Sugar frosted cranberries, or sugar coated cranberries, are the perfect festive garnish or treat for the holiday season.
With only three ingredients – sugar, water and cranberries – candied cranberries are very easy to make. They make beautiful additions to many holiday recipes from cakes to beverages.
The sugar coated cranberries recipe makes about 2 cups of cranberries but you can easily make more or less easily depending on your needs. Simply double or triple the ingredients. May even find that the glaze and the sugarcoating are enough for even more cranberries than 2 cups.
How to Make Sugar Frosted Cranberries
You want to use fresh cranberries for this and you should be keeping them in the refrigerator. Fresh cranberries can keep in the refrigerator for about a month but don’t leave them out on the counter or the only last a day or two. You don’t want soft mushy cranberries you want firm and hard cranberries, Which indicate freshness.
Finding a few soft cranberries in your batch as normal. Simply toss them out.
After you make sparkling sugar coated cranberries you can keep them in the refrigerator to keep them fresh. You might want to dust them again with granulated sugar before you use them if the sugar has dissolved off.
You can even put them in the freezer as frozen sugar coated cranberries can be a helpful handy addition make a dish look festive. They are great to have on hand in the freezer during the holiday season.
Sugar Frosted Cranberries
Equipment
- Parchment paper
- Sauce Pan
- Slotted Spoon
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Fresh cranberries
- 1/2 Cup Water
- 1 Cup Sugar
- Optional: Lemon, lime or orange zest
Instructions
- Rinse and dry the cranberries.
- Boil 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup of sugar until the sugar dissolves, stirring frequently. Reserve the other 1/2 cup of sugar in a mixing bowl. This will create a simple syrup to glaze the cranberries.
- Allow the simple syrup to cool, then add the cranberries.
- Once the cranberries are coated, remove them with a slotted spoon and toss them in a bowl with the other 1/2 cup of sugar. (Add optional lemon, lime or orange zest for appearance, if you'd like.) Once the cranberries are well coated in the granulated sugar, place them on a parchment paper to cool.
- You can eat the cranberries for a tangy sweet bite, or use them to garnish holiday recipes or beverages.
Sugared Cranberries with Maple Syrup
You can make sugared cranberries with maple syrup by boiling the syrup for a couple minutes and then soaking the cranberries in it. Remove the cranberries from the syrup and dust them in the granulated sugar. Let them cool for several hours.
Bourbon Sugared Cranberries
To make bourbon sugared cranberries, add bourbon to the simple syrup glaze and allow the cranberries to soak in it at the low boiling temperature. Do not get the cranberries too hot or they will burst. After you glaze them in the simple bourbon and sugar glaze, dust them with granulated sugar or powdered sugar.
Sugared Cranberries for Garnish
Sugared cranberries, or frosted cranberries, are an ideal garnish especially during the holiday season or when you need a red sparkling garnish. You can use them to top cakes or as a garnish for cocktails or for many other reasons.
A candied cranberry garnish is very easy to make and it looks festive while providing a sweet tart taste.
How Long Do Sugared Cranberries Last
Sugared cranberries can last about two days in the refrigerator. Don’t keep them at room temperature until you’re ready to serve them or they won’t last long.
How to Candy Dried Cranberries
To candy dried cranberries, first you want to create a simple syrup made of one part water and one part sugar. Dissolve the sugar in the water by boiling it until it disappears. Then soak dried cranberries in the simple syrup briefly before dusting them in powdered or granulated sugar. It’s an easy cranberry candy recipe!
Keep in mind that candy dried cranberries are just one option for candying. You can also candy fresh cranberries to use as garnishes or for a small treat.
Can You Freeze Sugared Cranberries?
You can freeze sugared cranberries. In fact having frosted cranberries on hand during the holiday season can help you easily make your dishes and beverages festive with a unique garnish.
Vanilla Sugared Cranberries
For another twist on a candied cranberry recipe, try vanilla sugar cranberries. After you make the simple syrup of one part sugar and one part water, add 1 teaspoon of vanilla to the cooling liquid. Don’t add vanilla to early or it will burn off In the boiling simple syrup. You can also scrape a vanilla bean into the simple syrup.
Russian Sugar Coated Cranberries
To make Russian sugarcoated cranberries, you’ll use powdered sugar or confectioners sugar instead of granulated sugar. first rinse and dry the cranberries. Then coat them in egg whites Instead of simple sugar.
Toss them in the powdered sugar and then cook in the oven for about four minutes at 200 degrees. The Russian version of sugarcoated cranberries, which look like little cranberry snowballs, last longer because you’re not using simple syrup.