The secret behind strawberry love: how to make your berries look crisp, glossy, and irresistible
Sunday 7 September 2025 15:30 - Mirella Mendonça
Candied strawberries, inspired by tanghulu, are a fun twist on the classic love apple. Juicy, sweet, and coated in shiny, crackling caramel, they’re perfect for parties, gifts, or romantic treats and easier to make than they look!
Ingredients
- 12 large strawberries, washed and dried well
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons corn glucose (Karo)
- A few drops of red food coloring (optional)
Materials
- 12 wooden sticks
- baking sheet (or board)
- baking paper
- pan
How to prepare
- Stick each strawberry onto a toothpick, keeping the leaves for charm.
- Put the sugar, water and glucose in a saucepan. Mix lightly and bring to the boil over medium heat.
- Do not stir any more to prevent crystallization. Let it boil until it reaches the point of a hard candy (when you pour a little of the syrup into cold water, it hardens and breaks).
- If desired, add red food coloring to enhance the color.
- Remove the pan from the heat and quickly dip each strawberry into the hot syrup, swirling to cover completely.
- Place the strawberries on a greased baking sheet or parchment paper until the syrup hardens.
The result is this hard, shiny shell, crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside.
Important tips
- If you're making more strawberries (24 for example), simply double the recipe.
- Corn glucose helps prevent the caramel from "sugaring" once it's cold, but it can be replaced with a spoonful of white vinegar.
- Work quickly: strawberries are small and the syrup hardens much more quickly than with love apples.
- Place the strawberries on lightly greased baking paper (or butter) so they don't stick.
Mirella MendonçaI am the editorial manager at Petitchef (Portugal and Brazil) and a huge enthusiast of travel and world cuisine, always in search of new flavors and experiences. However, as much as I love exploring the delights of different cultures, my mom's cooking will always be my favorite — with that unique flavor that only she can create.
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