Easy Tanghulu Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is my tanghulu not hardening? ›

Why is my candied fruit not hardening? If you under-cook the syrup, there is a risk of it remaining sticky and not hard (like toffee). To ensure this doesn't happen, ensure the syrup reaches a hard crack (300F).

Fruit: Tanghulu traditionally has hawthorn berries but you can use any fruit of your choice. I am using grapes and strawberries. I think tanghulu is best with sour and tart fruits to balance out the sweetness of the candy coating. Sugar: Sugar creates the hard candy coating and adds sweetness to the fruits.

The sugar will crystallize if you stir it while you cook it. Make sure you don't stir the sugar after it comes to a simmer. If it does crystallize, add another half cup of water and start the process again. If making chocolate tanghulu, once the cocoa powder is added, it will begin to crystallize.

For the best result, cover the pan with a lid and DO NOT STIR the sugar — stirring the sugar will make it crystallize and harden. If you sugar hardens, you can either retire that batch and start all over or add more water and remelt the hardened sugar until it reaches the right temperature to make chocolate tanghulu.

The sugar will be chewy if it hasn't been heated to a high enough temperature. The temperature we want to reach is hard crack. However, if you don't quite reach that you will get a candy shell at soft crack. At this stage, it will set, but with a stick in your teeth, chewy consistency.

It's traditionally made with Hawthorne berries, but you can pretty much use any fruit you want. Start by skewering them, then add a 2 to 1 ratio of sugar and water to small pot. Don't stir because it'll make it cloudy and chunky. Just let it sit and simmer until it's a thick syrup.

Tanghulu is rich in Vitamin C, pectin and chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, maslinic acid, oleanolic acid, quercetin, ursolic acid, chrysin, epicatechin and other organic acids and nutritional elements. The Chinese Hawthorn may have medicinal effects, such as reducing the effects of constipation and dysentery and ...

You'll often see traveling street traders with their long bamboo skewers of shiny candied fruit tucked into tall ornamental gourds, making them something of a display item. 'Tanghulu' actually means 'bottle gourd' in Chinese, which is a type of fruit commonly eaten during the winter months in China.

Satisfyingly crunchy, but not safe for braces.

Can you use brown sugar instead of white sugar in tanghulu? ›

If you don't have white sugar, you can also use light or dark brown sugar. Water: As mentioned, you'll need water to create the sugar coating. The water and sugar are cooked on high heat until the sugar melts and becomes sticky.

Refrigerator: If you want to store your Tanghulu for a longer time, you can keep it in the refrigerator. Place the Tanghulu in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Tanghulu (also known as bingtang hulu) is a candied fruit snack originating from China. Traditionally, it uses red hawthorn berries dipped in a sugar syrup and served on a bamboo skewer, and they're often given to children on Chinese New Year as a symbol of happiness.

Add a little acid (such as a touch of lemon juice) or corn syrup to the sugar-water mixture before cooking; they help interfere with crystallization.

The shine and clarity of the sugar coating makes familiar fruits like strawberries look like jewels. Centering fresh produce also means tanghulu is literally and figuratively a transparent dessert, as opposed to most manufactured snacks. Most of all, eating tanghulu is a visceral experience.

If your candied coating isn't hardening, the candying mixture did not reach a high enough temperature.

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.

The most likely reason your tanghulu is sticky is that the sugar didn't get hot enough. Ensure your sugar is at least 250 degrees F before testing to see if it's ready. The second issue could be that you got too much moisture in the sugar by not drying off your fruit before dipping it.

Test the sugar mixture by drizzling a small amount into the bowl of cold water. If it immediately hardens, it's ready to dip fruit in. Why is my tanghulu sticky? The fruit was either not patted dry, or the sugar mixture wasn't hot enough.