Making candy requires a special touch.
The following are a number of basic guidelines to help you be a successful
candy maker.
If you use a thermometer it must measure
up to 180 ˚C (350 ˚F). Test the thermometer before use by placing it in water
and then bring the water to boil. The temperature of the water should be 100 ˚C
or 212 ˚F at the coast.
Make the necessary adjustments for places above sea level which should be a
lower boiling point. The boiling point of water drops about 1 ˚C (2˚F) for
every 300 m above sea level.
To prevent the glass of the thermometer
to crack, first submerge into a glass of boiling water before putting it into
boiling sugar syrup. After removing from the boiling syrup, place the
thermometer back into the glass with hot water to cool down.
To get the best results, a candy
thermometer is essential. However, if you don’t have one, don’t worry, the
recipes that you will use are very simple and you can get away without using a
thermometer by doing the cold water test.
Cold water test
The cold water test can be performed to
test the temperature of the mixture. Take a teaspoon full of boiling syrup and
drop it into a bowl of very cold water. Put your hand in the water and make the
drop into a ball. The degree of stiffness of the ball will give an indication
of the temperature of the mixture.
Note of Caution:
Please be careful when working with boiling sugar. It is extremely hot and care
should be taken to avoid spilling and burning yourself.
The candy temperature chart (table 1) gives
the different stages of sugar syrup and there uses in making different types of
candy.
Table 1 - Temperature Chart (Sugar)
Stage
|
Temp
|
Description
|
Application
|
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Thread
|
110˚C – 112˚C
|
The syrup drips from spoon, forms thin
threads in water
|
Glace and candied fruits
|
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Soft ball
|
11 ˚C -115˚C
|
Syrup forms ball while in water, but
flattens when removed.
|
Fudge and Fondant
|
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Firm ball
|
118 C – 120˚C
|
Syrup forms into firm ball but loses
shape once pressed.
|
Caramels
|
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Hard ball
|
121˚C – 130˚C
|
Syrup holds its ball shape, but
remains sticky.
|
Divinity and marshmallows
|
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Soft crack
|
132 ˚C –143˚C
|
Syrup will form firm but pliable
threads
|
Nougat
|
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Hard crack
|
149 ˚C –154˚C
|
The syrup will crack if you try to
form it.
|
Brittles and lollipops
|
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Caramel
|
154˚ C –170˚C
|
The syrup will turn golden brown.
|
Pralines
|
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