Wild Ginger Hunting

Well, it's not exactly the season for wild ginger hunting per say, but I've been having a certain craving for it. I've been dreaming and drooling ever since I happened upon a patch last week on a walk through the forest.

What with Samhain on the way, I've decided to prepare a few gifts to honor my friends and family. I could think of no greater gift than that of candied ginger and syrup. Yum!

Wild ginger can usually be found in Northern California's damp forests, among the redwoods and under the protective skirts of the ferns. They tend to like the shadier nooks, where the soil is cool and moist (I found the ones pictured above nestling under a sword fern, sneaky little buggers!). Their leaves are smooth, somewhat shiny, and of a soft heart shape. They're commonly mistaken for wild violet leaves, which are also edible, but definitely not the taste we're looking for. Along with their distinctive heart shape, it's generally easy to identify the roots because they also smell and taste similarly to Asian ginger, only with a subtler punch.

Unlike the common Asian ginger root found in most grocery stores, wild ginger has pretty lanky roots, usually no thicker than pasta noodles. Even though there's not much to work with, the end result is very much worth the toil. 

The indigenous peoples of area have incorporated wild ginger root in their medicinal workings as well as daily diets for hundreds of years. It's no wonder it cures tummy aches and bloating when ingested. Ladies, if y'all are on your moon, I promise chewing a couple pieces of raw ginger will leave you feeling quite pacified. Plus you get a tasty treat.

Also, as with any herb or plant that you harvest, be it wild or homegrown, give thanks! Sing a song, breath life unto the plant, leave an offering (such as tobacco or cornmeal), caress it, or simply say thank you. Another habit I've come to be mindful of is over exhausting the plant; that is, don't harvest the entire plant. Leave some room for regeneration. It's not only beneficial for the plant, but you'll also always have a source to go back to.

Anyway, here's two personal recipes for y'all to try out. I like to incorporate every part of this plant, leaves and root, when making candy and syrup.

What you'll need for candied wild ginger root and wild ginger syrup:
- 11/2 cup of fine white sugar
- 1/2 cup of brown sugar
- 2 cups of water
- 1 cup of fresh, wild ginger root (chopped into 1 inch peices)
   *Dont have access to wild ginger root? Not a problem. You can easily substitute Asian ginger root, fresh or dry. :)

Instructions:
1. Add the sugars (11/2 cup of fine white sugar & 1/2 cup of brown sugar) to a sauce pan along with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil.
2. Add the ginger root. Continue to let the syrup and roots boil for another 5-10 minutes.
3. Turn down the heat and let simmer for about an hour.
4. Let it cool and pour syrup and ginger roots into a jar. Let sit in a cool dry place for 3 days. (Such a painful wait! But alas, magick is afoot!)
5. After 3 days, pour the syrup sauce pan -hold the ginger roots back for now- and bring to a rolling boil.
6. Add ginger root to the syrup and boil again for 15-20 minutes.
7. Remove ginger and place on a metal rack to drip dry.
8. Once the syrup ceases to drip from the roots, place the roots in a pie plate and cover with fine white sugar, making sure each piece is coated in the sugary grave. Let sit over night. (Almost done!)
9. Voila! All done! Now you have your own, homemade, candied ginger. You can do whatever you please with the remaining syrup. I usually use it to put into my tea or to top of my ice-cream. Yummy!



What you'll need for wild ginger & mint leaf syrup:
- 11/2 cup of fine white sugar
- 1/2 cup of brown sugar
- 2 cups of water
- 1/2 cup of fresh wild ginger leaves and stems
- 3 sprigs of fresh mint leaves

Instructions:
1. Add the sugars (11/2 cup of fine white sugar & 1/2 cup of brown sugar) to a sauce pan along with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil.
2. Add the ginger leaves and mint. Continue to let the syrup and leaves boil for another 5-10 minutes.
3. Turn down the heat and let simmer for about an hour or until it reaches the desired thickness.
4. Let it cool and pour syrup into a jar (you can take out the leaves now, if you please).
5. Done! Use it for teas or to top off some ice-cream.

Hope you enjoy these recipes.

Let me know how it goes!

Blessed be.