Reasons For Hard Candy Failures | LorAnn Oils (2024)

FAQs

Reasons For Hard Candy Failures | LorAnn Oils? ›

If the sugar mixture is not cooked to the proper temperature (the hard-crack stage 300-310° F {149-154° C.} or if you are working in a kitchen with high humidity, chances are your candy is retaining too much moisture.

Heat and humidity are the enemies of hard candy!

Hard candy is often made primarily of sugar, corn syrup and other substances that dissolve easily in water. Like the saliva in your mouth, the water in the glass allowed them to dissolve. Adding heat made this process easier and faster.

Humidity is the enemy of hard candy. It will turn it into hard, sticky, goo. I'd try sealing a few pieces in an air-tight container along with some dry rice (or better, silica gel packets) and see if that works better. Instead of powdered sugar, try dusting the candies with a tiny bit of cornstarch.

One way to prevent the crystallization of sucrose in candy is to make sure that there are other types of sugar—usually fructose and glucose—to get in the way and slow down or inhibit the process.

Cream of tartar can prevent your homemade hard candy, caramel, and toffee from forming a gritty texture due to sugar crystallization. Adding a pinch of cream of tartar to your sugar syrup will help break down the sugar molecules and stop them from crystalizing early on.

Adding Citric Acid: Once the mixture has cooled to the appropriate temperature, dissolve ¼ teaspoon of citric acid per 1 pound of sugar in a tablespoon of water. Make sure the citric acid is completely dissolved. Mixing it In: Stir the dissolved citric acid into your candy mixture.

The alcohol molecules can't attract the coloring and sugar molecules as well as the water so the candy coating doesn't dissolve well in alcohol. The oil molecules have no positive and negative areas. They don't attract the coloring or sugar molecules so the candy coating doesn't dissolve at all in oil.

Here are some suggested solutions: If using the stove-top recipe, add liquid food coloring when sugar syrup reaches 260ºF. This will allow the extra moisture to have a chance to boil-off as the syrup continues to cook to the hard-crack stage. Make sure your thermometer is correct.

The oil is made of a different kind of molecule that does not interact with the sugar in the candy coating, so nothing happens.

What does corn syrup do in hard candy? ›

Provides Smooth Texture: Corn syrup helps to create a smooth and glossy texture in candies, ensuring that they are not grainy or gritty.

You may also want to stretch your tongue and jaw into different positions in order to get the candy out. Doing so can lead to chewing and speech issues, making it a better idea to swish some warm water between your teeth instead to loosen the piece of candy.

Hard candies, like lollipops or mints, hold up relatively well. With their minimal moisture content, they resist decay for quite a while. However, they can still lose their flavor over time and become sticky or softer. Chewy candies like jelly beans have a somewhat shorter shelf life.

What Causes Crystallization? Temperature, temperature, temperature! Temperature is one of the biggest factors that affect crystallization. Crystallization happens faster in lower temperatures.

The best way to keep the candy clear, but still reach the hard crack stage, is to cook the candy as quickly as possible. Low heat will not help you here--use high heat and do not stir the fluid after it begins boiling. This can cause unwanted crystallization.

Corn syrup, honey, molasses, cream and butter are all "interfering agents." That is, they interfere with crystallization of sucrose.

Why is my rock candy not hardening? If your candy doesn't harden, even after sitting for a long time (it should only take 45 minutes, not much longer), it might be that your liquid never got hot enough. It's important that the temperature reaches 300°F while cooking the syrup.

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.

Hard candy like Jolly Ranchers, lollipops and other individually wrapped candies can essentially last forever if they're stored right and kept away from moisture. Dark chocolate can last one to two years in a cool, dark, dry place. Milk and white chocolate will last up to 10 months.