Chart of temperatures for candy making and tests to check the temperature without a candy thermometer. This part happens quickly, in 35 minutes, and the mixture. Drop a little of the molten syrup in cold water and it will form hard, brittle threads. This stage makes a syrup, not a candy fudge, fondant, creams, penuche, maple, etc. Uncover the saucepan and clamp a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan.
If youre making candy at home, you can determine the temperature of your syrup with a candy thermometer or a glass of cold water. The shape that the candy forms when it hits the water will show you what stage the candy is at in the cooking process. Nougat, marshmallows, gummies, divinity, and rock candy are cooked to the hardball stage. C 2 degrees f from the temperatures given in your candy recipe. Drop a small amount of the mixture into a glass of cold water, and then examine it closely to determine if its at thread stage, soft ball stage, hard ball stage, etc. When dropped into the cold water, the candy separates into hard, but pliable and elastic, threads. If the reading is higher or lower, calculate the difference when testing the temperature during candy making. A given temperature corresponds to a particular sugar concentration.
Softcrack stage 270 f290 f 2 c143 c sugar concentration. Hard crack 295310 degrees f 146155 degrees c syrup will form threads that are stiff brittle and break easily. For every 300 metres 1,000 feet that you are above sea level, subtract 1 degree c 2 degrees f from the temperatures given in your candy recipe. Image by vegan feast catering via flickr sugar stages. No thermometer needed easy toffee the domestic rebel. If you have one, used it, and still wound up with liquid candy, test it or buy a new one. As its temperature rises, sugar goes through several stages, from thread to hard crack. However, this recipe is completely made with trust, love, and good old. For those of you struggling with soft or semiliquid candy, you almost certainly didnt let it heat up to the hard crack stage. Thats the firmball stage, which is what you want for caramels and other softbutchewy candies.
Peanut brittle is an example of a noncrystalline candy which is cooked to the hard crack stage. When making candy, we most often just follow the temperatures in the recipe and pay little attention to the actual stage. Specifically, hard ball stage refers to cooking candy to a certain temperature, usually between 250265 degrees f 121. Controlling sugar crystallization boiling sugar, its. To start the test, fill a bowl with cold tap water and dribble some of the liquid candy into the bowl. You can make soft candies like caramels on the lower temperature scale, or hard candies like lollipops at the higher end. If your syrup has reached the hardcrack stage, it will form brittle strands in the water and crack as you bend it. Allow the mixture to boil until it reaches the hard crack stage at 300 degrees f. Basically i tried unsuccessfully to make some marshmallow, recipe called for constant stirring up to the thread stage 118c. Candy making or candymaking is the preparation and cookery of candies and sugar confections. They made this scale by using the consistency of the sugar mixture when it was dropped in the ice water.
Like at the soft crack stage, hard crack mixtures will form separate threads in water, however, these threads are brittle and break when bent. Use a spoon to fish out the drop and give it a bite. If youve made candies before, you know that you start out by boiling a sugar mixture until it reaches a certain temperature, which the recipe specifies. Another way to determine the stage of the cooked sugar is with an accurate mercury or digital candy thermometer. This adjustment allows the candy maker to control the degree of evaporation necessary to achieve the proper sugar concentration for the desired end product. Add a few drops of food coloring in the desired color and one of the following flavors. Otherwise, they come out soft and gooey, like fudge. Thats how high you need to go for brittles or hard candies. Hardcrack stage is a cooking term meaning that a sugar syrup being. Temperatures for each stage, ranging from soft ball stage to hard crack stage, must be precise or the candy will not set up properly. Jun 27, 2004 hardcrack stage is a cooking term meaning that a sugar syrup being heated has reached 149 154 c 300 310 f.
Thread softball firmball hardball soft crack hard crack light caramel dark caramel. Many different recipes require cooking candy to softcrack stage, commonly including toffees, brittles, and butterscotch. As temperature rises threads snap of spoon when dropping in the water. On a candy thermometer, and in most recipes, you will get measurements in 2 forms. If you have one, used it, and still wound up with liquid candy. It is a test of how hot a sugar syrup is, and of how much water is left in it. At the hard crack stage the syrup will have darkened in color and when dropped in the cold water, it separates into hard brittle threads. In a large heavy saucepan, melt the remaining butter. Drop a spoonful of hot syrup into cold water, then remove the candy from the water and attempt to bend it. If you were to pour the caramelized sugar onto a sheet, it would harden like, well, hard candy. For more information on testing the different sugar stages. The hardcrack stage is the highest temperature you are likely to see specified in a candy recipe. Drop a spoonful of hot syrup into cold water, then. The higher the temperature of the cooked sugar, the less water there is in the.
