Aromatic Ginger Lemon Preserve
How to Make Ginger Lemon Preserve: Warm Up with a Cup of Ginger or Lemon Tea
The fine dust levels have been quite high these past few days. Fortunately, it rained this morning, making my commute to work feel much better – my throat wasn’t scratchy, and my eyes weren’t stinging. The weather has also turned cold, making it difficult for our bodies to adjust to the temperature fluctuations between morning and evening. Combined with the fine dust, my throat felt so hoarse that I ended up drinking hot tea all day long. This is the time of year when colds can really take hold, so we need to be careful. I quickly made this ginger lemon preserve with ginger and lemons I bought a few days ago. If it weren’t for the fine dust, I would have probably put it off for days. But after finishing a cup of last year’s ginger, quince, and citron tea, I felt motivated to make more. A cup of sweet, sour, and warm tea brought me such comfort on a long and tiring day. They say finding happiness in small things like this is a ‘small but certain happiness,’ right? I find that happiness when I make and eat things like this. ^^
Ingredients- Fresh Ginger
- Lemons
- Sugar (granulated or brown)
- Honey
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
If you find the spiciness of ginger alone a bit too strong, try mixing it with lemon preserve. Combining lemon with ginger mellows out the ginger’s sharp heat and adds a lovely nutty flavor, making it much more palatable. (Generally, use an equal weight of sugar and honey combined as the total weight of prepared ginger and lemon. You can also make ginger-only preserve or lemon-only preserve according to your preference.)
Step 2
First, prepare your glass jar by sterilizing it in boiling water. Make sure to dry it thoroughly afterward. Invert the jar and place it in boiling water; the steam will effectively sterilize the inside.
Step 3
Since we’re using the lemon peels, thorough washing is crucial. Scrub the lemons with baking soda, then wash them again with a fruit cleanser. This step ensures any residual pesticides or dirt are removed.
Step 4
Rinse the ginger under running water. To peel the ginger easily, use the back of a spoon to scrape off the skin; it’s much simpler than using a knife.
Step 5
While thinly slicing with a knife is ideal, if you’re not comfortable with knife skills, using a mandoline slicer is a great alternative. Slice the ginger thinly. (The weight of ginger I prepared today was 278g.)
Step 6
Trim the ends off the lemons and slice them thinly. It’s important to remove all the seeds from the lemon slices, even if it’s a bit tedious. Leaving the seeds in can impart a bitter taste to your preserve.
Step 7
The weight of these prepared lemons was 934g. If you don’t have a kitchen scale at home, here’s a handy trick: weigh yourself on a bathroom scale, then weigh yourself holding the container, and subtract your weight to find the container’s weight. ^^
Step 8
Now, let’s balance the ingredients. Ginger at 278g + Lemons at 934g = 1212g total. I used half honey and half sugar for the total weight. (For example, if the total weight is 1200g, use 600g of honey and 600g of sugar.)
Step 9
Pour the sugar and honey over the prepared ginger and lemons. Mix everything thoroughly to ensure the sugar and honey are evenly distributed. Stir gently until well combined.
Step 10
Using honey along with sugar helps the sugar dissolve more easily, making the mixing process smoother. Once the sugar and honey are well dissolved and integrated with the fruit and ginger, carefully layer the mixture into your sterilized jar.
Step 11
Doesn’t it look beautiful and appetizing? It’s best to let it mature in the refrigerator for about 2-3 weeks before consuming; this allows the flavors and aromas to deepen. You’ll be able to enjoy warm and healthy ginger lemon tea from late winter onwards. This beautiful and delicious ginger lemon preserve would also make a wonderful gift for someone special! ^^
