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how to make tang hulu

Tanghulu, Candied Fruit Skewers Recipe

Sarah Gim
Tanghulu, sometimes called “bing tanghulu,” is a candied fruit snack originally made by skewering red hawthorn berries, dipping in sugar syrup, and letting the shell harden. Tanghulu is now made with all kinds of fruits like strawberries, mandarin oranges, grapes, and even cherry tomatoes. Though it’s having a moment around the world right now, tanghulu goes back hundreds of years to northern China.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine Asian, Chinese
Servings 12
Calories 153 kcal

Equipment

  • Stainless Steel Pot
  • Candy Thermometer optional
  • Skewers

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 lbs Strawberries and other fruit

Instructions
 

Prep Fruits

  • Line a large plate or tray with parchment paper.
  • Peel or wash, then dry fruit with clean kitchen towels or paper towels until the fruit are BONE DRY. Any water will prevent the sugar coating from adhering to the fruit.
  • Place 2-3 pieces of fruit—they can be the same kind of fruit on one skewer or a combination—on each skewer, not more than the height of the sides of your pot.
  • Fill a very large, tall glass or a bowl with half ice, half cold water.

Make Sugar Syrup

  • Pour sugar and water into a stainless steel pot and give it ONE gentle stir to distribute the sugar. Do not stir again after this. Turn heat to medium-high and bring sugar and water to boil. DO NOT STIR.
  • At 10 minutes, start checking the sugar syrup. If you are using a candy thermometer, bring mixture to 300°F/149°C, “Hard Crack” stage. If you are going by intuition, dip the end of a skewer into the sugar syrup, then into the ice water bath. If the sugar is soft or sticky, keep letting the syrup heat up to temperature. If the sugar on the skewer is hard, it’s ready for dipping!
  • When the sugar syrup is ready, turn off the heat.

Dip Fruit

  • Gently tilt the pan to move all the sugar syrup to one side. Dip one fruit skewer in the sugar syrup, spin to coat all sides of the fruit. Do not use a spoon to ladle the sugar syrup over the fruit as this will create air bubbles in the syrup and make it cloudy.
  • Allow excess syrup to drip off—you can tap or spin the skewer against the edge of the pan.
  • Dunk the syrup coated skewer into the ice water bath, then set on parchment-lined plate or tray.
  • Repeat with all the fruit skewers, making sure the skewers do not touch one another.
  • Cool tanghulu for 10 minutes before eating to make sure the sugar is hardened and cool.

Notes

After some time, the sugar syrup might start turning dark. This is normal. Just discard and make a new batch of clear sugar syrup.
Sugar syrup in your pan and on any utensils will harden. To clean the hardened sugar, simply add some water to the pot and bring to a boil to dissolve the hardened sugar. Do not try to hack or chisel hardened sugar out of your pot, as you might damage the pot!

Nutrition

Serving: 1portionCalories: 153kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 1gFat: 0.3gSaturated Fat: 0.01gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.03gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 116mgFiber: 2gSugar: 37gVitamin A: 9IUVitamin C: 44mgCalcium: 12mgIron: 0.3mg
Keyword Candied Fruit Skewers, Tang Hulu
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