Nov 12, 2019 boil for about 5 minutes to reach the right temperature. Once the temperature reaches 300f, remove the pot from the heat and allow the sugar to cool until it stops boilingthe sugar has reached the hardcrack stage, which is what will give the candy its glassy look. Caramel 320360 degrees f 160182 degrees c syrup will become transparent and will change color. Aug 16, 2016 this video is about stage of sugar cooking thread stage soft ball stage medium ball stage hard ball stage hard crack stage caramel music. I have a very heavy cast aluminum pan that was a former pressure cooker that we only use for making candy. Ive made a few batches of hard crack candy, but so far every batch ive made has come out stickier than id like. Used for brittles, toffees, glazed fruit, hard candy, pulled poured and spun sugar.
Candy sugar syrup temperature chart craftybaking formerly. Oct 29, 2019 whenever making caramel, marshmallows, honeycomb or just about any other sugar candy youll often find that recipe either tells you to boil a sugar syrup to a certain temperature. Candy making at high altitude high altitude adjustment for candy. Thats the hard ball stage, and its what you want for homemade marshmallows or a really chewy toffee. Hardcrack stage 149 154 c cooking tips high altitude.
Hard ball stage is used to make certain types of candy like nougats, marshmallows, and divinity. Only seasoned candy makers memorize temperatures since most candy thermometers will display both temperature and stage. For each 1,000 feet above sea level, reduce the finish temperature by 2f. Forms a firm ball that holds its shape until pressed. With the cold water test at 275f degrees the syrup is brittle when under water but becomes soft and pliable when removed. But eventually it refused to go any higher than 103c and so sort of fell flat. The sugar will begin to crack and break apart under pressure. Boil the mixture over mediumhigh heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the temperature reaches the hard crack stage, 300 degrees f 149 degrees c.
Obviously, if you dont have a thermometer you should just forget about the number and focus on the stage. Mar, 2011 hard crack stage is 300 f to 310 f 150 c to 155 c cold water test hard crack. For example, if your thermometer reads 208f instead of 212f 4 degrees too low and your recipe calls for 236f, cook candy to 232f 4 degrees lower than 236f. Controlling sugar crystallization boiling sugar, its stages. Temperature should be kept at medium low to medium under candy. Most people use granulated sugar for hard candy, castor sugar should work just fine, the starch in powdered sugar will make your final product. It is highly recommended that you use a candy thermometer to reach this stage, since you can easily miss it by a few degrees and. Candy making includes the preparation of many various candies, such as hard candies, jelly beans, gumdrops, taffy, liquorice, cotton candy, chocolates and chocolate truffles, dragees, fudge, caramel candy and toffee. Or, theyll tell you to cook it to a certain stage, for instance, soft ball or a hard crack stage. Loranns oil is a flavoring oilflavored oils are best for candy because the flavor is not damaged by the high heat. Soft crack hard crack light caramel dark caramel bind agent for fruit pastes a spoonful of sugar drizzled over a plate forms a fine, thin thread. If you are not an expert candy maker, its a very good idea to use a candy thermometer to.
Mar 24, 2020 these include the thread, soft ball, hard ball and soft and hard crack stages. Boil the mixture over mediumhigh heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the. Turn off the heat and let the syrup cool to approximately 160 degrees f. Boil for about 5 minutes to reach the right temperature. When the ball of candy is removed from the cold water, it can be deformed by pressure, but it doesnt flatten until pressed. Hard crack stage is 300 f to 310 f 150 c to 155 c cold water test hard crack. It does take a long time and if you stir the stuff that needs to go to crack or hard crack, you. Soft crack stage 270 f290 f 2 c143 c sugar concentration.
