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CANDY 101 |
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 Working
with boiled sugar syrup can be dangerous because it is extremely hot and it
burns. Sugar melts at 320 degrees, and can be heated up
to 350 degrees F !! By comparison, water boils at 212 degrees F, and
we all know how hot that is. |
 Sugar
confectionery refers to a large range of food items, commonly known as sweets.
Confections come in a variety of forms
including hard, hard or chewy candies, caramels, toffees, jellies, gummies,
fudge, nougats, marshmallows, fondants, marzipan and other nut pastes and
butters, chocolates and compounds. Sometimes different components are blended
into one item, such as the chocolate bar filled with caramel and nougat,
cream-filled licorice or the chocolate or nut piece coated with a sugar-based
candy shell.
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Always
make candy on a cool, dry
day. Because candy is made
from sugar, and it pulls in moisture from the air, rain and humidity, the
cooking time can increase substantially. It also may never set up at all --
the candy will absorb water
from the air and turn into syrup.
(Caramel syrup can be made,
however). I usually
try to check out the weather, but if I can't, then I do this little "thing"
that I have done for years: I press my chin down to my chest and then lift.
If it sticks then the humidity is high, if
not, it isn't. -Tami |
Everyone has a favorite sugar candy.
Whether it's creamy caramels or salty peanut brittle, wouldn't it be
great to make homemade candy? Or, if
you are an experienced candy maker, wouldn't it be nice to have answers to your
questions right at your fingertips? If you've said yes, then you have come to
the right place.
 Candy
mixtures should boil, not simmer, at a moderate, steady rate over their
entire surface. Cooking too fast or slow makes candy too hard or soft, that
can burn easily. |
Remember, it's always wise not to be
too ambitious when you're new to the art; don't laugh, but start with the
easiest recipe such as
Rock candy.
Here you will get used to boiling a sugar solution, measuring it's temperature,
etc. Then, try and tackle the more
difficult one such as peanut brittle.
Fudge can be difficult to make. (Chocolate
candy is made in a different way and making
truffles are also a good way
to start).
It sounds so simple,
huh? It's not. Making any type of candy is not easy and definitely take practice
because there are so many variables at play at once. But, it can be fun to do! So
let's learn some candy making basics and how to make some delectable
recipes.
Happy Baking,
Sarah
~~~~~~~~
There are
hundreds of varieties of candy, but they are all classified into three basic
types. The classification depends on the ingredients
used. Sometimes recipes call for combining two or more types of candies giving a
soft center and a hard sugar outer coating.
 |
The first type, hard
candy, consists almost entirely of sugars, with the addition of small amounts
of flavoring and color. Peppermint sticks, fruit drops, and clear
mints are common hard candies. The confection known as rock candy is almost
pure sugar. |
|
The second type,
mostly soft candies such as marshmallows, some jellies, and nougats.
It consists of sugar to which no more than 5 percent of other ingredients have
been added. Cotton candy, frequently found at carnivals and amusement parks,
is almost pure spun sugar that has been melted with only a small amount of
coloring added. Marshmallows are made by whipping air into a mixture of sugar,
corn syrup, gelatin, egg whites, and flavorings. The popular form is white and
covered with powdered sugar. It can also be purchased in a nearly liquid form
for use as ice cream topping or in cooking. Harder types are often formed into
peanut or other shapes and colored. |
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The third group
of candies contains large proportions of ingredients
other than sugars such as fudge, caramels, chocolates, sugar- or
chocolate-covered raisins or nuts, and pastes. Among the pastes,
marzipan is probably the best known. It is made from crushed almonds, sugar,
and egg whites. However, chocolate fudge is probably the candy most easily and
commonly made at home. It consists of corn syrup, sugar, chocolate, vanilla,
milk, and butter cooked together until the desired consistency is reached. It
is then cooled and allowed to harden. |
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Candy
Bars -
History:
At the 1893 Columbian Exposition, a World's Fair held in Chicago,
chocolate-making machinery made in Dresden, Germany, was displayed. It
caught the eye of Milton S. Hershey, who had made his fortune in caramels,
saw the potential for chocolate. He installed chocolate machinery in his
factory in Lancaster, and produced his first chocolate bars in 1894. Other
Americans began mixing in other ingredients to make up new candy bars
throughout the end of the 1890's and the early 1900's.
