What are the stages of sugar?
Cooking sugar syrup to this stage gives you not candy, but syrup—something you might make to pour over ice cream.
- Soft-Ball Stage. 235° F–240° F. sugar concentration: 85%
- Firm-Ball Stage. 245° F–250° F. sugar concentration: 87%
- Hard-Ball Stage. 250° F–265° F.
- Soft-Crack Stage. 270° F–290° F.
- Hard-Crack Stage. 300° F–310° F.
What temp is hard crack stage?
between 300° — 310°F.
Finally, if the candy forms hard, brittle strands that easily break, the candy is at the hard crack stage, between 300° — 310°F. Butter toffee and peanut brittle are examples of candies cooked to this temperature.
What does firm ball stage look like?
You test by drizzling a small amount of the sugar syrup from a spoon into a cup of cold water. If the stage has been reached, the syrup will form a firm ball (i.e. a firm clump — don’t expect an exact, round ball shape.) If you take the ball out of the water, it will hold its shape, but it is very pliable.
What temperature is soft crack?
270–290 degrees Fahrenheit
Soft-crack stage (270–290 degrees Fahrenheit): When you add a small amount of syrup to cold water, it makes a soft cracking noise and forms pliable threads. The soft-crack stage is for candies such as taffy and butterscotch.
How long is hard-crack stage?
Continue boiling, uncovered, not stirring the mixture but shaking the saucepan occasionally to distribute the heat as the mixture turns amber in about 9 minutes, then darker amber as it registers 305 degrees on the thermometer (hard-crack stage ), about 3 minutes longer.
How long does it take to get to soft ball stage?
You can also test for soft ball stage by using a glass of cold water. When the fudge has boiled for about 10 minutes start to test by dropping a little of the mixture into a glass of cold water. If the mixture forms a thread as it sinks into the water then it needs cooking for a little longer.
How long does it take to reach hard crack stage?
How can I tell if I have a hard crack stage without a thermometer?
Hard Crack: With a clean spoon, when the syrup dropped into ice water it separates into hard, brittle threads that break when bent. You can actually hear a crack when the syrup hits the cold water.
How long does it take to reach hard-crack stage?
At what temp does sugar spin a thread?
between 223 F and 235 F
The thread stage occurs between 223 F and 235 F, the lowest temperature range in candy making. In addition to using a candy thermometer, you can determine the thread stage by dropping a spoonful of the hot syrup into a bowl of very cold water.
How long does it take candy to get to 300?
I keep the burner on medium-high heat. The temperature needs to reach 300-degrees to become hard candy. It will take a good 25-30 minutes to reach the temperature. It will reach a quick boil, and then sort of darken a little and become a slow boil.
Can you remelt hard candy?
Take out small portions of your crushed hard candy and put them in the bowl. Heat this for 30 seconds at a medium-low temperature. Take it out, stir it, and if it hasn’t melted yet, place it back in the microwave. Keep repeating this at an interval of 15 seconds, all the while keeping a close eye on your candy.
Is 240 degrees soft ball stage?
Soft-ball stage (234 to 240 degrees F): When the ball of candy is removed from the cold water, the candy instantly flattens and runs over your finger. Firm-ball stage (244 to 248 degrees F): When the ball of candy is removed from the cold water, it is firm enough to hold its shape, but quickly flattens.
How do you test for soft ball stage without a thermometer?
Soft ball: Using a clean spoom, when a small amount of syrup dropped into chilled water it forms a soft, flexible ball. The ball will flatten out after a few moments in your hand. The ball is very soft, hence the name soft ball stage.
How long does it take for hard candy to reach 300 degrees?
25-30 minutes
The temperature needs to reach 300-degrees to become hard candy. It will take a good 25-30 minutes to reach the temperature. What is this? It will reach a quick boil, and then sort of darken a little and become a slow boil.
How long does it take to get sugar to 300 degrees?
Give it all a good stir to mix everything together.
How do you know when sugar syrup is done?
Using a clean spoon, carefully take a little of the syrup and drop it into the bowl of cold water. Leave to cool for a moment then pick up the ball of syrup. If it’s pliable, sticky and can be moulded in your fingers easily, it has reached the soft ball stage and the syrup can be used to make fudge and marzipan.
Why is my sugar glass not hardening?
The simple answer is that there is too much moisture in your candy. One or more factors could be contributing to this problem. In hard candy making, it is important to cook all the water out of the sugar/corn syrup/water mixture.
How can you tell if candy is at hard-crack stage?
If you don’t have a candy thermometer, you can use the cold water test in a pinch: Drop a spoonful of hot syrup into cold water, then remove the candy from the water and attempt to bend it. If your syrup has reached the hard-crack stage, it will form brittle strands in the water and crack as you bend it.
What does cream of tartar do in hard candy?
Adding cream of tartar when you’re making candy helps prevent the creation of sugar crystals. That’s why lots of icing, syrup or candy recipes call for it: it makes it so the end product doesn’t have large crunchy sugar capsules.
What does vinegar do to candy?
It is simply to add tartness to add some balance against the sugar. The water from the vinegar will evaporate and leave behind acetic acid. There is an old fashioned type of hard candy known as vinegar candy.
Is 236 a soft-ball stage?
Example: According to a fudge recipe, your boiling sugar must reach 236 F, the soft-ball stage.
How long does it take to reach soft-ball stage?
Soft ball stage is 112-115c (234-240c). You can also test for soft ball stage by using a glass of cold water. When the fudge has boiled for about 10 minutes start to test by dropping a little of the mixture into a glass of cold water.
How long does it take to reach soft ball stage?
How long does it take for fudge to reach soft ball stage?
about 10 minutes
Combine sugar and milk in a small pot and cook over medium high heat. Stir continuously while the mixture boils for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes of boiling, check to see if the ‘soft ball stage’ has occurred.