Ah, the joy of changing seasons. The crisp air, the colorful leaves, the promise of winter snow… and the icky feeling of stomach bugs and flu.
Last year, about three quarters of my immediate and extended family got a stomach bug the day after Christmas. It came on so fast and over so many, that we thought it was food poisoning. Eventually, the sickness abated, but it left me with a desire to make something for those upset stomach days.
Ginger and mint have both long been used to treat upset stomach. Ginger Ale is often sipped by those with indigestion, and it’s said that chewing gum or eating a mint might help calm nausea. This recipe combines the two into a spicy-sweet minty candy or syrup that is great to suck on, or to drizzle into hot water. Over eating, flu, motion sickness to morning sickness, these candies might just be the thing!
Ingredients:
- 3 3/4 cups sugar
- 1 1/2 cups light corn syrup
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup Fresh mint
- 4 inches Fresh Ginger Root
- Sieve
- Candy Thermometer (For candy version. Not needed for syrup)
- Hard Candy Mold or pan lined in aluminum foil.
- Wax Paper (for wrapped candies)
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- Jar (for syrup version)
Directions:
- If making hard candy, prep your mold or your aluminum foil lined pan with a touch of spray oil.
- Set your cup of water to boil in a heavy bottomed sauce pan. This recipe makes quite a lot, so make sure there is enough room for the sugar to boil. (3-5 quart should do it.)
- Wash the mint and ginger thoroughly. I wouldn’t say this recipe is healthy, simply because it has so much sugar and corn syrup. But we definitely do not want to add germs, dirt, wax or pesticides into the mix.
- Coarsely chop up the mint leaves. Peel the Ginger’s exterior bark off and then cut up the ginger itself.
- Add the Ginger and Mint to the water. Take off the heat. Let this mixture steep 15 minutes. Strain out solids and add water back to pan.
- Add the sugar and corn syrup to the pan. Put on medium heat and stir until sugar is dissolved.
- Stop stirring and let mixture boil. Attach Candy thermometer to the pan.
- For syrup, take off heat once mixture reaches a rolling boil. Pour hot mixture into a glass jar to cool. Done!
- For candy, keep on heat (not stirring!) until thermometer reads 310°. Pour hot sugar (please be careful) into prepared moulds or pan.
- When candy is cool, break into small bits and dust with powdered sugar to keep from sticking together, or wrap individually in wax paper.
That’s it! If I’m making this for someone else, I typically wrap the candies. If it is just for me though, I leave it all cracked up in a zip top bag with the powdered sugar.
The candies are great to suck on the way you might sip ginger ale. The syrup, mixed with hot water to taste, is soothing for the throat and tummy alike.
Kayla Domeyer
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Can I use honey instead of corn syrup?