Hawthorn Snowballs

Place the hawthorns into a basin of water, add 1 spoon of salt, let them soak for a while to sterilize;

Clean thoroughly and remove the stems;

Dry completely; This step is crucial because any remaining moisture will prevent the sugar coating from sticking;

Add caster sugar; Refined sugar will create a yellower glaze, while caster sugar is whiter;

Add water. The sugar-to-water ratio should be 2:1;

Turn on medium heat. The height of the flame should not exceed the water level;

Keep stirring. Once the sugar completely dissolves, you will start to see dense and large bubbles forming;

Reduce to low heat and continue stirring. As the water evaporates, the bubbles will get smaller;

At this point, use a spatula to pick up some sugar syrup from the pot and observe the state of the dripping sugar to determine whether it is done; It is best to use a wooden spatula because a metal spatula cools down too quickly, making it harder to judge, and it can also damage the hawthorns;

How do you tell if the sugar is ready? If the last drop forms a fine thread as it drips, the sugar is done. Turn off the heat; If there is no thread, it means the water hasn't evaporated completely. Continue to simmer on low heat and keep testing. Beginners should test several times;

This is the state when the sugar is ready. Turn off the heat;

After turning off the heat, do not immediately add the hawthorns because the syrup will still be over 100°C and may cause the hawthorns to become squishy and pink;

How do you know the temperature is right? Wave your hand over the syrup's surface; when you feel it is slightly warm, add the hawthorns and stir quickly;

Make sure to scrape along the edge of the pot. Scraping from the center may break the hawthorn skins;

Once the hawthorns are added, keep stirring to ensure each hawthorn is coated with sugar;

At first, it will look sticky. Don’t rush and don’t stop stirring; eventually, it will turn white again. I paused too long during this step to take photos, so the sugar coating is uneven. When adding the hawthorns, remember to never stop stirring for a uniform coating;

After removing the coated hawthorns, the leftover sugar stuck to the pot can be easily cleaned by adding water and heating. You can even add some hawthorns to make a sugary drink 😊

Wishing everyone success ✌️ Good luck 💪