How to Make Candied Strawberries (2024)

FAQs

What is the process of putting sugar on strawberries? ›

Sugar maceration is well-suited for strawberries because its hygroscopic properties draw out the water in the berries, creating a syrupy juice. As the berries macerate, they gently collapse, forming a jammy consistency that is ideal for spooning over ice cream, yogurt, or cake.

If you candied strawberries are not hardening, there could be a number of reasons. You didn't cook your syrup to the correct temperature. You must hit 305F. The candy shell is too thick and taking longer to harden.

Add a little sugar and salt! Wash your strawberries, cut them, and hit them with a pinch of salt and a couple good three-finger pinches of granulated sugar, give them a little tossy-toss, and watch them magically start to darken and get extra juicy.

Roast your strawberries to bring out their sweetness.

The heat from your oven will cause the natural sugars within the strawberry to concentrate, making them sweeter to your tongue.

It's best to use at least 2 tablespoons sugar per cup of berries and increase the amount based on the tartness of the berries.

To make sugar syrup, put equal parts water and sugar in a pot. Heat the mixture to 160 degrees Celsius, or 320 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure every piece of blanched fruit is evenly covered, and dip it into the boiling sugar syrup. Numerous fruit varieties can be candied simultaneously.

Macerating fruit simply means to soften or steep it. It might sound fancy, but the process is really quite simple: Macerating typically involves adding sugar and often a liquid (like fruit juice or liquor) to fruit, and letting it all marinate until the fruit is soft or more tender.

In hard candy making, it is important to cook all the water out of the sugar/corn syrup/water mixture. If the sugar mixture is not cooked to the proper temperature (the hard-crack stage 300-310° F {149-154° C.} or if you are working in a kitchen with high humidity, chances are your candy is retaining too much moisture.

Be aware that the sugar may crystallize and the fruit become very hard. To counteract the crystallization and soften the fruit, the fruit can be soaked overnight in a cooked sugar syrup.

So what do you do if your strawberries have been in the fridge too long and start to look a bit soft and sad? Pop them in some ice water and they'll quickly firm up and regain their vibrant colour.

How long to leave sugar on strawberries? ›

Sprinkle sugar over your sliced berries and stir to coat. Cover with plastic and let the berries sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Balsamic Vinegar:

Basically, the vinegar (especially when nuanced with a little black pepper), steps into the background, making the strawberries even sweeter. Strawberries and balsamic vinegar also mix well in toasted bread, flatbread, scones and more.

The quickest, easiest path to sweeter strawberries is tossing them with a spoonful of sugar (or sugar substitute, if you prefer). Just a little bit of sugar is all you need. Spoon it over chopped or sliced berries, stir together, then let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes before digging in.

Macerating—soaking or steeping in liquid and/or sweetener—is one of the easiest and fastest ways to doctor up sub-par berries. Toss them in sugar, honey, or maple syrup, along with a little fresh juice or alcohol (an herbal liqueur, like elderflower spirit, would be great).

Strawberries perform best in well-drained, fertile, and slightly acidic soils. In fact, these plants tend to yield more and are sweeter when grown in compost-enriched, sandy soil. Planting strawberries in raised beds is also a good idea, as this (along with adequate soil) ensures for better drainage.

Our appreciation of flavour comes from both taste and smell—sweetness often arises from the amount of dissolved glucose or fructose in the fruit, and a unique aroma comes from volatile compounds known as esters and terpenes.

A mixture of vinegar and water can destroy harmful bacteria and kill off mold spores on the strawberries. Vinegar gives berries a thorough cleaning and can get rid of any dirt or little bugs that may be on them. Soaking your berries in vinegar won't affect how they taste.