On Wed, 29 Oct 2014 15:36:55 -0400, Dave Smith
> wrote:

>On 2014-10-29 3:22 PM, Brooklyn1 wrote:
>
>>> I'm going to do this. Won't wait for a sale on ginger. Heh.
>>>
>>>> The last time I bought candied ginger in the bulk store it was about
>>>> $16/lb. I can buy the root for about $1/lb. It is less than half a
>>>> buck for the sugar.
>>>
>>> FWIW, I get this stuff for $5.99 a pound, this .39 lb container I
>>> have right here was $2.34.
>>
>> I buy fresh ginger root all the time but I've never seen fresh ginger
>> root for a $1/lb, not ever, not even 30 years ago, in fact fresh
>> ginger has slowly come down in price over many years because more
>> people cook with it at home... now it's typically more like $3/lb.
>
>
>When I made it last year it was 99 cents/lb. It is currently closer to
>$1.50 around here. The last time I bought candied ginger was about
>$16/lb, even at $3, and no more than 10% waste after scraping, and 50
>cents worth of sugar, it is a bargain to make it yourself.
>
>
>d
>> the type of ginger root sold at US markets is not suitable for
>> candying, it's much too fiberous... the non-fiberous type,
>
>That is a matter of freshness.

Actually not... it's a matter of when harvested, roots harvested very
young are not fiberous but haven't the flavor of roots harvested when
older. For candying roots need to be young but not so young that they
don't have much flavor. Ginger roots sold at US markets are meant as
a flavoring so will have been fairly mature when harvested but are
very fiberous. There are also plants in the ginger family with roots
that are fiber free so are better for candying but not readily
available on the open market. The best way to have ginger harvested at
its best for use time is to grow your own:
http://www.tropicalpermaculture.com/growing-ginger.html