Mar 12, 2020 on a candy thermometer, hard crack stage is defined as between 300310 degrees f 148. A given temperature corresponds to a particular sugar concentration because. Its imperative that you do not stir the liquid, as this will develop unwanted sugar crystals. Butterscotch recipes, brittle recipes and hard candy recipes should reach candy temperatures of the medium crack stage 275 to 300f degrees. The cooled syrup should become brittle, hard threads that break when bent. Caramelized sugar is at the caramel stage of candymaking, meaning it has no water in itit is 100% sugar. But it can be interesting to look at the stages sidebyside and realize what can be made with each one. When a small amount of sugar syrup is dropped into very cold water. It is highly recommended that you use a candy thermometer to reach this stage, since you can easily miss it by a few degrees and produce candy in soft crack stage, or you may caramelize or burn your sugar. Stir gently until temperature goes just over 300 degrees the hard crack stage. If the threads break without bending, youve reached the hardcrack stage at 300 f to 310 f.
Hard crack, 295310 degrees f, 146155 degrees c, syrup will form threads that. But making candy at home often requires them, and toffee is usually no exception. When syrup is dropped into cold water at the hard crack stage, it separates into hard brittle threads that when removed from the water cannot be bent without breaking. Have parchment paper ready to place coated crack grapes onto to allow them to dry set. A spoonful of sugar drizzled over a plate forms a fine, thin thread. Test to be sure the syrup has reached this stage by dropping 1 tsp. At these temperatures, there is almost no water left in the syrup. Dec 07, 2019 continue cooking until the temperature reaches 300f. Hard crack 300f 310f 150c 155c when syrup is dropped into cold water at the hard crack stage, it separates into hard brittle threads that when removed from the water cannot be bent without breaking. Drop a little of the molten syrup in cold water and it will form hard, brittle threads that break when bent.
Remove the pan from the heat while testing to avoid overcooking the candy, which makes it taste burnt and bitter. Humidity can really cause problems with candy making. You do not have to change the temperature to which you cook it to achieve the desired results. The recipe might also give a descriptive term, such as softball or hard crack stage. Dec 25, 2014 humidity can really cause problems with candy making. With a clean spoon, when the syrup dropped into ice water it separates into hard, brittle threads that break when bent. If you dont have a candy thermometer, you can use the cold water test in a pinch. Many recipes call for the candy to be cooked to soft ball, hard ball, firm ball, soft crack, hard crack, or thread stage. Handmade candy cane demonstration at logans candies duration.
The hard crack stage is the highest temperature you are likely to see specified in a candy recipe. Various types of candy begin to take form at the varying stages within this range as well. Candy making without a thermometer cold water test. In hard candy making, it is important to cook all the water out of the sugarcorn syrupwater mixture. If the sugar mixture is not cooked to the proper temperature the hardcrack stage 300310 f 149154 c. Each stage corresponds to a texture or consistencythe. On a candy thermometer, hard crack stage is defined as between 300310 degrees f 148. Although a lot can go into making a sugar candy, the basic process involved making a sugar syrup which is boiled to different temperature stages. It can have inclusions or not, and it can be made either very dense and hard or can be lightened by adding baking soda when the candy. A visual guide to measuring candy temperature the spruce eats. The hard crack stage is used for lollipops, spun sugar and hard toffees.
What to do when candy temperature stops increasing. Some candies require you to cook the sugar to an even higher temperature. Give it time in the ice water, because you will burn yourself if you try to check it too early. Each stage corresponds to a texture or consistencythe hotter the syrup, the harder the candy. How to tell the temperature without a candy thermometer. Candy temperature chart what is the difference between soft and hard crack stage. The ball will be hard, but you can still change its shape by squashing it. You will need a candy thermometer to confirm when the syrup has reached 300310. You can doublecheck whether its reached the right stage by dropping a tiny amount in a cup of very cold water. How to tell the temperature without a candy thermometer leaftv. Within this temperature range, sugar transforms from a thin clear syrup, to a light caramel sauce. Learn how to control crystallization for successful sweets. What is the difference between soft and hard crack stage.
How to measure candy temperature without a candy thermometer no need for a thermometer. The ingredients for hard crack candy are fairly simple, but you can vary the recipe by adding different colors and flavors. Cooks and chefs at the time developed a scale to determine whether the candy was hard enough. Syrup dropped into ice water separates into hard, brittle threads that break when bent.
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