What does soaking cranberries in Sprite do?

Soaking cranberries in a sweet, carbonated drink like Sprite softens and flavors them at the same time. The sugar in the soda moves into the berries, taking the edge off their sharp tartness, while the carbonation can help them feel a bit lighter and more plump. After soaking, you can roll them in sugar so they taste sweeter and less mouth-puckering. However, using a simple syrup gives you more control over flavor and sweetness than soda. Bottom line: Soaking cranberries in Sprite makes them sweeter and milder, but a homemade syrup offers better control and fewer additives.

Why aren’t my candied cranberries crunchy?

Candied cranberries lose their crunch when they stay too wet or humid. If you move them from syrup to sugar before they dry to a tacky stage, the sugar dissolves instead of forming a crisp shell. Storing them uncovered in a humid room or in a very steamy fridge can also soften the coating. Make sure you let the syrup-drained berries dry on a rack until they are sticky, then roll in sugar and allow them to dry completely before storing. Bottom line: For crunch, let cranberries get tacky first, coat in sugar, and dry fully before you cover or chill them.

How to get sugar to stick to cranberries fast?

Sugar sticks best to cranberries when they are just tacky, not dripping wet and not completely dry. After soaking in syrup, spread the cranberries on a rack and wait until they look shiny but no longer leave puddles of liquid—this usually takes 20–30 minutes. Then roll them in a shallow bowl of superfine sugar, which clings more easily than regular crystals. Coating in small batches and gently shaking the bowl helps the sugar grab onto each berry quickly. Bottom line: Drain well, wait for a tacky surface, and use superfine sugar to get fast, even coverage.

What is the point of soaking cranberries?

Soaking cranberries serves two main purposes: it sweetens them from the inside out and helps keep their skins from bursting. Fresh cranberries are very tart; soaking them in a warm, flavored syrup takes off some of the sharpness and infuses them with subtle flavor. At the same time, the soak helps them plump up while staying whole, which is exactly what you want for popping, candied cranberries that snap when you bite them. Bottom line: Soaking makes cranberries sweeter, more flavorful, and plump enough to candy without bursting.

Can I make popping cranberries ahead of time?

Yes, popping cranberries are perfect for making ahead. You can soak, coat, and dry them the day before you want to serve and store them in the fridge. Before setting them out, let them sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes so the sugar coating feels crisp, not cold and sticky. If they lose a bit of crunch, you can always refresh them with a quick roll in a little more sugar. Bottom line: You can absolutely make them ahead; just store them well and let them come to room temp before serving.

Popping Cranberries Recipe | Ultimate Sparkling Treat

Name: Popping Cranberries Recipe (Sparkly Sweet-Tart Snack)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 12 oz (about 3 cups) fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over; 1 cup granulated sugar; 1 cup water; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; Zest of 1/2 orange (optional); 1 to 1 1/2 cups superfine sugar (caster sugar) or granulated sugar, for coating; 2–3 tablespoons coarse decorating sugar, for extra sparkle (optional); 1–2 cinnamon sticks (optional, for spiced syrup); 3–4 thin slices fresh ginger (optional, for ginger syrup)

Ingredients

Scale

12 oz (about 3 cups) fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Zest of 1/2 orange (optional)

1 to 1 1/2 cups superfine sugar (caster sugar) or granulated sugar, for coating

2–3 tablespoons coarse decorating sugar, for extra sparkle (optional)

1–2 cinnamon sticks (optional, for spiced syrup)

3–4 thin slices fresh ginger (optional, for ginger syrup)

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Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup water and warm over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the liquid looks clear.

2. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract and orange zest, plus cinnamon sticks or ginger slices if using, then let the syrup cool for 5–10 minutes until just warm.

3. Add the fresh cranberries to the warm syrup, making sure they are mostly submerged, and let them soak at room temperature for 45–60 minutes, or up to a few hours.

4. Set a wire rack over a parchment-lined baking sheet, then use a slotted spoon to transfer the cranberries from the syrup to the rack in a single layer, letting excess syrup drip off.

5. Let the cranberries sit on the rack for about 30 minutes, or until they feel tacky to the touch rather than wet.

6. Pour 1 cup superfine sugar into a shallow bowl, adding coarse sugar if you like, and roll a handful of tacky cranberries in the sugar until they are fully coated.

7. Transfer the coated cranberries to a clean sheet of parchment in a single layer and repeat with the remaining berries, adding more sugar to the bowl as needed.

8. Let the sugared cranberries dry at room temperature for 45–60 minutes, or until the sugar coating feels dry and crisp.

9. Serve the popping cranberries in a bowl or as a garnish, or transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate until needed.

Notes

Make sure the syrup is warm but not hot when you add the cranberries so they soften and sweeten without bursting.

Let the syrup-soaked cranberries dry until tacky before coating in sugar; if they are too wet, the sugar will clump and not form a crisp shell.

Use superfine sugar for the coating if you can find it, because the smaller crystals cling more easily and dry into a delicate crunch.

Store the finished popping cranberries in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days and let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.

If the coating softens, you can lightly re-roll the cranberries in fresh sugar after they warm up to refresh the sparkle and crunch.

Author: Adam Moretti
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Category: Snack
Method: No Bake
Cuisine: American