Tanghulu grapes are candied with sugar and water, the craze on TikTok is here. How to make hard candy shell on fruit for dessert kabobs everyone will love during the holidays. Served as a sweet treat or for Chinese New Year it’s a family favorite we love.
What does Tanghulu Mean?
Tanghulu is a traditional Chinese treat consisting of skewered fruits coated in a hard candy shell. While traditionally made with hawthorn berries, you can also use other fruits like grapes though.
Tanghulu in Microwave
You can do this instead of using your stove if you like. Stir together your sugar with water in a glass mason jar or bowl. Heat on high 100% power for 3 minutes, then test to ensure it reached 300 degrees F. It needs to be this hot in order for the crystals in the sugar to dissolve. Immediately dip skewered fruit in and set on wax paper or silicone mat for 3 minutes or until cooled and hardened.
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How to Make Candied Grapes with Sugar and Water
- Prepare the Fruit by rinsing and thoroughly drying each piece. Any moisture on the fruit can prevent the sugar syrup from sticking properly.
- Skewer the fruit onto wooden skewers or long toothpicks.
- Prepare Your Work Surface with a sheet of parchment paper or a silicone baking mat on a flat surface to place the finished tanghulu as it will be sticky.
- Make the Sugar Syrup
- In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the granulated sugar and water.
- Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Once the sugar is dissolved, stop stirring.
- Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan and let the sugar mixture boil until it reaches the hard crack stage which is 300°F. This will take about 10-15 minutes. The syrup should be clear and bubbly.
- Coat the Fruit once the sugar syrup has reached the desired temperature. Remove it from the heat and work quickly dipping each fruit skewer into the hot sugar syrup. Make sure each skewer is fully coated. Allow any excess syrup to drip off.
- Submerge in Ice Water immediately so the coating can cool and harden quickly.
- Cool and Serve Immediately as the candy coating can start to become sticky if left for too long.
You will want to have the bowl full of ice and water ready before you start to dunk into the warm sugar mixture. It all needs to be done quickly, submerge, allow excess to drip off and then dunk into the ice water to cool immediately. You can make Tanghulu Strawberries this way too.
How long do you leave tanghulu in ice water?
Just one minute is all you need. This step is necessary to quickly cool the very hot sugar water on the outside of your strawberries or grapes. It needs to be very cold with ice and water in the bowl for a quick plunge so the outsides harden like a candy apple.
Recipe Measurements
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
For tanghulu it needs to reach 300 degrees F for hot water to dissolve the sugar and reach the hard crack stage. This temperature range is often used in cooking and baking recipes that require sugar to dissolve completely, the fastest way.
Absolutely you can. This method of dunking fruits into boiling sugar water and then set inside a bowl of ice water to harden quickly is an easy, “fancy”, and cheap way to make a holiday dessert, party treat or dish for a bbq with friends.
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Tanghulu Grapes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 bunch grapes rinsed and dried well
- 1 c sugar
- 1/2 c water and more to cool when done
Instructions
- Prepare the Fruit by rinsing and thoroughly drying each piece. Skewer the fruit onto wooden skewers. Fill a large bowl with ice cubes and water, set aside.
- Make the Sugar Syrup In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the granulated sugar and water over medium high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves and reaches 300 degrees F. using a candy thermometer. This will take about 10-15 minutes.
- The syrup should be clear and bubbly. Remove it from the heat and work quickly dipping each fruit skewer into the hot sugar syrup. Make sure each skewer is fully coated. Allow any excess syrup to drip off.
- Submerge in Ice Water immediately for 1 minute each so the coating can cools and harden quickly. Then serve immediately as the outside will begin to get sticky and soften in just a few minutes.
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