratatouille, breads and cookies, I'm always looking for ways to prevent the vegetables/fruits from turning into fuzzy blue beings that walk themselves to the compost. After my success with several batches of Candied Watermelon Rind (all using different spice combinations!) I wondered if the same method would work with the huge, spongier zucchini we didn't pick quite in time. Being that it's a fairly cheap experiment, I gave it a shot, adding a hefty dose of ginger to the syrup.

It worked - while the zucchini cubes shrunk a bit more than the watermelon rind did (understandable!), they soaked up the caramel-like syrup and became almost the taste and texture of the candied stem ginger you can find in jars in some of the specialty or import shops around here. Those jars are pricey, and with a few ginger-lovers on my Christmas gift list (and more zucchini in the garden!) I can see myself making more of this in the near future - the first jar is mine!

While the recipe is cheap and easy to make, it does take time (like a day and a half minimum) - don't rush the cooking or the infusion though... you don't want to burn the batch, and it only gets better the longer it sits in the syrup!

Shared with Waste Not Want Not Wednesday

Candied Zucchini (Mock Candied Ginger)
Makes about 11 tbsp (just over 2/3 cup)
8 oz peeled, chopped zucchini
1 ½ cups sugar
1 ½ tbsp ground ginger (or more!)

1. Place zucchini in a deep pot and add the sugar.
2. Cover and let stand at room temperature at least 4 hours to macerate.
3. Bring to a simmer, add the ginger and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
4. Uncover and bring to a boil. Cook until syrup is caramel-coloured and thick, about 30-40 minutes.
5. While still hot, ladle into a clean jar and store in the fridge. 

NI includes all the syrup, although you won't eat it all.

Amount Per Serving (1 tbsp)
Calories: 110.2
Total Fat: 0.1 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 0.8 mg
Total Carbs: 28.7 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.4 g
Protein: 0.2 g

You have just read the article entitled Candied Zucchini (Mock Candied Ginger). Please read the article from Emilija the sweet Estsin About Blogging Events , Dairy - Free , Egg - Free , Gluten - Free , Low - Fat , Snacks and Candy , Tree Nut - Free , Vegan , Vegetarian more. And you can also bookmark this page with the URL : http://emilija-thesweetestsin.blogspot.com/2013/09/candied-zucchini-mock-candied-ginger.html