first frost cranberries – crunchy, tart, sweet, yumminess

first frost cranberries are easy to make and are a crowd favorite. i personally ate about 1/2 the bowl at a holiday cooking party recently.

most people don’t think of eating raw cranberries. this recipe is deceptively addictive. be sure to make extra batches! they make a lovely hostess gift when presented in a jar; perfect for garnishing on any holiday recipe and yummy for just snacking. the mix of tart with sugary crunch is yummy!

photo: Emily Ivey

my buddy Peilin Breller makes these and you’re not going to believe how easy they are to make!

2 cups granulated sugar

2 cups of water

3 cups Turbinado sugar or Morena sugar

3 cup superfine sugar (C&H Bakers Sugar)

photo: Emily Ivey

mix granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring mixture until sugar dissolves completely. bring to a simmer; remove from heat. (DON’T boil or the cranberries may pop when added.) stir in cranberries; pour mixture into a bowl. cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

drain cranberries in a colander over a bowl, reserving liquid (this makes a great simple pink syrup for holiday cocktails). place turbinado and superfine sugar together in bowl. add the cranberries, rolling to coat with sugar. work in small batches as you’ll find the sugar, when introduced to the damp cranberries, will tend to create small clumps. it’s good to remove the clumps with a fork so that each cranberry gets a fine, thin coating of sugar.

photo: Dane Sanders

spread sugared cranberries in a single layer on a baking sheet; let stand at room temperature 1 hour or until dry. will keep in an airtight box for up to one week.

and that’s it. enjoy!