Japanese Candied Strawberries

Name: Japanese Candied Strawberries
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 17 min
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 1/4 cup water; 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice; 12 strawberries (small-medium)

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Japanese candied strawberries feature juicy, ripe berries glazed with amazingly delicate and crisp candy coating. This gives the berries a wonderful crunchy texture and a beautiful, glossy shine. This special treat from Japan is fun to make, so tasty, and requires just a few ingredients.

A Japanese candied strawberry on a flowered plate.

My favourite time to enjoy these candy covered strawberries is late in summer when the berries are the ripest and most flavourful. This version is made without corn syrup. A precise food thermometer is required, so grab one and let's get started.

Try this amazing Korean strawberry milk or these scrumptious fresh strawberry cookies for other ways to enjoy these berries!

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Ingredients
Instructions
Variations
Storage
Equipment
Tips for success
Origin of Candied Fruit in Japan
FAQ
📖 Recipe

Japanese candied strawberries cooling and hardening on a tray.

Ingredients

Granulated sugar
Water
Freshly squeezed lemon juice
Strawberries

See the recipe card below for quantities.

A note on strawberries

Japan is famous for its amazing quality of fruit. In North America we don't have the same specialty fruits available, so I recommend finding strawberries when they're at their sweetest and ripest in late summer after spending long days under the sun in the fields.

Regardless of when and where you are making this recipe, you should try to get very red and sweet berries. They should be small to medium in size and have a nice shape to them.

Instructions

Start by washing the strawberries. In order for the candy coating to adhere well, it's very important that the strawberries are completely dry and at room temperature. Pat them dry and set them out until they are no longer cool to the touch.

Pull off the leaves but leave the cores of the strawberries intact. The core will help to anchor the skewer in place.

Take bamboo skewers and pierce one into each of the berries. Technically, you could do this with a toothpick, however, working with the liquid candy syrup will be quite hot so I recommend using a skewer.

Prepped and skewered strawberries arranged on a tray.

Syrup

Add the water, sugar, and lemon juice into a small saucepan. Give it a 'single' gentle stir to make sure that there is no remaining crystallized sugar sticking to the bottom. (Do not stir the syrup while it is boiling as this can lead to a thick and grainy texture.)

Turn the heat to medium and bring it to a boil, letting it continue to boil down for about 12 minutes while you keep an eye on it with your thermometer. We need the syrup to reach between 300°-310°F (150-155°C).

Any lower and the candy coating won't harden, any higher and it will become rock hard. After 260°F (127°C) the temperature will rise quite rapidly, so keep a very close eye on it. The syrup will turn a light amber colour.

Dipping

Once the ideal temperature is achieved, remove the saucepan from the heat. Holding onto a skewer, dip each strawberry into the syrup, rotating the skewer until the berry is thoroughly coated. I tilted the pan to make it easier.

A strawberry being dipped into candy syrup.

Continue turning the skewer while lifting the strawberry out of the syrup, allowing all of the excess to drip off. You can even touch the berry to the side of the pan to help the excess run off. You want to achieve a thin and crispy candy coating as that is the most delicious.

Move quickly so that the syrup doesn't adhere thickly. If the syrup in the pan begins to thicken as you are working, return the saucepan to the heat for a few seconds to loosen it up again.

Set the berries down on something that they won't stick to, such as a baking sheet, parchment paper, or aluminum foil. Allow them to cool and harden. Then it's time to enjoy!

Variations

You can use this technique with other fruits and berries that have their 'skin' intact. For example, grapes are a delicious option.

You also have the option to add colouring or flavour extracts to your candy coating. Mix it into the syrup right before you starting dipping the berries.

Storage

You should eat these crunchy candy strawberries soon after they have hardened. If you leave them for too long, the candy coating will begin to liquify and pool because of the moisture inside of the strawberry. The strawberries will also be affected by the heat and be juicier than before.

Because we aren't adding any preservatives or hardening agents, these cannot be made ahead of time and are meant to be enjoyed soon after hardening - within an hour is best.

Equipment

To make this Japanese candied strawberries recipe, you will need bamboo skewers, an accurate food thermometer, and a saucepan. A baking sheet is also useful for setting the coated strawberries on to harden.

bamboo skewers

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food thermometer

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baking sheet

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Tips for success

Use an accurate candy or food thermometer.
Have the strawberries completely prepped before you begin making the syrup. Things will be moving quickly and you want to be prepared as soon as it comes to the working temperature.
Use skewers rather than toothpicks to protect your hands from the hot syrup while you work.
Enjoy these candied strawberries immediately after hardening. They will not keep long and cannot be made ahead more than an hour or so.

Origin of Candied Fruit in Japan

The second-oldest classical history book of Japan, the 'Nihon Shoki' (translated as 'The Chronicles of Japan') claims that candy was first made in Japan about 2,700 years ago. 'Mizuame' (water candy) originated in the Heian period (794-1185), presumably in Kyoto. It is a sweet liquid made by breaking down the starch of rice into malt sugar.

Traditionally, mizuame was served wrapped around a stick. This was popularly found at street vendors and festival stalls; sometimes molded into amazing shapes such as animals. Some vendors dipped various kinds of fruit into the sweet coating, such as apples and strawberries. In modern day Japan, not only street vendors sell candied fruits. It is common to find these sweet treats in high end department stores and shops, showcasing the wonderful fruit that is produced in the country.

Some believe that the origin of Japan's candied fruit should be credited to China. This would be due to 'tanghulu' (Chinese candied fruit), which originated in Northern China in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) possibly inspiring Japan to create their own version. Tanghulu is traditionally made of sugar coated Chinese hawthorn fruit on a bamboo skewer. However, more recently other fruits are used, as well. I haven't yet found an appropriate source to confirm this either way.

FAQ

Why aren't my candied strawberries hardening?

Be patient and wait for the syrup to come to the correct temperature. If you dip the strawberries before the syrup is hot enough it will not harden properly.

How long do candied strawberries keep?

The answer is they do not. They are meant to be enjoyed immediately after hardening. Enjoy your candied strawberries within an hour after making them. Otherwise, the crisp candy coating will begin to liquify.

Interested in other Japanese recipes? I will feature many of them here on my site, check out my Japanese recipes category or subscribe to my email list to have tasty recipes delivered straight to your inbox (no spam).

📖 Recipe