The Candy-Coated Frozen Grapes Trend TikTok Can't Stop Making
Grapes are the highest value fruit crop in the U.S., with over 6.05 million tons of them produced across the country in 2021. It's easy to see why; Of all the fruits out there, grapes are one of the most versatile. As well as their obvious use in wine, juice, and dried fruits, you can eat them plain by the bunch, opt for delicious hybrid cotton candy varieties from your local store, or use them as a vessel for dipping into chocolate fondue fountains. If you don't have much of a sweet tooth, you could also try out a pickling grapes recipe to create a subtler sweet and tangy flavor that can be enjoyed alongside savory meats and on sandwiches as a substitute for regular pickles.
Now, TikTok users are "raisin" the stakes even further by finding a whole new way to enjoy their favorite fruit. Thousands of videos across the platform show people trying out the candied grape trend, which involves freezing grapes before dipping them into melted or crushed Jolly Ranchers, Lifesavers, Nerds, and other candy.
What does the trend involve?
One of the latest TikTok food trends, which seems to have been around since 2021, comes in various forms. Some people opt to make sweeter candied grapes while others going for sour flavors, like these watermelon candied grapes. This TikTok video shows one user trying out a pretty standard variety of the trend. They wash and then dry (presumably pre-frozen) grapes before adding them onto sticks, while simultaneously melting Jolly Ranchers in the microwave. Then, the user dips each grape stick into the colorful mixture to make a lollipop style candy, which can then either be refrigerated or frozen for extra crunch.
@yardenjoseph Replying to @_not.khloe_ #fypシ #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #candiedgrapes #candiedfruits #foodie #food #foodtiktok #jollyrancher
People in the comments section shared their own suggestions on how to level up the trend — most of which involved adding another crushed candy on top. "Sprinkle nerds over them right after u dip ... instant heaven," commented one user. Another person suggested, "Try rolling them in crushed jolly ranchers too," while someone else suggested coating them in Tajín. Other commenters noticed similarities between the candied grapes and tanghulu, a traditional Chinese street food made by covering hawthorn fruits in hardened sugar syrup. It's another reminder that everything you see on the internet may have already been done before, but at least a whole new generation of people are getting to experience the mouth-watering taste of candied fruit.