It was World War I that really brought attention to the
candy bar. The U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps commissioned various American
chocolate manufacturers to provide 20 to 40 pound blocks of chocolate to be
shipped to quartermaster bases. The blocks were chopped up into smaller
pieces and distributed to doughboys in Europe. Eventually the task of making
smaller pieces was turned back to the manufacturers. By the end of the war
when the doughboys arrived home, the American candy bar business was
assured. As a result, from that time on and through the 1920s, candy bar
manufacturers became established througout the United States, and as many as
40,000 different candy bars appeared on the scene. The Twenties became the
decade that among other things, was the high point of the candy bar
industry.
The original candy bar industry had its start on the
eastern seaboard in such cities as Philadelphia, Boston, and New York. The
industry soon spread to the Midwest, because shipping and raw materials such
as sugar, corn syrup, and milk were easily available. Chicago became the
seat of the candy bar industry and is even today an important base. |
Other candies include:
Panned candies, which are made by coating
nuts, fruits, caramel, nougat, chocolate, or jellies with sugar or chocolate.
Examples are jelly beans, candy Easter eggs, chocolate-covered raisins, and
sugar-covered almonds. The hard candy coatings are made from layers of sugar
syrup or chocolate sealed with a glaze.
Licorice (from Greek words
meaning "sweet" and "root") is made from the licorice plant, an herb native to
Southern Europe. Thickened juice of the roots is used to make the candy. To get
the juice the roots are crushed, ground, and boiled. Apart from its use in
candy, licorice is an ingredient used to mask unpleasant flavors in medicines.
Candy bars vary from simple
chocolate bars to more complex chocolate-covered nougats or other coated
centers. Many have names that have little to do with their contents. For
example, popular candy bars have been named after President Cleveland's first
daughter (Baby Ruth), baseball star Reggie Jackson, the Three Musketeers, and
New York City's Fifth Avenue.
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| The white
stuff we know as sugar is sucrose, a molecule composed of 12 atoms of
carbon, 22 atoms of hydrogen, and 11 atoms of oxygen (C12H22O11).
Like all compounds made from these three elements, sugar is a carbohydrate.
It’s found naturally in most plants, but especially in sugarcane and sugar
beets — hence their names. |
Candy making
is an exact science and
recipes include the use of
crystalline (sucrose)
and other sugars as
its main ingredient. In all cases, each type of sugar-based candy pretty much
starts out the same. Crystalline sugar ( a solute) and sometimes corn syrup are
dissolved in a liquid, usually water (a solvent) to make a sugar solution, which
is then heated and boiled into a liquid, sugar syrup.
This is done to a certain temperature,
concentration (density) and color depending on the recipe.
Flavoring, cream, chocolate, nuts or
other ingredients can be added, either before, during or after cooking, some
serving as what it called interfering
agents, such as lemon juice, butter, cream, etc. Plus, the solution may
be stirred at pre-determined times, cooled and shaped in a certain way,
resulting in different types of candy
and textures.
Sugars are made up of simple
molecules. Sucrose, for example, is made up of two simpler sugars stuck
together: glucose and fructose. Identical molecules are
stacked together in neat organized geometric
patterns repeated over and over again making a unique crystalline structure.
 |
Under a microscope, you can see
that sugar crystals aren’t cubes, exactly, but oblong and slanted at both
ends.
(Image courtesy of Nutrition and Food Management Dept., Oregon State
University) |
Sugar has special
properties which make it an ideal candidate for candy recipes.
Sugar crystals remain solid at room temperature.
When sugar crystals are dissolved in water, the first step
in candymaking, the sugar goes into solution. It is then heated and boiled
to certain temperatures. Here you
are making chemical changes or
reactions in the sugar; the heat
breaks the crystals apart into
molecules which at some point will come back together again as a sugar crystal
as the sugar syrup cools. The fact that it solidifies into crystals after
heating, is extremely important in candy making.
