The short answer: to make ginger syrup, simmer 100 g thinly sliced fresh ginger with 250 ml water and 200 g sugar for 20 to 30 minutes. Let it steep off the heat for 30 minutes, strain it and bottle it. Ginger syrup keeps about 2 weeks in the fridge.
Ginger syrup is sugar syrup with the warm, peppery bite of fresh ginger. 30 ml in a glass of sparkling water makes ginger soda. It sweetens iced tea, lemonade and hot drinks, and you can brush it over a warm cake. Three ingredients, about an hour, most of it waiting.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Time | 40 minutes, plus 30 minutes steeping |
| Makes | About 350 ml (1½ cups) |
| Ratio | 100 g ginger, 250 ml water, 200 g sugar |
| Keeps | About 2 weeks in the fridge |
Ingredients
- 100 g (3½ oz) fresh ginger, scrubbed and thinly sliced
- 250 ml (1 cup) water
- 200 g (1 cup) white sugar
- Optional: 1 strip of lemon zest, 1 cinnamon stick, 3 cloves
There is no need to peel the ginger. The skin is thin and the syrup is strained anyway. Slice it across the fibres so more of the flavour comes out.
How to make ginger syrup
- Slice. Scrub the ginger and cut it into thin coins. For a stronger syrup, grate it instead.
- Simmer. Put the ginger and the water in a small pan. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Add the sugar. Stir in the sugar until it has dissolved completely. Take the pan off the heat.
- Steep. Leave the ginger in the syrup for 30 minutes, or up to an hour for more heat.
- Strain and bottle. Pour it through a fine sieve into a clean bottle. Press the ginger to get every drop. Close the bottle and chill it.
Make it milder or spicier
| Style | Change | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Mild | 60 g ginger, steep 15 minutes | Soft and warm |
| Classic | 100 g ginger, steep 30 minutes | Clear ginger bite |
| Fiery | 150 g grated ginger, steep 1 hour | Hot and peppery |
Brown sugar or half honey gives a darker, caramel syrup. Honey is not for babies under 12 months.
8 ways to use ginger syrup
- Ginger soda: 30 ml syrup topped with 200 ml cold sparkling water and a squeeze of lime.
- Ginger lemonade: stir into fresh lemonade instead of plain sugar.
- Iced tea: sweeten black or green iced tea.
- Hot lemon and ginger: a spoonful in hot water with a slice of lemon.
- Coffee: a little in a latte for a gingerbread taste.
- Cake soak: brush over a warm lemon or ginger cake.
- Fruit salad: drizzle over melon, mango and pineapple.
- Glazes: mix with soy sauce for a sticky glaze on salmon or chicken.
Don't throw away the ginger
The strained slices are now candied on the outside and still spicy. Toss them in sugar and let them dry on a rack overnight for a quick candied ginger. Or chop them into muffins and cookies.
If you like fresh ginger heat, try our ginger shot recipe. For a vanilla version of the same idea, see vanilla syrup. And for ginger flavour that keeps for months in baking, see ginger extract.
Common mistakes
- Boiling it hard: a rolling boil reduces the water too fast and the syrup can turn thick and sticky. Keep it at a gentle simmer.
- Adding the sugar too early: simmer the ginger in water first. Ginger gives its flavour more easily to plain water than to thick syrup.
- Thick slices: big chunks give a weak syrup. Thin coins or grated ginger give far more flavour from the same piece.
- A wet bottle: drops of water in the bottle make the syrup spoil sooner. Use a clean, dry bottle.
Gift bottles
Ginger syrup makes a good winter gift. Pour it into small swing-top bottles of 100 to 200 ml. Tie on a label with the date, "keep in the fridge, use within 2 weeks" and a serving idea, such as 30 ml with sparkling water and lime. Pair it with a lemon for a ready-made ginger soda kit.
Storage
- Fridge: in a clean, closed bottle for about 2 weeks.
- Freezer: in an ice-cube tray for up to 3 months. A cube melts into a drink nicely.
- Throw it away if it turns cloudy, smells sour, or shows any mould.
- A richer syrup, with 2 parts sugar to 1 part water, keeps a little longer.
Questions
How long does homemade ginger syrup last?
About 2 weeks in a closed bottle in the fridge, or up to 3 months frozen in an ice-cube tray.
Do I need to peel ginger for syrup?
No. Scrub it well and slice it with the skin on. The syrup is strained, so the skin never ends up in your glass.
Can I make ginger syrup with honey?
Yes. Replace half or all of the sugar with honey, and stir it in once the pan is off the heat. Do not give it to babies under 12 months.
How do I make ginger soda with ginger syrup?
Stir about 30 ml of syrup into 200 ml of cold sparkling water with ice and a squeeze of lime. Add more syrup to taste.
Why is my ginger syrup not very spicy?
There was too little ginger, or it steeped too briefly. Use more ginger, grate it instead of slicing it, and let it steep for an hour.
