How to Make Ginger Syrup for Drinks
Ginger syrup is sweet, fragrant with a bit of heat to spice up any drinks you add it to. The syrup requires only three ingredients, and you can easily make a large batch and store it in the refrigerator.
Ginger is widely used as a spice in many countries. In Vietnam, we even consider it as a folk medicine to alleviate symptoms such as stomach pain or nausea.
We can steep fresh ginger slices in hot water to make ginger tea and drink it on its own, but that’s not the only way to enjoy ginger in drinks. You can make this ginger syrup and add it to a variety of cold and hot drinks, such as this ginger orange tea and this ginger coffee.
How to Make Ginger Syrup
You can watch the video above to see how easy this ginger syrup recipe is with just three simple ingredients: fresh ginger, sugar, and water.
As you can see from the video, the most labor-intensive part is scraping the skin from ginger. We like to do it with a small paring knife, but there are also a lot of guides on how to peel ginger with a spoon.
If you use regular granulated sugar, the syrup will have a light yellow color. In Vietnam, we can get golden granulated sugar, which is slightly less-processed than the white one. It gives the syrup a darker color and a hint of molasses flavor. See the syrup in the bottle on the left in the photo below, it was made with golden sugar.
It seems Domino Sugar also carries golden sugar now, and you can give it a try. The color is clearly different, and the difference in flavor is somewhat discernable when you taste the syrup on its own. However, when you add it to your drinks, I think you won’t notice the difference.
Drink Recipes to Try
I’d love to hear what you think about the dish, so please feel free to leave a comment and a rating if you have tried it. New recipes are added every week so let’s connect on Facebook, Youtube, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates. You can find my collection of Vietnamese recipes here.
Ginger Syrup (for drinks)
Instructions
- Scrape the skin from the ginger roots with a small paring knife or a spoon. Give the ginger a quick rinse under water.
- Slice ginger into thin slices (about 1/3-inch thick) and smash or crush them.
- Add ginger, sugar and water to a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Once the mixture starts to boil, skim off foam and lower heat to a simmer.
- Cover the saucepan with the lid slightly askew and simmer gently for 30-35 minutes to thicken the mixture into syrup.
- Strain the syrup. Store the liquid in a clean jar or bottle with several slices of the ginger you just strained. Let it cool and then store in the refrigerator with the jar/bottle lid on.
What is the shelf life of this? Does it need to go into the fridge?
Hi Cynthia,
Yes, you should store it in the fridge and use it within 2 weeks to be on the safe side.
How long will this last in the fridge?
Can you use frozen puréed ginger? Thank you. ☺️
Re: ginger syrup. Is it necessary to peel the ginger given syrup is strained?
Hi Roger,
It’s not a must, but I think it may affect the color/clarity of the syrup just a little bit. And make sure you scrub and rinse the ginger well to remove any dirt.
How long will it last in the fridge in an airtight bottle?
Simple and excellent
I want to make it for myself and the grand kits. Will keep them from bought cooldrink. It sounds easy enough.
You can roll the ginger that is left in sugar for candied ginger.
Make similar often adding a small piece of cinnamon bark, couple of cloves and a few pepper corns. After cooking refrigerate over night, then strain and bottle. Excellent when baking a ham. And helps settle mild stomach ailments.
Hi Gary,
That is great to hear. Thank you for sharing how you added the spices to the syrup. I also have a reader who loved it with an addition of a couple cardamom pods.