Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups fresh cranberries (discard any soft or bruised ones)
- 2 cups granulated sugar, divided
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon alcohol-free vanilla extract
Instructions
- Rinse the cranberries thoroughly in cold water and pick out any stems or damaged berries. Set them aside in a large bowl.
- In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup of the granulated sugar and 1 cup of water.
- Place the pan over medium heat and stir until the sugar completely dissolves. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then remove it from the heat.
- Stir in the alcohol-free vanilla extract. Let the syrup cool for about 10 to 15 minutes. It should be warm but not boiling, or the cranberries will pop.
- Pour the warm syrup over the cranberries in the bowl. Stir gently to make sure every berry is coated.
- Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator. Let the berries soak for at least 8 hours, or ideally overnight. This allows the sweetness to penetrate the tart skin.
- After soaking, some cranberries will be more tart than others. Drain the cranberries using a colander. Do not rinse them! You want them to stay sticky.
- Place the remaining 1 cup of granulated sugar in a shallow dish or a large freezer bag.
- Add the cranberries in small batches to the sugar. Toss them gently until they are fully coated in the white crystals.
- Spread the sugared cranberries out in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet or a wire cooling rack.
- Let them dry at room temperature for at least 1 hour until the sugar coating feels firm and crunchy.
- Cook Time: 9 hours 15 minutes