Sugared Cranberries Recipe: How to Use Sugared Cranberries
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Dec 24, 2022 • 2 min read
Sugared cranberries, which require only three ingredients, can be a festive addition to many side dishes and desserts, particularly during the holidays.
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What Are Sugared Cranberries?
Sugared cranberries are fresh or frozen cranberries coated first in a simple syrup and then in granulated sugar. Cranberries can be tart, while sugar is sweet, resulting in a complementary flavor combination. After you coat them in white sugar, the cranberries take on a sparkling quality, making them extra popular for holiday desserts and side dishes that are traditional at Christmastime.
How to Use Sugared Cranberries
Sugared cranberries have a sweet-tart taste, making them usable in dessert recipes and many other dishes. Here are a few ways you can use cranberries with a sugar coating:
- As a garnish: Sugared or candied cranberries make an attractive garnish for desserts like cheesecake, cupcakes, ice cream, or apple pie during the holiday season. Serve the cranberries on top of other popular holiday side dishes, like cranberry sauce or even a sweet potato casserole. Sugared cranberries work better as a garnish than as a mix-in because the sugar coating wouldn’t hold up if you incorporate it into a cheesecake batter or pie filling.
- In cocktails: Sugared cranberries pair well with many floral liquors, such as gin, and neutral alcohols, like vodka. Other seasonal flavors—like rosemary, orange zest, and clove—also pair well with sugared cranberries, making the sweet cranberries a viable addition to many cocktails. The sugar dissolves in the drink, adding sweetness, and the cranberry left at the end is a nice snack, like the olives in a martini.
- On a charcuterie board: Meat and cheese boards are classic appetizers, and usually something sweet—like jam, grapes, or honey—accompanies the savory meats and cheeses. Use sugared cranberries for a unique flavor and texture when making your next charcuterie board.
Sugared Cranberries Recipe
makes
2 cupstotal time
2 hr 15 mincook time
2 hr 15 minIngredients
- 1
In a medium saucepan, heat the water and 1 cup of the sugar over high heat and bring the liquid to a boil, stirring often. Boil the water until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes.
- 2
Turn off the heat and add the cranberries. Use something like a small, heat-proof plate to weigh the cranberries down so they’re submerged in the sugar syrup.
- 3
Place the soaking cranberries in the refrigerator and chill them for a minimum of 1 hour (but up to 8 hours is fine).
- 4
After the chilling time, place the remaining sugar on a baking sheet. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Roll each cranberry in the sugar until completely coated.
- 5
Place the coated cranberries on a wire rack and let them dry out for at least 1 hour.
- 6
After the cranberries have dried, put them in an airtight container and store them at room temperature. Use the sugared cranberries within a couple of days, as sugared cranberries have a short shelf life. If the sugar starts to weep (liquify), simply roll the cranberries in sugar again to get a couple more days out of them.
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