The picture shows
Rock
candy,
which contains large sugar crystals attached to on another. It is made in a
way similar to other candy recipes - the water and sugar are boiled first
and then cooled slowly, without stirring, causing large crystals to form on
a string or stick which provides a foreign object that they can cluster on. |
The goal in candymaking
is to control the way these
individual molecules come back together again to form a new crystalline
structure and size particular to the type of candy you want. Generally,
recipe ingredients and procedures are specifically designed to control the
reformation and size of sugar crystals. This results
in two categories of candy:
Crystalline and Non-crystalline. Here candy can range from the
soft textures of caramels and fudges, where crystallization is minimized, to
hard candies where crystallization results in a desired grainy or crystalline
structure. This does not occur as
smoothly as one hopes because of the nature of sugar crystals.
| A
Candy Thermometer
is the most accurate way of testing the temperature of the sugar solution. I
use mine all the time. |
Even without heat,
crystallized sugar will dissolve in water. Up to a certain point, that is.
The general principle with candy making is
that at a particular temperature, a given solvent (in this case, water) can
dissolve only so much of a particular solute (sugar), reaching its saturation
point where no more sugar can be dissolved. In other
words, sugar crystals added to the solution after saturation will just sink to
the bottom of the container. But heating the sugar/water solution will increase
the amount of sugar that can be dissolved. That's because heat disrupts sugar's
crystalline structure, breaking apart the sugar's molecules which allow more of
it to dissolve in the water. As you have probably already found out, sugar
dissolves more readily in hot liquids than in cold.
As the sugar solution continues to be heated, the
sugar's molecules move faster and become farther apart, enabling the solution to
dissolve more and more sugar molecules, until it boils. Here, the sugar solution
turns into a clear, syrupy substance, called a sugar syrup.
Sugar syrups have various other uses
than in candy making, such as soaking cakes, glazing baked goods, poaching or
preserving fruit, adding to frostings, etc.
-
SUGAR SYRUP:
Also called "Simple Syrup", sugar syrup is a solution of sugar(s). Sugar
syrup can be made in various densities:
Thin
(3 parts water to 1 part sugar);
Medium (2
parts water to 1 part sugar); and,
Heavy (1
part water to 1 part sugar) Depending on the thickness, sugar syrups
have various uses including soaking cakes (such as babas), glazing baked
goods, poaching or preserving fruit, adding to frostings, etc.
|
Once the solution boils, many
water molecules are released into the air, concentrating the solution as a sugar
syrup and raising its boiling point.
In general, a solid, such as sugar,
dissolved in a liquid makes it harder for the liquid molecules to escape.
Consequently, the solution has to be hotter for the liquid molecules to get away
at the same rate, and the boiling point rises.
As boiling
point increases, the concentration of solute continues to increase.
You can use the
temperature
of the boiling syrup to tell when enough water has boiled away to give the syrup
the right ratio of sugar to water for each candy recipe.
For example, the boiling point of water is
usually 212 degrees F. However, when the liquid is around 70 percent sugar, the
boiling temperature rises to 230 degrees. At 240 degrees, the solution will be
80 percent sugar, and a small portion of the solution will form a soft ball when
dropped in cold water. At about 300 degrees, the solution, now about 98 percent
sugar.
As the solution is
heated to above the boiling point, the solution becomes supersaturated. Here,
more water evaporates and the concentration of sugar crystals to water
increases. Now the
solution has a delicate balance of just enough sugar molecules and just enough
heat to keep them dissolved, but it is in an unstable state. The sugar molecules
will begin to crystallize back into a solid at the least provocation and
disruption of heat. Stirring or jostling of any kind or introducing a new sugar
crystal from an outside source into syrup, can cause the sugar molecules to
begin recrystallizing to return to their original, dry and stable crystalline
state.
|
The
magic in making candy is learning when to stir the sugar syrup and knowing
when to stop it from cooking. See Candymaking
Chart. |
Sometimes you can see unwanted
crystallization happening before your eyes, for example when the sugar syrup
becomes a stiff and crackled mess in your pot upon cooling, ruining the whole
batch. Sometimes you don't always see that unwanted crystallization has occurred
until it's too late. For example,
once I made homemade fudge and could
hardly wait to taste it. When the moment came, and it bit into a piece, to my
surprise it was sandy and gritty, rather than smooth and creamy! Into the
garbage can it went.
When boiling stops
and the cooling process starts, if you've done everything right, the syrup
continues to cool as a supersaturated solution and you get the recrystallization
you want, the size of which is also influenced by stirring, kneading or beating.
At a higher temperature the rate of crystallization is slow and becomes more
rapid at a lower temperature.
Whether you stir the
sugar syrup or not during cooking or afterwards is determined by the type of
candy being made.
