The polar caps are receding at a terrifying rate. I think I know where all the ice has gone, my fridge. Today was the day of the big defrost. This needs to be done so we can fit some food into it for the Christmas period. Something has gone amiss. Not only is the freezer ice-bound, so is my fridge. In fact there may be more ice in the fridge than in the freezer. Possibly a gumbletock has blown. Or the like. A shiny new (properly regulated) appliance is planned for the new year, until then we will have to make do. With no exaggeration (moi?), so frostbound is my fridge-freezer that members of the British Museum are standing by in case I uncover a woolly mammoth in its icy depths.
In the past few weeks I have been attempting to empty the freezer, all that was left was a tub of Madagascan vanilla ice cream and a bag of peas. These I gave to the safe-keeping of my neighbour. Now I am wondering if I should have got a receipt. For the peas. She would never eat the ice cream. Surely.
Whilst the slow thaw proceeded, I thought I would try my hand at making some crystallised ginger. After a little research, thanks Admin Annie, I found a couple of recipes on line. Really it didn’t look too tricky. As I haven’t shared any of my recipes for a while, I thought this the ideal opportunity, think of it as an early Christmas present.
As always, the recipe is in normal font, my interpretation in italics.
Crystallised Ginger
Ingredients:
300g of ginger and 300g of granulated sugar
Eeeek! That doesn’t sound very healthy. Choose to ignore the fact.
Method:
Peel ginger using a spoon
You are joking right? A spoon? OK, I’ll give it a go. Actually this working out quite well. Who would have thought it? Smells lovely.
Slice thinly with a mandolin
A mandolin? I may have a tin whistle somewhere, but not sure I have any stringed instrument at all. I am going to go off piste here and use a knife and be really really careful. Most pieces seem to be quite thin and even. The odd bit is a little rustic. Rustic is good, right?
Place in heavy based pan, cover with water and simmer for 30 minutes until tender
Heavy based pan. The pan I have will have to do, heavy or not. Simmering. All is well. Set alarm. Realise I have to pop up the post box so turn the hob off, just in case. Return in the blink of an eye. Turn the cooker back on. Might have lost a couple of minutes. Check fridge, little change. Keep simmering ginger. Stab after 35 minutes. Tough as shoe leather. Turn up a bit. Check fridge, might take a while. Complete a 1,000 piece jigsaw. Check ginger again, what exactly is tender? Test a little. Ouch. Who wrote this recipe? Fridge still Narnia. Read War and Peace. Check ginger, surely that will do, getting bored now. Remember why I am not a home baker.
When tender, drain ginger and weigh, reserving a little of the water. Return to the pan with the same weight in sugar and three tablespoon of cooking liquor.
Did exactly as instructed, except I added a bit less sugar and more water.
Bring to the boil and stir often until translucent.
It is boiling away nicely, although perhaps I shouldn’t have added the extra water. Why did I do that? Idiot. Check fridge. Shackleton would have felt at home. Oops better stir. Looking hopeful.
Turn heat down and stir continually until almost dry.
Almost dry, what does that mean? I know, it means, until you lose the will to live. What do I do now? Bit of a gap in the instructions. Luckily I am an expert at making things up as I go along. I will turn it out onto baking parchment (still a mystery as to why I possess any of this stuff) and spread it out until cool.
When cool dust with more sugar.
No I won’t, so there!
The End
The fridge is still not done. The mummified half lemon has been extracted and disappointingly the British Museum are singularly uninterested.
The ginger is rather lovely, extremely fiery. I have forgotten about all that sugar already.
Off The Edge Gardening 
Great to see you back – now we know where you were – crossing the antarctic in your own kitchen. Chrystalised ginger sounds marginally less faff than my attempts at mock chrystalised ginger – see blog Aug 2016 – spoiler, it didn’t work but made rather good marrow jam.
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It was OK, but took a lot longer than I thought. Might be to do with the quality of the ginger I suppose. Will look up your mock ginger. Marrow and ginger jam sounds wonderful! And thanks x
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And she’s back! What a lovely Christmas present and now I know who to blame for the cold spell we’ve been having. Shut that door.
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Glad you enjoyed it, I was exhausted by the end of the day. It was supposed to be a relaxing day off!
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Laughing out loud. You got me on the first line. You should be writing for comedians, you know that don’t you. Thanks for making me laugh so much. Love karen xx
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You are very welcome, so pleased it thought it was funny. x
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Phew! I can retire again. Welcome back. I’ve said before that you and I have some odd inner connection. My freezer defrost starts tomorrow, immediately after the jack-hammer’s delivered. My diet has been whatever I could hack out of it for a couple of weeks. Today I got rid of stuff at the back with use by dates in 2015 and 2016 (I’m an expert at stock rotation). I expect sea levels to rise a foot or so as the ice turns to water and gushes out of the drain thing which is so near the floor that I can only use a baking tray to catch the flood. Who designs these things?
I look forward to your six on Saturday. You can fill in for me. The goddess wasn’t kind to me today.
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OH attacked it with a hammer in the end, I just cowered in the other room! So funny you are in the same situation, hope it all goes well, I will wear my wellies all day just in case.
As for Six on Saturday, doubtful, I am easing myself in slowly. 🙂
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Polar caps? Is that like a hat for a white bear?
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Ha ha! Very good 🙂
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So glad to see you’re back! I swear I’m going to print out the whole recipe and tape it to a kitchen cupboard door. Actually, I don’t have a kitchen cupboard door, but it’s the thought that counts, right?
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It is always the thought! Nice to be back 🙂
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I have a chest freezer in similar condition..do you eat the ginger and/or cook with it? I m going to grow some ginger, I love the stuff.
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Eat it as a snack. I suppose you can cook with it too. Good luck with your defrost!
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Haha…..glad you’re put of hibernation and getting in the festive spirit! Thank you for the recipe…a very original Christmas present which I shall pass on if I may?! Not sure I have the skill or patience myself….although I wouldn’t mind a taste just now?! xx
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Please feel free. When I get over the trauma of the last batch I will make some more and share. x
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Did the Badgers evict you! Wonderful recipe just the kind of instructions I can relate to.
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It was an amicable separation. 🙂 Give it a go, let me know how you get on.
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We had to replace our fridge freezer earlier this year, I was told we ARE getting one with auto defrost. I of course agreed especially as it made more room for real dairy ice cream!
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If you think of it like that it all makes perfect sense!
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