Candied Tomatoes

Discover the surprising sweetness of tomatoes with our tantalizing Candied Tomatoes recipe.

Blending the natural tanginess of cherry tomatoes with a luscious sugar glaze, this unique treat promises a burst of flavor in every bite!

If you’re a fan of tanghulu tomatoes, you’ll find these 3-ingredients candied tomatoes to be quite reminiscent. However, they feature a more delicate snow-like sugar coating compared to the crunchy and hard texture of tanghulu.

The crucial aspect of crafting a successful tanghulu syrup lies in preventing crystallization. Conversely, for our snowball candied tomatoes, the essential step is ensuring the syrup crystallizes on the surface of the tomatoes. Therefore, if you ever find your tanghulu syrup inadvertently crystallized, you can attempt this recipe to create snowball candied versions of tomatoes, grapes, or strawberries.

Tips for making snowball candied tomatoes

1. What other fruits can I use?

Feel free to swap out the cherry tomatoes in this recipe with an equal amount of campari tomatoes, kumquats, golden berries, or hawthorn berries.

Opt for fruits with a slightly tart or sour taste to counterbalance the sweetness of the sugar coating. Keep in mind that overly sweet fruits like grapes may not be suitable for making snowball candied fruits.

Additionally, fruits with thicker skins, such as kumquats, are more likely to stay intact during the candy-making process. If you’re trying this recipe for the first time, it’s advisable to avoid using golden berries because their delicate skins are prone to breaking during the final stirring stage.

2. Dry the tomatoes completely

Merely draining the water after rinsing the tomatoes isn’t sufficient. It’s essential to thoroughly dry them using a kitchen towel or paper. Moisture can hinder the proper adhesion of the sugar coating.

3. Medium-low Heat

Because we’re using a large frying pan for a modest quantity of sugar syrup, the syrup is thinly spread across the pan. It could burn rapidly if the heat is too high. Therefore, it’s crucial to maintain a medium-low heat throughout the entire process and continually stir the mixture to ensure even heating.

4. Stir frequently

The stirring process distinguishes making tanghulu from making snowball candied tomatoes. When preparing tanghulu, it’s crucial to refrain from stirring the mixture once it begins to boil to prevent crystallization. Conversely, for candied tomatoes, we encourage stirring the mixture frequently to promote sugar crystallization and ensure even heating.

5. Observe the texture of syrup

The most crucial and challenging step of making candied tomatoes is observing the syrup’s texture to determine when to stop heating. Since measuring the temperature of the thin syrup layer in the pan is difficult with a thermometer, we must depend on our visual observation.

Please refer to the image below. Initially, during the boiling stage, the syrup will display large grape-sized bubbles on its surface. As it continues to boil for 5 to 7 minutes over medium-low heat, the bubbles will diminish in size until only small fish-eye-sized bubbles remain. This indicates that the syrup has reached the desired temperature, signaling you to proceed to the next step.

6. Allow the syrup to cool

Allow the syrup to cool slightly before adding the tomatoes to avoid skin breakage.

Once the syrup has cooled for 5 minutes, you should notice a texture resembling frosted glass forming on its surface, indicating the beginning of crystallization.

If the surface appears very smooth, it could indicate either that the syrup hasn’t been thickened for a sufficient duration, retaining too much water, or that the cooling time is not long enough for crystallization to begin.

7. Stir the tomatoes gently

Stir the tomatoes gently but thoroughly to ensure an even coating of syrup. Continue stirring for approximately 5 minutes; as the water in the syrup evaporates, you’ll observe the sugar gradually crystallizing on the tomato surface. Listen for the crackling sounds, indicating that the syrup has fully crystallized and the candied tomatoes are ready to be served.

8. Why are my tomatoes so sticky?

If, despite stirring the tomatoes with the syrup for an extended period, the syrup fails to crystallize on the tomato surface and the tomatoes remain very sticky, it suggests that there is an excessive amount of water remaining in the syrup, hindering crystallization.

Unfortunately, there is no immediate solution to rectify this issue. However, don’t discard these tomatoes; they can still be enjoyed as a sweet snack. In the future, ensure to thicken the syrup for a longer duration to evaporate more water before adding the tomatoes.

EQUIPMENT

• Measuring cups
• Large nonstick frying pan
• Silicone spatula

INGREDIENTS  

• 1 cup sugar (Granulated sugar or cane sugar)
• ½ cup water
• 500 g cherry tomatoes (washed and dried)

INSTRUCTIONS 

1. Rinse the cherry tomatoes and ensure they are completely dry using kitchen paper or a kitchen towel. It’s crucial to thoroughly dry them at this stage, as sugar won’t adhere properly if they’re still wet

2. In a large nonstick frying pan, mix 1 cup of sugar and ½ cup of water. Heat the mixture over medium low heat until the sugar completely dissolves, stirring well.

3. Continue to simmer over medium low heat for about 5-7 minutes, ensuring to stir occasionally until the bubbles in the syrup change from grape-size to fish-eye-size. Turn off the heat, and quickly move the pan from the hot stove top to a cooler area on the stove.

4. Allow the syrup to cool for 5 minutes until you notice some crystallized sugar forming on the surface. The surface should look like a lake that is about to freeze over. If the syrup is too hot when you add in the tomatoes, their skins may break.

5. Pour the tomatoes into the cooled syrup without. Use a nonstick spatula to stir the tomatoes until they are evenly coated with the syrup. Continue stirring for approximately 5 minutes until the sugar gradually crystallizes on the surface of the tomatoes. If any tomatoes break during this process, promptly remove them from the pan and eat them.

6. Once the syrup in the pan has fully crystallized and the coating on the tomatoes is completely dry, you should hear some crackling sounds when you shake the pan. At this point, transfer the candied tomatoes to a serving plate. Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

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