Estas balas de gengibre são um remédio caseiro clássico e delicioso para a garganta. O picante natural do gengibre, combinado com a doçura do açúcar, cria um doce que não só é saboroso como também é conhecido pelas suas propriedades anti-inflamatórias. Fáceis de fazer, estas balas são perfeitas para ter à mão durante os meses mais frios ou sempre que precisar de um pequeno alívio.

Ingredientes

  • 500 gr de gengibre fresco
  • 2 xícaras de chá de açúcar
  • 1/2 xícara de chá de água

Preparação

  1. Descasque o gengibre e corte em fatias finíssimas com uma faca bem afiada ou descascador de legumes. Coloque-as em uma panela e cubra com água.
  2. Cozinhe em fogo alto até ferver. Retire do fogo e escorra em uma peneira. Esta água pode ser jogada fora. Em uma panela misture a água e o açúcar e coloque no fogo para dissolver o açúcar. Quando estiver dissolvido abaixe o fogo, cozinhe sem mexer até o ponto de bala mole.
  3. Para saber o ponto de bala mole: pingue um pouquinho da calda em um copo de água fria. Ela deve ficar junta na água e quando você pegá-la com os dedos a gota deve dissolver.
  4. Quando estiver desta forma retirar do fogo, adicionar o gengibre e mexer com uma colher de pau até a mistura branquear e açucarar. Espalhar sobre uma superfície lisa (usei uma assadeira) e a medida que a mistura for esfriando ir mexendo com um garfo para separar os pedacinhos de gengibre.
  5. Deixar secar por algumas horas. Depois é só guardar em vidros bem fechados. Rede 1 kg.

É ótimo para garganta pois o gengibre é um anti-inflamatório natural.

For a sweet treat with a fiery kick and a soothing touch, here is the English recipe.

Homemade Ginger Chews

These homemade ginger chews are a wonderful, classic confection that’s equal parts spicy, sweet, and soothing. They are a fantastic natural remedy to have on hand for sore throats, as ginger is a well-known natural anti-inflammatory. The process transforms fresh, fiery ginger into delightful, sugar-coated gems that are both a delicious treat and a comforting aid for colds or travel sickness.

Making candy at home can seem daunting, but this recipe relies on a straightforward technique. The key is to cook a simple sugar syrup to the “soft-ball” stage, a specific temperature that gives the finished candies a perfectly chewy and soft texture. The recipe cleverly guides you on how to test for this stage without a thermometer, making it accessible to everyone.

The first step of boiling the ginger and discarding the water is crucial as it helps to mellow the intense heat of the ginger, making the final candy pleasantly spicy rather than overwhelmingly hot. The result is a batch of delicious homemade sweets that you can store in a jar for whenever you need a little sweet and spicy boost.

Ingredients

  • 500g fresh ginger
  • 2 cups (400g) of caster sugar
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) of water

Method

  1. Peel the ginger and slice it very thinly using a sharp knife or a mandoline. Place the slices in a saucepan and cover them with water.
  2. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, remove from the heat and drain through a sieve. This first batch of water can be discarded. In a clean pan, mix the sugar and the 1/2 cup of water and place over the heat to dissolve the sugar. Once dissolved, lower the heat and cook without stirring until it reaches the soft-ball stage.
  3. To check for the soft-ball stage without a thermometer: drop a tiny amount of the syrup into a glass of cold water[5]. It should form a small, soft ball in the water. When you pick it up with your fingers, the ball should feel soft and pliable, flattening after a few moments[3].
  4. When the syrup is at the right stage, remove it from the heat, add the drained ginger slices and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture turns whitish and starts to crystallize. Spread it out onto a smooth surface (a baking tray works well) and, as the mixture cools, keep stirring with a fork to separate the ginger pieces.
  5. Let them dry for a few hours. Once completely dry, store them in airtight jars. The recipe yields about 1kg.

Tips:

  • Slicing the ginger thinly and uniformly is key to the final texture. A mandoline slicer is perfect for this, but a sharp knife and a steady hand work well too[4].
  • If you have a candy thermometer, the soft-ball stage is reached between 112°C and 115°C (235°F and 240°F)[6][3].
  • These ginger chews are excellent for soothing nausea, including motion sickness and morning sickness, and can also help with digestion[1][7].
  • For an extra-sugary finish, you can toss the sticky ginger pieces in a bowl of caster sugar before leaving them to dry on a wire rack[4].