Ingredients
Scale
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries (about 3 cups)
- 2 cups granulated sugar, divided
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Rinse the cranberries in a colander and pick through them, removing any that are soft or have stems still attached. Pat them completely dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel.
- Combine 1 cup of sugar with 1 cup of water in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves completely. This takes about 3-4 minutes.
- Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan, making sure the tip doesn’t touch the bottom. Continue heating without stirring until the syrup reaches 230°F. This takes another 5-6 minutes.
- Remove from heat and immediately add all the cranberries to the hot syrup. Stir gently with a silicone spatula to coat every berry. Let them sit in the syrup for 2-3 minutes.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cranberries to a wire cooling rack set over a baking sheet. The excess syrup will drip through the rack onto the sheet below. Space the berries so they’re not touching each other.
- Let the cranberries sit at room temperature for at least 8 hours or overnight. They’ll develop a slightly tacky coating as the syrup dries. I usually make them before bed and finish them the next morning.
- Put the remaining 1 cup of sugar in a shallow bowl. Working with about 10-12 cranberries at a time, roll them in the sugar until completely coated. The tacky syrup coating helps the sugar stick.
- Transfer the sugar-coated cranberries to a clean wire rack or parchment-lined baking sheet and let them sit for 30 minutes to set. The sugar coating will firm up and look frosted.
Notes
- Must use candy thermometer for consistent results
- Fresh cranberries work better than frozen
- Store in single layer at room temperature up to 4 days
- Don’t refrigerate, moisture makes sugar coating dissolve
- Don’t stir syrup while heating to temperature
- In humid weather, may need dehumidifier running to dry properly
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Garnish
- Method: Simmering & Coating
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ cup
- Calories: 110 kcal
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 2 mg
- Fat: 0.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 0.4 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg