(45 minutes + cooling time, serves dozens)
You can freeze ginger, grate it with a microplane grater, and then squeeze juice out of the grated ginger, but that’s pretty labor intensive for this much juice. I used Ginger People’s ginger juice, available online.
3 packages unflavored gelatin
1/4 c. ginger juice
1/4 c. lime juice
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
powdered (confectioner’s) sugar
butter (for greasing the pan)
green food coloring (optional)
crystallized ginger, chopped fine (optional)
1. Empty gelatin packets into bowl of stand mixer (whisk attachment), with ginger juice and lime juice. Stir briefly to combine.
2. In a small saucepan (a bigger one will be heavy and hard to hold steadily at a later stage) combine water, granulated sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Cover and cook over medium high heat for 4 minutes. Uncover and cook until the mixture reaches soft ball stage (240 degrees if you have a candy thermometer), approximately 8 minutes. Once the mixture reaches this temperature, immediately remove from heat; if it continues, it will swiftly turn into hard candy.
3. Turn mixer on low speed and, while running, slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. (Be very careful with the sugar syrup, as it is scaldingly hot and will burn you badly if it gets on your skin.) Once you’ve added all of the syrup, increase the speed to high.
4. Continue to whip until the mixture becomes very thick and is lukewarm, approximately 12 minutes. Add food coloring, if using, during this stage.
5. While it’s whipping, butter a large 9 x 12 pan and dust with powdered sugar. Prepare an oiled spatula.
6. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly (and swiftly) with an oiled spatula.
7. Sprinkle chopped crystallized ginger on top, pressing in slightly. Dust the top with enough of the remaining powdered sugar to lightly cover. Reserve the rest for later. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
8. Turn onto a board, cut into squares, and dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining powdered sugar, using additional if necessary. May be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks, or frozen.
