Description
Sugared Cranberries are a festive and tangy treat perfect for holiday decorating or snacking. Fresh cranberries are briefly boiled in a simple sugar syrup, then rolled in granulated sugar for a sparkling, sweet coating that balances their natural tartness. This quick and easy recipe yields a batch of sweet-tart cranberry jewels that add a beautiful pop of color to desserts, cocktails, or cheese boards.
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients
- 3 cups fresh cranberries (washed and patted dry)
- 2 cups white granulated sugar (divided)
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Prepare Surface: Cover a large pan or clean surface with parchment paper to place the sugared cranberries after coating.
- Make Sugar Syrup: Combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a pot and bring it to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Let it boil for about 60 seconds to ensure all sugar dissolves, which should take about 5 minutes depending on your stove.
- Cool Syrup: Remove the pot from heat and let the sugar syrup cool for approximately 2 minutes so it’s no longer overly hot but still liquid enough to coat the cranberries.
- Coat Cranberries: Toss the fresh cranberries into the cooled sugar syrup and gently stir to fully coat each berry in the mixture.
- Drain Cranberries: Using a slotted spoon, scoop out the cranberries from the syrup allowing excess liquid to drain off before placing them evenly on the parchment paper.
- Dry Time: Let the cranberries sit on the parchment paper at room temperature for 45 minutes so they can set and become tacky for sugar adherence.
- Sugar Coat Cranberries: Place the remaining 1 cup of sugar in a medium bowl. Add a quarter of the cranberries at a time to the sugar and gently toss until they are completely coated in granulated sugar. Using a clean slotted spoon, transfer the sugared cranberries to a clean bowl or container.
Notes
- Ensure the fresh cranberries are completely dry before starting to help the sugar syrup adhere better.
- Use a slotted spoon to avoid excess syrup when transferring cranberries.
- Let the cranberries dry completely on parchment for best sugar coating results.
- These sugared cranberries can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Perfect decoration for holiday cocktails, desserts, and cheese platters.
