What Is the "Soft-Ball Stage" in Making Candy? (2024)

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What Is the "Soft-Ball Stage" in Making Candy? ›

termed in kitchen parlance the soft ball stage, that point between 234 and 240 °F (112 and 115 °C) at which a small ball of the candy dropped in ice water neither disintegrates nor flattens when picked up with the fingers.

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.

about 18 min to reach boiling. about 40 minutes to reach soft ball stage. 60 minutes to cool. 28 minutes to beat in a KitchenAid (your time for this may vary)

To test your candy temperature, you'll want a bowl of cool water to drip the sugar into. You'll know you've reached the soft ball stage when the sugar forms a small ball in the water. The ball will quickly flatten after a few moments of handling as it warms in your hand.

There are seven stages of candy making: thread, soft-ball, firm-ball, hard-ball, soft-crack, hard-crack, and caramel. Different types of candy, from fudge to lollipops, need to be cooked to different stages to get the desired results.

For example, at 235° F, the syrup is at the "soft-ball" stage. That means that when you drop a bit of it into cold water to cool it down, it will form a soft ball. Most candy recipes will tell you to boil your sugar mixture until it reaches one of the stages below.

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.

The name "softball" was given to the game in 1926 because the ball used to be soft; however, in modern-day usage, the balls are hard. A tournament held in 1933 at the Chicago World's Fair spurred interest in the game.

termed in kitchen parlance the soft ball stage, that point between 234 and 240 °F (112 and 115 °C) at which a small ball of the candy dropped in ice water neither disintegrates nor flattens when picked up with the fingers. Butter and vanilla are added as the candy cools,…

Drop a spoonful of hot syrup into a bowl of very cold water, then while it is in the water, use your fingers to gather the cooled syrup into a ball. If the hard-ball stage has been reached, the syrup will hold its ball shape and deform only slightly with very firm pressure. The ball will be quite sticky to the touch.

What is the difference between soft ball and hard ball candy? ›

Hard-ball stage is between 250-265oF, sugar concentration is up to 92%, and when dropped in water a hard ball is formed that takes some effort to squish. Next is soft-crack stage, this happens between 270-290oF, sugar concentration is 95%, and forms solid, flexible threads.

If the candy forms a soft pliable ball, it is in the softball stage, about 235°— 240°F. This is the stage you would cook to if you are making fudge. If the candy forms a firm but not hard ball, it is in the firm ball stage. The temperature of this stage is between 242—248°F.

Hard-Cracked Stage: 300 º F-310 º F; sugar concentration is 99% This is the highest temperature that is usually seen in candy recipes. There is almost no water left in the syrup.

According to most recipes, the ingredients of fudge are cooked to what is termed in kitchen parlance the soft ball stage, that point between 234 and 240 °F (112 and 115 °C) at which a small ball of the candy dropped in ice water neither disintegrates nor flattens when picked up with the fingers.

Exercising regularly, managing stress, and eating more foods high in fiber and probiotics may help lower blood sugar levels. However, these lifestyle adjustments do not replace medical treatment for diabetes or other metabolic conditions.