Basic candy
making steps:
·
Prepare the
ingredients
and pans:
There are
different ingredient (formulas)
used depending upon
the candy recipe. Weighing ingredients is the most accurate way to
measure solids, such as sugar, but it
can also be measured in a dry measuring cup. Measure liquids in a liquid
measuring cup.
|
High
humidity (over 60 percent) in the room in which you’re cooking will affect
the finished candy. On rainy days, some say to cook the candy mixture a
degree or two higher than indicated in the recipe to help compensate, but
it doesn't always work. Some candies — like divinity — absolutely cannot
be made on a humid day. |
Prepare all
equipment and tools in advance; you won't be able to once the candy making
steps start. All pots and utensils must be spotless and dry. If using a
buttered pan or platter, always have the pan ready before making candy.
Prevent crystals
from forming by buttering the sides of the saucepan before adding ingredients
so when mixture bubbles up, grains of sugar can't cling.
· The first
step - mix together the ingredients:
The sugar and water ingredients
are put into a 2 to 3 qt saucepan (large enough so boiled sugar does not
overflow) and placed over medium heat. Stir the mixture constantly until the
sugar is dissolved. Most candy recipes require that the sides of the pot be
washed down early in the cooking process, either with a wet pastry brush or by
putting the lid on the pan for about three minutes to remove any sugar
crystals clinging to the container walls. It is also why the recipes specify
that the sides and bottom of the pan should not be scraped into the bowl where
the candy is to cool. There is too much chance of scraping in a stray sugar
crystal. Afterwards, place a candy thermometer on the side of the pan.
|
 Any
agitation can cause unwanted crystallization that happens by accidentally
bumping into the pan, moving it while cooking, stirring the contents in
the pan at the wrong time or placing it on the countertop with a bang. |
· Boil
the mixture until the
desired temperature
has been reached:
Boil sugar solution
according to the recipe and measure its temperature with a candy thermometer.
Keep the temperature constant; never try to rush a candy
mixture by cooking it at a higher temperature than the recipe directs, or slow
it down by reducing the heat.
· Cool:
All sweets are cooled
slightly before being shaped. How the solution is cooled also affects the type
of candy.
If you cool
quickly after you boil at a known heat, the candy forms as a crystalline or
brittle type such as rock candy. At a bit slower cooling after boiling
at the same temperature, the candy forms a non-crystalline structure known as
a taffy or caramel. For more crystalline candy like fudge, the mixture is set
aside to cool slowly. Then it is stirred again to break crystals into smaller
pieces, making the fudge smooth and creamy. Lastly, if you add a gelatin,
starch, pectin, or gum to the boiling mixture the sugar will gel and make
products like jelly beans, Turkish delight, and licorices.
Most simply, the
boiled mass is poured onto a table (this should be made from metal, stone, or
marble to cool the recipe uniformly).
It is important
that the boiled mass is cooled sufficiently, since if it is to be formed by
hand there is a danger that you may suffer burns.
|
 Q:
My pan has baked-on crystallized sugar which I am having much trouble
removing when I clean the pans. Is there a good way to remove this sticky
stuff? A. Pans with baked on
crystallized sugar are unavoidable. Fill the pan water, put it
on the stove, turn the burner up to high, and let the crystallized sugar
dissolve as the water boils. Then clean as usual. You can also put any
utensils that you used in boiling the sugar into the pan to clean at the
same time.
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· Stir / Beat /
Shape: Stir the candy at the proper
stirring temperature. In the case of caramels and lollipops, no stirring is
necessary; candy may be transferred directly to serving pan. For candies that
must be stirred, continue until mass is thick and stirring difficult due to
crystallization.
Beating is a
process which controls the process of crystallization and produces crystals of
a small size. For example in the production of fudge, the mass is poured onto
the table, left to cool, and then beaten with a wood or metal beater.
There are two main
ways of forming sweets: cutting into pieces, or setting in molds. Molds may be
as simple as a greased and lined tray. Others can be made from rubber,
plastic, metal, starch, or wood. The mixture is poured into the impressions
and allowed to set.
