Description
Strawberry Tanghulu is a traditional Chinese treat featuring fresh strawberries skewered and coated in a glossy, crunchy sugar syrup. This sweet and tangy snack is perfect for a fun dessert or festive party favor, combining the natural juiciness of strawberries with the satisfying crunch of hardened caramelized sugar.
Ingredients
Scale
Strawberries
- 1 pound fresh strawberries (about 12-15)
Syrup
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup filtered water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Other
- 6 wooden skewers
Instructions
- Prepare Strawberries: Wash the strawberries thoroughly under cold water and pat them completely dry with a clean towel to ensure the syrup adheres well.
- Skewer Strawberries: Insert wooden skewers through the tops of the strawberries, fitting three to four berries evenly on each skewer to create a neat arrangement.
- Make Sugar Syrup: In a medium saucepan, combine the granulated sugar and filtered water over medium heat. Stir constantly until the sugar fully dissolves, then allow the syrup to simmer gently until it reaches the soft ball stage, approximately 240°F (115°C) on a candy thermometer.
- Add Lemon Juice: Remove the saucepan from heat and quickly stir in the tablespoon of lemon juice. This step helps prevent the sugar from crystallizing as it cools.
- Coat Strawberries: Dip each skewer of strawberries carefully into the hot syrup, ensuring they’re evenly coated. Allow any excess syrup to drip back into the pan before placing the skewers on parchment paper for setting.
- Cool and Set: Let the coated strawberry skewers cool completely at room temperature. As the syrup hardens, it forms a shiny, crisp candy shell that complements the fresh fruit inside.
Notes
- Make sure strawberries are completely dry before dipping to help the syrup stick properly.
- If you don’t have a candy thermometer, test the syrup by dropping some into cold water; it should form a soft, pliable ball.
- Lemon juice is essential to prevent crystallization of the sugar syrup.
- Serve immediately after the syrup hardens to enjoy the full crunchy texture.
- Store any leftovers at room temperature, but best consumed within a day to maintain freshness.
