The Dos and Don’ts of Candy Making • AnswerLine • Iowa State University Extension and Outreach (2024)

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The Dos and Don’ts of Candy Making • AnswerLine • Iowa State University Extension and Outreach? ›

That's part of why candy making is so prevalent in winter; the best climate for making candy has a relative humidity of less than 35%, and cold air usually has less moisture than hot air.

That's part of why candy making is so prevalent in winter; the best climate for making candy has a relative humidity of less than 35%, and cold air usually has less moisture than hot air.

If your candied coating isn't hardening, the candying mixture did not reach a high enough temperature. Allow your candying mixture to cook until it bubbles, thickens, and turns a rich golden color, sort of like caramel. Then, quickly turn off the heat so it doesn't burn.

Why is my hard candy soft and sticky? 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.

Because excessive softness in candy is the result of high relative humidity, you can also cook hard candies, such as peanut brittle, to 2 degrees higher than the temperature your recipe calls for.

As the toffee cools and the molten sugar crystals become solid again, they are attracted to the 'seed' forming new lumps of tiny crystals – hence the grainy texture. This can also happen if the toffee is stirred, or agitated, after it has begun to boil or on cooling (as happened with this pink-tinted toffee).

At the heart of candy-making is sugar. The type, quantity, and crystalline structure of sugar used significantly impact a candy's taste and texture. Candy-making is a temperature-sensitive process. The way sugar is heated and cooled can result in a variety of sweets, from hard candies to gooey caramels.

Keep heating and stirring your candy until it reaches 300°F (148.89°C). This is very important. If you don't get your mixture hot enough, it won't harden properly. Your candy will be soft and sticky, no matter how long you let it sit, harden, or cool.

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.

If you candied strawberries are not hardening, there could be a number of reasons. You didn't cook your syrup to the correct temperature. You must hit 305F. The candy shell is too thick and taking longer to harden.

What does corn syrup do in candy making? ›

Provides Smooth Texture: Corn syrup helps to create a smooth and glossy texture in candies, ensuring that they are not grainy or gritty. 3. Adds Moisture and Shine: Beyond candy making, corn syrup can be used to add moisture and a glossy finish to dessert sauces and frostings.

Avoid Moisture Mixes.

Storing these sweets in the same container will cause the harder candies to become sticky. To make sure that hard candies stay hard, sprinkle with finely ground sugar and store in an airtight jar.

On a humid day, once the candy has cooled to the point where it is no longer evaporating moisture into the air, it can actually start reabsorbing moisture from the air. This can make the resulting candy softer than it is supposed to be.

Relative humidities between 40 and 60% minimize breakage and prevent hard sugar. High ash sugars are more hydroscopic than sugars of lower ash content.

Cotton candy remained stable for over 2 y when held at 11% RH, but crystallized within 3 d when held at 33% RH. ... It has been said that the key to making high-quality candy is understanding and controlling the transitions of sugar.

Ideally, the humidity levels in your home should be between 40-55%. If you're noticing things that feel too sticky during the summer or excess condensation during the winter, your inside air might have too much moisture.