The table below outlines
the processing stages for a selected range of confectionery items.
|
Mix ingredients |
Boil |
Cool |
Beat |
Form/set |
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Hard-boiled sweets |
* |
* |
* |
|
* |
|
Fondant |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
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Toffees/caramels |
* |
* |
* |
|
* |
|
Fudge |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
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Jellies |
* |
* |
* |
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* |
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Marshmallows |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
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SOME EXAMPLES from two candy recipes. Follow all
instructions to the letter. |
Nut Brittle
|
Combine the brown sugar,
granulated sugar, corn syrup and water in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high
heat. Heat and stir
with a wooden spoon until the sugar is dissolved. You
should no longer to feel any grains of sugar against the bottom of the pan
when you stir |
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Move pan off the heat, with a
wet pastry brush or wet paper towel, wipe any grains of sugar from the sides
of the pan above the liquid level. Place pan back on heat. |
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Clip on
candy thermometer
and bring the syrup to a boil. (Read the
thermometer at eye level.) Do not stir or shake. |
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Boil syrup to the
hard crack stage
(300 to 310 degrees F / 132 to143 degrees C). When it has reached this stage,
stir
in the butter and the mixture will cool down. Then, return to heat until the
mixture reaches the soft
crack stage (270 degrees to 290 degrees F / 132 to 143 degrees
C). Remove from heat and stir
in remaining ingredients and nuts as the
recipe directs. Pour onto baking sheets when thoroughly mixed. |
Classic Fudge
 |
Heat the chocolate, sugar,
half-and-half and corn syrup in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat,
scraping down
the sides of the pan with a wooden-handled, heat-proof spatula.
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Clamp on a
candy thermometer
on the side of the pan. (Read the thermometer at eye
level.) |
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Boil the mixture
gently, scraping
frequently
to prevent burning until
the temperature is 236 degrees F (113 degrees C).
Do not stir or shake.
Turn off the heat.
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Drop 2 tablespoons of
butter on top and stir quickly.
Allow to cool to 110 degrees F (43 degrees C). Remove the thermometer. Add
other ingredients from the recipe and
beat. Pour or
knead and press into greased pan. |
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Before
you start making candy, calibrate your candy thermometer:
Water should boil at 212 degrees
F. Measure the boiling point of water with your new thermometer by leaving
it in boiling water for 10 minutes. Add or subtract any difference when
determining the end-point of the boil of your sugar slurry. |
The
temperature the sugar solution boils to and
its color determine whether or not the sugar solution will harden into a soft
and creamy Fudge or a hard and brittle, Nut Brittle. Temperature and color are
recorded on a Sugar Syrup Chart. The chart
tells you how hot to boil the sugar solution to, its corresponding color and
what it looks like when dropped in cold water, called the
Cold Water (Viscosity) Test. The
temperature and color are directly related to the type of candy you're making.
Experienced candy makers can just look at the sugar syrup's color and know when
it's done, but for beginners (and even experienced candy makers), I recommend
using a Candy Thermometer at all times. Ranked from best to worst are: Candy
Thermometer, Viscosity (Soft-Ball Test), Color, Time.
 Don't
double a candy recipe -- rather, make 2 separate batches instead. Increasing
the amount of ingredients changes the cooking time, adversely affecting the
final recipe. |
A Candy Thermometer makes
candy-making easier and more foolproof by indicating the exact temperature, and
thus the concentration of the syrup. The concentration of the syrup determines
whether the finished product is a soft and creamy fudge or a hard and
brittle. Note the exact temperature to boil the sugar syrup to will differ
by recipe and
type of candy being made. At
higher altitudes candy cooks faster.
Read thermometer at
eye level. Watch the sugar solution
carefully and read the thermometer frequently. Look at the thermometer at eye
level to read it accurately -- do not remove it from the pan until your recipe
is done cooking.
CANDY THERMOMETER TIPS:
Using a Candy
THERMOMETER is the most accurate way
to determine when to stop the boil.
| Buy a thermometer with a clip that
attaches to the side of your pan. |
| Every time you
place the thermometer in the pot, make sure it is spotless and dry. A
speck of old sugar left on it could ruin the whole batch by
crystallizing it. |
| When you start to cook your candy,
have the thermometer nearby, resting in a container of warm water. Be
sure to dry it before using. Then it will be preheated when you lower it
into the hot mixture. |
|
Clip the candy thermometer to pan after cleaning the sugar from the
sides of the pan with a damp pastry brush and the right before syrup
boils. |
|
The bulb of the thermometer must be covered with boiling liquid, not
just foam, but it should never touch the bottom of the pan.
|
|
Knowing when to stop boiling the sugar solution is crucial.
