Tanghulu: Candied Fruit Skewers Recipe
Tanghulu is a traditional Chinese snack featuring fresh green grapes and strawberries coated in a shiny, crunchy hardened sugar syrup. This recipe guides you through threading fresh fruit onto skewers and dipping them in a perfectly boiled sugar syrup to achieve the signature hard candy shell, creating a delightful blend of tart fruit and sweet crispness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 to 10 skewers 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients
Scale
Fruit
- 1 cup green grapes, rinsed and thoroughly dried
- 10 to 12 small strawberries (approximately 1 ½ inch), rinsed, hulled, and dried
Sugar Syrup
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons light clear corn syrup
Instructions
- Prepare baking sheet: Line a medium-sized baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside to catch the candy-coated fruit as they cool.
- Prepare grapes: Rinse green grapes under cool running water, then pat very dry using a paper towel to ensure no moisture remains; place them onto a plate.
- Prepare strawberries: Rinse strawberries under cool running water, pat dry thoroughly, then hull each by removing the stem and leaves carefully without making a large hole; place onto a plate.
- Skewer the fruit: Using the sharp end of a 7-to-8-inch wooden skewer, thread 2 to 3 pieces of fruit per skewer, either keeping grapes and strawberries separate or mixed as desired. Arrange the skewers on a plate and set aside while you prepare the syrup.
- Combine sugar ingredients: In a 3-quart heavy-duty saucepan, add granulated sugar, water, and light clear corn syrup—do not stir to avoid crystallization.
- Attach candy thermometer and heat: Fix a candy thermometer to the saucepan’s side. Heat the mixture on medium-low without stirring, allowing it to reach a boil.
- Cook to hard crack stage: Let the syrup cook until it turns a light golden brown (amber) color and the thermometer reads 300°F (hard crack stage). This usually takes 20 to 30 minutes. Turn off the heat promptly to prevent burning.
- Dip fruit skewers: Quickly dip each fruit skewer into the hot syrup, letting excess syrup drip back into the pan, then place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Repeat coating: Continue dipping all fruit skewers in the syrup, working fast before the syrup hardens.
- Cool and serve: Allow the candy-coated fruit skewers to cool completely on the baking sheet until the hard candy shell sets before serving.
Notes
- Make sure the fruit is completely dry before dipping; moisture can prevent the sugar coating from hardening properly.
- Do not stir the sugar mixture while heating to avoid crystallization.
- Use a candy thermometer for accurate temperature; reaching 300°F is crucial for the hard crack stage.
- Work quickly when dipping the fruit as the syrup hardens fast upon cooling.
- If the syrup burns, discard and start over to avoid bitterness and grainy texture.
- Wooden skewers work best to hold the fruit and withstand the hot syrup.
Keywords: Tanghulu, Chinese candied fruit, fruit skewers, hard candy coating, traditional Chinese snack, strawberry recipe, grape recipe, candy syrup coating
