Candy Making Secrets

Written by nancyoram on October 15, 2008 – 12:35 am

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Making Homemade Candy is Simple If You Know the Basic Stages

From taffy to the finest chocolates, every kind of candy can be made at home. You’ll need a few basic tools. Some of these you’ll find you already have and some can be improvised. As you become more skilled at candy making you may want to acquire a few more items. Some candymakers even locate antique implements to make their old fashioned candy truly authentic.

1. The “Soft Ball” stage, from 236 to 238 degrees Fahrenheit. At this stage a drop, put in cold water, will form a soft ball when rolled between the fingers.
2. The “Hard Ball” stage, from 246 to 248 degrees Fahrenheit. At this stage a drop, put in cold water, will form a hard ball when rolled between the fingers.
3. The “Crumble” stage, at 290 degrees Fahrenheit. At this stage a drop, put in cold water will crumble in the fingers.
4. The “Brittle” stage, from 290 to 310 degrees Fahrenheit. At this stage a drop, put in cold water, will form hard and break with a cracking sound.
5. The “Danger Point” stage, from 345 to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. It is best to determine this stage with a candy thermometer. Candy will burn very shortly after the danger point is passed.

Old fashioned candy recipes and secrets can be found by doing a search on the web. I also recommend antique cookbooks. You just can’t beat the old fashioned secrets and techniques.