This ginger syrup recipe is an easy way to make sure that you’ve always got delicious ginger flavor at hand. It’s endlessly versatile and can be used in sweet or savory recipes. It also makes a great gift.
Originally published December 2018; this post has been updated.
Homemade Ginger Simple Syrup
Ginger imparts such a wonderful flavor to so many of our favorite dishes. But we don’t always have fresh ginger root at hand. In my book, I share a recipe for making pickled ginger, but this ginger simple syrup recipe is another way to stretch the shelf life of flavorful ginger root.
This fresh ginger simple syrup is a riff on plain simple syrup, which is just sugar and water. Infusing the water with spicy, earthy ginger results in a flavorful sweet syrup that will allow you to add the flavor of ginger to recipes even when you don’t have a fresh knob on hand.
Ingredients
Fresh ginger root — Choose fresh ginger root that is smooth and full. Shriveled and dried up roots will be difficult to work with and are obviously not at peak flavor.
Sugar — Use your favorite brand of granulated cane sugar. I prefer organic.
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How to Make Ginger Syrup
Start by making the ginger-flavored water. Peel, slice, and cook fresh ginger root to impart the flavor of ginger to the water.
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Strain the liquid from the cooked ginger, reserving the cooked ginger for another use.
Heat the flavored water with sugar to make a flavorful sugar water. Depending on how much sugar you use, you’ll have a medium (sweet) or heavy (really sweet) simple syrup. Since the flavor of the ginger is so strong, I don’t recommend it as a light syrup. You really do need that extra sweetness to counter the spice of the ginger.
Storage
This sweet ginger syrup recipe keeps for a month or more in the refrigerator.
Give it as a Gift
Packaged up in a pretty recycled jar (or a decorated jar like this), this ginger simple syrup makes a lovely hostess gift. Simply tie on a cute label and include some ideas for how to use it. Or package a bottle of this syrup with a couple of co*cktail glasses or mugs (love these) along with ingredients to make a ginger-spiced beverage.
How to Use Homemade Ginger Syrup
- Use it as a sweetener in your hot or iced tea for a ginger tea.
- Mix 2 tablespoons syrup into a cup of cold sparkling water or club soda for a homemade ginger ale or ginger beer knockoff.
- Stir some into your morning bowl of oatmeal.
- Mix a spoonful into this recipe for a ginger hot fudge sauce.
- Use this ginger syrup recipe in salad dressing like this one.
- Stir some of this ginger syrup into a mug of hot cocoa and warm up by the fire.
- Drizzle some over pancakes or waffles.
- Use it as an ingredient in a Moscow Mule and other co*cktail recipes.
- Stir some into homemade applesauce for an extra zing of flavor.
- Use it in homemade cranberry sauce, in lieu of fresh ginger. Or in addition to it!
- Add a splash (or three) to your homemade granola before you bake it.
- Stir a couple of tablespoons full into your favorite muffin recipe. Try it in these apple cinnamon muffins.
- Make a ginger martini. Or use it in other co*cktail hour drinks.
- Stir some into a marinade. It would be great in teriyaki sauce.
- Add a spoonful to a mixed fresh fruit salad.
- Drizzle some over this peach pie.
- Stir it into homemade yogurt.
- Add it to a glass of lilikoi juice.
- Stir some into this strawberry compote.
- Spoon a little over ice cream.
All of My Simple Syrup Recipes
These recipes are really simple, and simple syrups offer a great way to add flavor to a variety of baked goods, co*cktails, and even dressings and marinades.
- Cherry syrup
- Peach syrup
- Tangerine syrup
- Ginger syrup
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Easy Ginger Syrup Recipe
Yield: 4-5 cups
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
This easy ginger syrup makes a flavorful addition to sweets, beverages, and marinades.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound ginger, fresh
- 1 quart water
- 3-4 cups sugar, organic
Instructions
- Peel and slice ginger thinly.
- Bring ginger to a boil in one quart of water. Simmer for 30 minutes until ginger is tender and begins to look a bit transparent.
- Strain over a large bowl, reserving cooked ginger for another use.
- Measure sugar into a saucepan. Use 3 cups for a medium ginger syrup, 4 cups for a sweeter syrup.
- Stir in ginger-flavored water. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and stir until sugar is completely dissolved.
- Remove ginger simple syrup from heat. Cool to room temperature and transfer to jars or bottles.
- Store in the refrigerator for a month or more.
Notes
The easiest way to peel ginger is to use the edge of a spoon to scrape the thin skin away. This results in less waste than trying to use a paring knife.
This recipe is NOT safe for water bath canning; store it in the refrigerator.
Give it as a gift
Packaged up in a pretty recycled jar, this syrup makes a lovely hostess gift. Simply tie on a cute label and include some ideas for how to use it. Or package a bottle of this syrup with a couple of co*cktail glasses or mugs along with ingredients to make a ginger-spiced beverage.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 80Serving Size: 1 grams
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 31Unsaturated Fat: 0gSodium: 1mgCarbohydrates: 8gSugar: 7g
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