Add water and 1/2 cup of the sugar (save the remaining 1 cup of sugar) to a stovetop saucepan.
Heat to dissolve the sugar completely. Remove from the heat and let it cool for 5-10 minutes.
Add the cranberries, stir gently, and let them sit for 10 minutes.
Remove the cranberries with a slotted spoon and carefully add them to a large bowl with the remaining cup of sugar. Gently mix the berries until they are all covered with sugar.
Line a large cookie sheet with paper towels and place a cooling rack on the cookie sheet.
Spoon out the berries on the cooling rack and let them sit at room temperature for 2-4 hours to dry.
Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can use the leftover cranberry sugar water (simple syrup) and sugar and also make sugar rosemary.