Sugared Cranberries (клюква в сахаре) are a Russian treat enjoyed as far back as the 1800's. It's considered a dessert or treat, and can even be bought in stores. It's so easy to make sugared cranberries at home.
Wild cranberries grow all over Russia and Northern Europe. A popular Russian cranberry juice is called Mors, which has been enjoyed in Russia for hundreds of years. Cranberries are also commercially cultivated in Canada, the US, and even in Chile. Sugared Cranberries are a tasty treat or dessert, especially made around Christmas and New Years. Use them as a garnish for desserts, or even as a topping for a holiday cake. I just pop them into my mouth and eat them as is.
Fresh or Frozen Cranberries?
Both! You can use fresh or frozen cranberries for this recipe, just make sure you fully thaw out the frozen cranberries. There are a few different ways to make Sugared Cranberries.
I prefer use icing sugar. The cranberries will resemble fluffy pink and white snowballs. This is especially true if you take the effort to carefully roll them in the icing sugar properly, covering all the red cranberry. This adds to the festive mood of your holiday table. Using regular white sugar gives the cranberries an icy frosted look from the granulated sugar.
How to make Sugared Cranberries
For this sugar cranberry recipe, I prefer to use hot sugar syrup to coat the berries. There are some recipes that will use egg whites to coat the cranberries before rolling them in the sugar. The goal is to get the sugar to stick to the cranberry. The hot sugar syrup solidifies and adds a candied coating to the cranberries as well. You can use whatever method you prefer.
After rolling in sugar, allow the sugared cranberries to set by leaving them at least for an hour on parchment paper. This allows the sugar to solidify around the berries, then they can stack nicely on top of each other in a bowl.
If you can't find cranberries (not likely), you can use Lingonberries (even harder to find). In my mind, they are interchangeable, same but different!
I love the sweet and tangy taste of these Russian Candied Cranberries. A bit crunchy on the outside, with a slightly sour cranberry explosion on the inside. Perfectly festive for the holidays. Bon Appetit! Приятного аппетита!
Russian Sugared Cranberries
Sugared Cranberries are the perfect festive treat for the holidays. Sweet and tangy, crunchy and soft, I can't get enough of these. Candied Cranberries (клюква в сахаре)
Ingredients
- 2 cups cranberries
- 1½ cups icing sugar or white sugar sifted
- ½ cups white sugar for syrup
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
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Dissolve ½ cup sugar and water in a saucepan, heating up over medium until the sugar syrup is completely dissolved. Hot but not boiling.
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In small batches, gently place the cranberries into the sugar syrup and mix until coated. Remove the cranberries with a slotted spoon and place on parchment paper (or on a wire baking rack).
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Place the sifted icing sugar or white sugar into a bowl. Place a few cranberries at a time into the icing sugar. Don't allow the sticky cranberries to touch each other. Sprinkle with more icing sugar to cover the cranberries and roll them around in the sugar until they are completely coated. Place them on fresh parchment paper and allow them to harden up and set for at least 1 hour.
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