Tanghulu (Chinese candied fruit) - Recipe of the Week episode 1

hawthorn berries

🥗Healthier: strawberries

💰Cheaper: grapes

Strawberries offer a similar taste and texture, while grapes are often less expensive.

sugar

🥗Healthier: honey

💰Cheaper: brown sugar

Honey provides natural sweetness, while brown sugar can be more affordable.

Add 2 cups of granulated sugar and 1 cup of water to a sauce pan without mixing them together.

Boil the mixture at medium to high heat for 15 to 20 minutes, checking for bubbles.

Wash the fruit thoroughly and pat off excess water with a paper napkin.

Peel the kiwi and slice it into thick slices, about four slices per kiwi.

Remove the tops of the strawberries and thread the fruit onto skewers, aiming for an even number of fruit on each stick, typically four.

For larger fruit like satsumas, use two skewers for support and push the skewer through the center of the fruit.

After 20 minutes, check the sugar syrup by dipping a metal spoon into the mixture and then plunging it into ice cold water.

If the syrup is still pliable, continue boiling until it becomes frothy with slower-moving bubbles and shows no browning.

Once ready, dip the skewer with fruit into the syrup quickly, ensuring all fruit makes contact, then plunge it into ice cold water to harden.

If the sauce pan is too small, remove some fruit to make it manageable and repeat the dipping process until all fruit is coated.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level: