Easy No-Cook Saenggang Cheong (Ginger Syrup) with Honey
A homemade ginger syrup made without boiling by letting starch settle from minced fresh ginger and steeping it in honey.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
Easily made without boiling by mixing minced ginger and ginger juice directly with honey. Letting the starch in the ginger juice settle and discarding it keeps the syrup clear and bright. Aging it in the refrigerator for about a week mellows the harshness and softens the flavor, making it perfect for warm ginger tea.
- Servings
- about 10–12 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
- Keeps
- 365 days
Ingredients
- Ginger1 kg
- Honey1.2 kg
- After peeling, about 50g was lost in peels, leaving 950g.
- Because it is freshly harvested ginger, even without boiling it is not intensely bitter or spicy.
Steps
Since this is steeped in honey without boiling, finely mince the ginger in a food processor without adding water.
Place the finely minced ginger in a cheesecloth and squeeze tightly to extract the ginger juice.
Let it sit undisturbed for about 30 minutes to allow the starch to settle, then discard the settled starch.
In a large bowl, add the ginger juice along with the ginger pulp, pour in 1kg of honey, and mix well.
Transfer into jars, swirl honey two or three times over the top of each jar, and cover with the lid to finish.
About 200g of honey was used for covering the tops.
Ppunwife's tips
- Because the juice was collected and the starch filtered out, the color is clear and translucent rather than cloudy.
- If you age it in the refrigerator for about a week before eating, the flavor becomes much softer; however, since it uses freshly harvested ginger, it is not very bitter or spicy even if eaten right away.
- Rather than storing it in one large jar and scooping from it, portioning it into smaller jars preserves it much better.
- Keep the portion you plan to consume over the winter in the refrigerator or kimchi refrigerator, and freeze it if storing for longer than that.
FAQ
Do I really need to let the starch settle and discard it?
Letting the ginger juice sit undisturbed for about 30 minutes to separate and discard the starch ensures the syrup turns out clear and translucent rather than cloudy.
Can I eat the finished honey ginger syrup right away?
If made with freshly harvested ginger, it is not too spicy or bitter right away, but letting it age in the refrigerator for about a week makes the flavor noticeably smoother.
How should I store it to keep it for a long time?
Divide it into small jars and keep the amount to be eaten during the winter in the refrigerator or kimchi refrigerator, and freeze it if storing it longer than that.
How do I make ginger tea with it?
Add about 3 tbsp of the ginger pulp and syrup into a teacup, pour in hot water, and stir to enjoy.
