Crack stage candy thermometer

Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights.

Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Fudge and fondant Firm ball F The syrup is formed into a stable ball but loses its round shape once pressed. Caramel candies Hard ball F The syrup holds its ball shape when pressed but remains sticky. Divinity and marshmallows Soft crack F The syrup will form firm but pliable threads.

Nougat and taffy. Hard crack F The syrup forms brittle threads and easily cracks and snaps. Brittles and lollipops Caramel F The sugar syrup will turn golden brown and have a fragrant caramel smell. Fudge , pralines, and fondant are made by cooking ingredients to the soft-ball stage. Caramels are cooked to the firm-ball stage.

A little of this syrup dropped into cold water will form a hard ball. The ball will be hard, but you can still change its shape by squashing it. Nougat, marshmallows, gummies, divinity, and rock candy are cooked to the hard-ball stage. At this stage, the moisture content is low. When you drop a bit of this syrup into cold water, it will solidify into threads that, when removed from the water, are flexible, not brittle. They will bend slightly before breaking.

Saltwater taffy and butterscotch are cooked to the soft-crack stage. You should also exercise extreme care when performing a water test with candy. The high temperature can cause severe burns. Use a long spoon to remove some of the heated sugar, and use oven mitts for extra safety. Though it can be fun to having children help you prepare goodies, you might want to keep them out of the cooking process when you must heat sugar to this high of a temperature to protect little hands from burns.

As your sugar syrup reaches higher temperatures, even before it hits the hard crack stage, you may want to brush down the sides of the pot, because sugar can stick to the sides and granulate. If you perform the spoon test to determine this stage, many chefs recommend using a warm metal or wooden spoon, because the test can be corrupted if you use a cold metal spoon.