Beijing Candied Hawthorn
A traditional Beijing snack made by candying hawthorn berries, yielding a sweet-sour treat with a bright red color, perfect with tea.
Ingredients
3 items- Fresh hawthorn berries 500g
- Rock sugar 300g
- Water 500ml
Nutrition
Steps （5 steps）
Pit the hawthorn berries, rinse under cold water, and drain. In a pot, combine water and rock sugar, heat over medium until dissolved, then reduce to low heat.
Add hawthorn to the syrup, simmer over low heat for 3-5 minutes, gently stirring, until the skin wrinkles slightly and the liquid turns red.
Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let the berries steep in the syrup for at least 4 hours (or overnight) for full sweetness.
Remove berries from syrup, drain excess syrup, arrange on a baking sheet or drying rack. Dry in an oven at 80°C for 2 hours, or air-dry for 2-3 days, until surface is dry and not sticky.
Let cool completely, then store in an airtight jar. The finished product is dry on the outside, soft inside, with a balanced sweet-sour taste. Enjoy as a snack or with tea.
Tips
The longer the steeping, the stronger the sweet flavor. Avoid high heat during drying to prevent caramelization. For a moister texture, reduce drying time.
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