Grate the ginger root in a measuring cup and pack it down to 1/2 C.
Add the ginger root to the 2.5 C. water in a medium saucepan and set the temperature on the burner to low/medium and let it simmer for 20-30 minutes or until about half of the liquid has evaporated.
Strain the ginger, and keep 1 1/4 cup of the liquid.
Grease a small glass dish (I used an Anchor Hocking 7x4 dish) generously with coconut oil. Then lay parchment in the dish, and grease the parchment generously as well.
Pour the ginger liquid in the saucepan and combine the honey, vanilla extract and sugar - stir well, and bring to a rolling boil until the temperature reaches 250-266 degrees F.
Once the temperature starts to rise, keep an eye on the mixture - as the syrup gets thicker, the color will go darker and the bubbles smaller. Do not leave the pan unattended, as i t can burn in a matter of seconds.
To test the mixture and determine if it's ready, grab a cup of COLD water, and drop a bit of the mixture in the water - the mixture should not be too hard but not too runny either.
Once you believe the mixture is just right (250-266 degrees F should be perfect), turn off the stove and pour the mixture into the greased glass dish.
Allow the mixture to cool for 30 minutes if not longer (we let ours cool a few hours!)
Pull the parchment out of the dish and lay the chews evenly on the counter. Use a sharp knife to cut small pieces and wrap in parchment paper, twist the ends and store in a glass jar.