Stopping the boil at
234 degrees F really means 234 degrees F. Don't sit and watch the
thermometer climb to 236 degrees F 'just to be sure.' Remember, over
boiling is as bad as under boiling.
|
| When you remove the thermometer, put
it back into the warm water. |
| To remove
sticky sugar, while still warm, place in hot water. Dry and let
the thermometer cool before putting away. I keep
mine in the drawer where it won't be disturbed. |
|
|
The
importance of temperature in candy making:
With sugar and water, you can make five
kinds of candy through temperature and density! Of course, you add other
ingredients to the candy at different times depending on the recipe i.e.
flavorings, nuts, chocolate, butter, coconut to make it taste better and
to get variety. Often, you add food color to improve eye appeal but
temperature remains the key to the kind of candy you make whenever you
cook up a sugar mixture.
|
Suppose you put sugar and
water in a pan over heat, cover the pan and, shaking the pan, bring the
mixture to a boil dissolving the sugar. Uncover the pan and continue
cooking it at a low boil until the syrup reaches the soft-ball stage
(234 to 240 degrees F–syrup, when dropped into a bowl of very cold
water, forms a soft ball which flattens on removal from the water). If
you take some out at this point, you can make fondant, fudge or penuche
with it. |
|
If you
continue cooking the syrup remaining in the pan until it reaches the
firm-ball stage (244 to 248 degrees F–syrup, when dropped into a bowl of
very cold water, forms a firm ball that does not flatten on removal from
the water), you could remove a part of it to make caramels. |
|
By cooking the rest of the
syrup to the hard-ball stage (250 to 266 degrees F–syrup, when dropped
into a bowl of very cold water, forms a hard ball which holds its shape,
yet is plastic), you could pour some out to cool and pull it for taffy
or make divinity. |
|
Continue cooking the syrup
still in the pan to the soft crack stage (270 to 290 degrees F–syrup,
when dropped into a bowl of very cold water, separates into threads
which are hard but not brittle), and again pour out a part–you've got
butterscotch or taffy. |
|
Bring the last of the syrup
to the hard crack stage (300 to 310 degrees F–syrup, when dropped into a
bowl of very cold water, separates into threads, which are hard and
brittle), and make lollipops or brittles.
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Candy Making Tools: |
The most important thing
to do before making any kind of candy is having all the essential
tools. Here are some that I
recommend, however they will vary by recipe.
Most tools you will have on hand already;
others can be purchased at a general cookware or cake decorating store. Not all
tools are needed when making a candy recipe; it will direct you as to what you
need. For stores carrying candy making supplies, see
Pantry: Sources.
|
|
Heavy
(copper, anodized aluminum, cast aluminum or
cast iron) pot with a 2-
to 3-quart capacity for making sugar candy. Make sure it's a smooth,
heavy-bottomed pan with straight sides for candy cookery because the sugar
solution will boil upwards and you don't want to get burned or make a huge
mess. Many candies scorch easily in lightweight pans.
The saucepan should be an appropriate size
for the recipe and match the size of the burner or be slightly smaller to
minimize heat fluctuations in the candy. |
|
|
A double-boiler for chocolate
candy making. |
|
|
4 quart Pyrex dish, if the
recipe calls for it. The bowl needs to be heat safe since you'll be pouring
molten sugar syrup directly into it. This effectively rules out plastic
bowls. |
|
|
Long handled wooden spoons
unless you can find
heat proof metal spoons. Plastic spatula will melt since this solution is
much hotter than boiling water. Make sure it is clean and dry EVERY TIME you
dip it in the candy mixture to stir.
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|
|
Candy thermometer: Mine is
mounted on a metal frame and made by Taylor, and it works very well for
this. Select one that registers from 100 to 400 degrees F and handles easily
in hot mixtures, such as one with a plastic handle. The thermometer should
be immersed below the surface of the syrup, but it should not touch the
bottom or sides of the pan. Hold the thermometer at eye level to read it
accurately. It should be left there for the duration of cooking. When
finished, let thermometer completely cool before washing.
