The Science of Making Candy
by Allen Lemaitre
http://www.anacandy.com
Candy is a universal sweet that is enjoyed by both
children and adults alike. There are many different
types of candy that can be bought all around the
world, many of them with an ethnic touch to them,
such as Swiss chocolate from Switzerland or Lemon
Drops from Great Britain. But with so many
different kinds of candy to choose from do you ever
stop to wonder how many of the world~s candies are
made?
Making candy in your own home is a fun project for
kids and adults alike. Making candy for special
occasions is a great way to get everyone in the
family involved. Before you start making your own
candy you~ll need certain ingredients and a recipe
that you can follow exactly. Candy making is a
very precise science with little room for error.
One of the main ingredients in candy is sugar.
Sugar is composed of molecules that contain 11
atoms of oxygen, 22 atoms of hydrogen, and 12
atoms of carbon. The first thing that is you do when
making candy is to mix the sugar with water, or
another liquid, so that the crystals of sucrose
dissolve and the sugar turns into a sugary solution.
You want to do what is known as ~saturation~ to the
sugar. This is where you dissolve as much sugar in
liquid as you can so that no more can be dissolved.
Once the saturation is complete the sugar solution
must be heated to a very specific high temperature.
At this high temperature the liquid will boil away
but the sugar will remain in a liquid state. Once
cold, the resulting solution that is left is super-
saturated with sugar. This means that there is a
very high concentration of sugar per small amount
of liquid.
At this point your recipe will state whether or not
you need to work with a crystallized or non-
crystallized sugary solution. If it calls for a non-
crystallized sugary solution you need to work
quickly before in returns to a solid state. You need
to be extremely careful with non-crystallized
solutions since even bumping it slightly can be
problematic.
Fudges and fondants are two types of candies that
require a crystallized sugar solution. Taffies,
lollipops, and caramels require a non-crystallized
solution. It is very important that you follow all
instructions in your candy recipe carefully. Anyone
who has made a disastrous batch of candy can tell
you how important it is to observe recipe directions
and temperatures if you want candy that looks and
tastes great.
No matter what types of candy that you make you~ll
enjoy the sweet delights that come out of your
kitchen.
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