Stem ginger

PaddyL
I was told recently, at the store where I usually buy stem ginger in syrup (from Australia), that this is no longer available because Australia won't export any more.  Is this true?  I used to make the most heavenly cake with stem ginger.  Has Canada done or said something unforgivable to Australia that you will no longer send us any of this wonderful stuff?  If we have, on behalf of all of Canada, except possibly our appalling prime minister, I apologise!  And I do promise, once we have our camera sometime in September or October, that I will post some pictures of my bread.  Thanks to you and your helpful tips here, I make sourdough every week!
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clydiemor 2009 August 22
Paddy,

What is stem ginger?  I am on the east coast of NY and we have ginger root here.  Is that the same thing?  I store my ginger in dry sherry, in pieces, in the refrigerator.  I suppose i could put it in a simple syrup and can it..would that be the same thing?

clydiemor (Janie R)
PaddyL 2009 August 23
I googled it and came up with a bit of information.  Stem ginger is very young root ginger that has been cut and preserved in a simple syrup.  There was a picture of some before preserving and it was pinkish.  I suppose, if I get really desperate, I could try cutting up some gingerroot and keeping it in simple syrup, or sherry.  I used to keep gingerroot in sherry all the time.  The stem ginger I used to buy, came in a jar and the syrup was wonderful for making glazes.  Apparently, it's an Australian specialty, but they don't export it any more, which I find very odd.  If I were to preserve my own, do you think I'd have to cook it a bit in the syrup first?  The stem ginger I used to buy had a slightly translucent look to it.
PaddyL 2009 August 24
I'm going to make it!  You're a lifesaver!  There's one cake I make with it, a lemon drenched ginger cake from a recipe by Tamasin Day-Lewis.  I'll post the recipe here, if you'd like.  Thanks again!
Johnny's picture
Johnny 2009 August 24
Hey Paddy mate, I had a look around and you're right, at least on this site I found in Queensland where I found this 300g jar for $A5.95 but they don't do international orders. Probably cost too much for the export licence.
However, I did find a place in Connecticut which sells Australian stem Ginger on-line. But at $14.45 plus postage for a 290g jar it is a gourmet item and you'd be better off making it yourself. Besides making it is so much more satisfying and fun. Love to see some of your SD bread. So don't forget to post some pics when you get the camera working...
cheers Johnny
TeckPoh's picture
TeckPoh 2009 August 24


I've visited the Buderim factory in Queensland before and seen how they make these yummy ginger in syrup. I vaguely remember that the ginger goes through quite a number of times of being boiled in syrup of various strength. I took a look at the recipe link above. If you like the ginger to retain more oomph, you might want to reduce the number of blanches. Let us know how you get on.

 

TP

PaddyL 2009 August 25
I'm going to buy the gingerroot some time this week and get to work on it.  The preserved stuff in syrup is sooooo good, and adds that little extra to so many recipes for biscuits and cakes.  We'll be getting some retroactive pay that my sister's union fought for, next month, and since she really didn't have any birthday presents last June, her son and I will be going out looking for a good camera.  Then she can take pictures of my sourdough breads.  She worked as a professional photographer many years ago, and I thought it would be a great opportunity for her to reaquaint herself with the camera.
PeteInAz. 2009 August 25
[quote=PaddyL]  There's one cake I make with it, a lemon drenched ginger cake from a recipe by Tamasin Day-Lewis.  I'll post the recipe here, if you'd like.  Thanks again!

[/quote]

Yes please. :)

And, you're very welcome

PaddyL 2009 September 2
This recipe is from Tamasin Day-Lewis's Good Tempered Food, and is the reason I bought the book.  The cake is terrific.

Drenched Ginger and Lemon Cake

preheat oven to 180C./350F./Gas 4
Butter a 15-18cm/6-7in. cake tin and line the base with a circle of buttered greaseproof paper.

175g/6oz unsalted butter
175g/6oz light muscovado sugar
2 large eggs
grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
1 tsp. baking powder
a pinch of salt
175g/6oz. self-raising flour,  (She used 1/2 Shipton Mill's wholemeal, 1/2 Dove' Farm organic plain white.)  I just used plain self-raising flour.
3-5 tbsp. milk
4 pieces of ginger from a jar of stem ginger in syrup
35g/1-1/2 oz. demerara sugar
2 tbsp. ginger syrup

Cream the butter and muscovado sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time.  Grate the lemon zest into the mixture, then sift over the baking powder, salt, and flour, and fold them in lightly with a metal spoon.  Stir in enough milk to give a dropping consistency, then add the finely chopped ginger and fold in lightly.  Plop into the tin, smooth the top, and bake in the centre of the oven for about 40 to 50 minutes, until springy to the touch in the centre.
Remove from the oven, and leave for 15 minutes before turning out onto a rack.  When still warm, place on a plate, and with a long skewer, pierce holes all over the cake from the top through to the bottom.  Put the demerara sugar, lemon juice, and ginger syrup in a pan, stir as it heats to dissolve the sugar, then bubble it up fiercely for a minute or so.  Pour it as slowly as you can over the top of the cake, allowing it to seep down the holes.  Serve warm or cold with creme fraiche.

We love this cake with a good pouring custard, or creme anglaise.
kerry heubel 2019 April 5

Stem ginger originally comes from China and used to come in wonderful storage pots that we then used as small vases or pots for plants when we had finished eating it.  For some reason it is no longer available in Australia but I believe it can be bought in the UK at Waitrose as a house brand.

It is truly delicious and can be eaten as confectionary (I ate it like that) or served with cread for dessert.  I'm not sure that boiling it up and adding sugar is going to be very successful as it needs to fully absorb all of the sugar so the ginger fruit is fully saturated and then floats in the ginger.  Boy, wouldn't I give my I teeth to get this again. Postage from other countries is prohibitive.

 

Kerry

rae Pio 2020 May 17
I remember while living in the UK my boss use to buy his stem ginger from cash and carry but this going back to 2006-2008, if this helps

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