My friend, Michelle, gave me this recipe a few years ago, and we really enjoy the sweet-tart taste of sugared cranberries 🙂

 

2 ½ c. sugar
1 ¾ c. water
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp orange extract
1 – 12 oz bag fresh cranberries (about 3 cups)

 

 

Combine the sugar, water, vanilla and orange extract in a saucepan.

Heat over medium heat until sugar has dissolved, but it’s not boiling.

 

 

Add cranberries into hot syrup and stir. The hot syrup will loosen the skins of the cranberries.

 

 

After berries have cooled a bit, cover them with a plate to keep them mostly submerged in the syrup.

Cover the pan and place in the fridge overnight.

 

 

Strain the cranberries.

 

 

 

The leftover syrup is good over ice cream or can be used in a punch type drink.

 

 

Put 1 1/4 c. sugar in a rimmed dish. Coat cranberries with sugar.

You can use plain sugar, which makes for a very sweet cranberry. We prefer powdered sugar since it’s not as sweet.

 

 

Place sugared cranberries on a baking sheet to dry, about an hour.

Once the sugar coating is hard, place them in an airtight container and keep in a cool spot.

I have no idea how long they keep because they never last more than a couple of days around here 🙂