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Spatulas (2 - 3)
- ones that can handle high temperatures
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Ice water in a
large bowl, big enough to fit the pot when immersed and ready to dip your
hands in in case of burns. |
|
|
Pastry brushes
are little tools you will also use a lot. Whenever a recipe calls for a hot,
cooked sugar mixture, you will need to wash down the sides of the pan with a
brush dipped in hot water. This prevents crystallization that would ruin the
batch. |
|
|
Stand mixer with paddle
attachment (not a hand-held one), optional (just easier than mixing by hand)
|
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Liquid and dry measuring cups &
spoons |
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Pyrex glass or aluminum baking
pans |
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Sieve or
perforated spoon for skimming
|
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Marble or
granite surface or vegetable-sprayed parchment paper placed on the back of a
baking sheet, or a Silpat mat. |
|
|
Aluminum
foil: For a candy making surface that can take the heat, use a sheet of
foil. Spread candies such as peanut brittle, fudge and almond bark into a
thin layer on a foil-lined cookie sheet. There's no sticking and no cleanup.
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Vegetable oil
spray |
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Timer or clock |
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Good oven mitts, preferably
ones that cover your forearm. |
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Candy molds
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Cooling racks
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Rubber cleaning
gloves or surgical gloves – to protect your hands from the heat, cleaning
gloves work best. Either thickness will also protect the sugar from any
dampness on your hands as you work with it.
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Other:
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Dehumidifying agent
(silica blue gel or quicklime) to protect the finished pieces.
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Glycerin;
glycerine The
commercial name for glycerol, a colorless, odorless, syrupy
liquid--chemically, an alcohol--obtained from fats and oils and used to retain
moisture and add sweetness to foods. It also helps prevent sugar
crystallization in foods like candy. Available from
wilton.com.
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Tools for more
specialized work:
General:
•
Kitchen scissors
• Heat lamp to keep sugar warm and pliable
• Leaf mold to form larger rose leaves
• Oiled metal spatula for sugar ribbons
For Sugar Cages,
Corkscrews, Teeter-Totters, Shards:
• Ladle, copper or
stainless steel mixing bowl or other bowl to form cage shape
• Knife-sharpening steel or wooden spoon to form corkscrews
• Dinner knife or narrow metal spatula for teeter-totters and shards
For Spun Sugar:
•Metal whisk with
end cut off and wires spread slightly or long, narrow metal spatula
For Pulled Sugar:
•Lemon juice (delays
re-crystallization and gives sugar flexibility)
•Small drop bottle
Land O'Lakes says:
Each type of candy is always stored according to
its type. Airtight storage in a cool place is best. Some candies may be frozen,
but avoid freezing those made with fruits and nuts.
Keeping candy for short term
(two months or less):
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Protect taffies, caramels, nougats, and popcorn
balls from dampness by wrapping them individually in clear plastic wrap; |
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Store individually wrapped candies in boxes,
tins or cartons with tight-fitting lids. |
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Exception: For small hard candies, sprinkle
candy with finely ground sugar (not powdered) and store in jar with
tight-fitting lid. |
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Do not mix candies that absorb moisture
(caramels, mints, hard candies) in the same container as candies that lose
moisture (fudge, fondants, meringues). If these types of candies are mixed,
the hard candies will become sticky. For instance, brittles soften if stored
with creamy candies. |
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Use waxed paper to individually wrap or
separate layers of fudge in storage container. |
Keeping candy for long term
(up to 12 months):
Most candies freeze well for
longer storage. Wrap tightly in plastic food wrap or aluminum foil. Be sure to
label with contents and date. When ready to eat, thaw wrapped candy at room
temperature for 1 to 2 hours.
*Truffles can be
frozen for up to 2 months.
*Fudge
*Toffee can be frozen for up to 2 months
*Most caramels should be stored about 2 weeks at room temperature
*Nut brittles should be stored about 1 week at room temperature
*Be careful when freezing - I make all of my candy that freezes
well first and save things like caramels till last. Be sure to use coating
chocolate for candies that need to be dipped, otherwise freezing and
storing can cause "bloom", which is when the cocoa butter comes to the
surface and causes gray or white streaks and dots - it doesn't mean that
the candy has spoiled but it doesn't look very nice. |
Some candy information and resources from:
http://www.landolakes.com/mealideas/holidaytips.cfm,
www.cfs.purdue.edu/Class/F&N202/ animated_crystallization.ppt,
www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/candy/sugar.html and starchefs.com/c_and_h/html/tips.html
and http://www.wilton.com
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