Food as Medicine: Candied Ginger Recipe

My arthritis has been quite unpleasant for the past few days, and I realised that I had slacked a bit on my ginger and turmeric consumption. I happened to have a huge ginger root sitting neglected in the basket, so I decided to prepare it in a different way. When some herbs are heated, cooked or dried, they lose potency, but ginger seems to endure well. Sometimes, what is good for us is neither pleasant nor easy to consume, so preparing herbs in an effective yet pleasing way can be a challenge! Here is how I make candied ginger root:
2 cups fresh ginger root, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup white suger
1/8 cup raw honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
a dash or 2 of cinnamon if desired
1/4 tsp vanilla extract if desired
Put everything above into your pot and simmer until your ginger root slices are tender. (You may have to add a little water along the way, but don't add a bunch. Just keep the ginger off the bottom of the pan a tiny bit) Then, strain your ginger out and roll it in a bowl of white sugar until every piece is well coated, and spread it on wax paper to dry. The liquid left behind should be a nice syrup, and you can use it in other recipes, or for colds.
I do get burned out on tisanes, so a more solid way of consuming certain herbs is a welcome break! Caution: Candied ginger should be treated with respect! Eating too much (and it IS hard to resist, if you like ginger) can cause stomach upsets, diarrhea & heart burn. Ginger can inhibit blood clotting, so I do not advise consuming greater amounts than are commonly used as seasoning if you are also taking pharmaceutical blood thinners.

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