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?
Candy making is a fun hobby that you and your
family can enjoy to make candy for all occasions.
But making candy is much more than a fun pastime;
making candy is an exact science since you~re
taking some basic ingredients and turning them into
sweet and tasty treats.
You can probably guess that the number one
ingredient in candy is sugar. A sugar molecule is
comprised of 22 hydrogen atoms, 12 carbon atoms,
and 11 oxygen atoms. The first step in most candy
recipes is to do a saturation process on the sugar.
This means that the sugar must be completely
dissolved in a liquid, usually water. This is done
because you don~t want your candy to be gritty with
sugar crystals, it should be smooth as velvet.
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.
Making your own candy is a fun activity for the
entire family, and everyone can enjoy the sweet
treats of your labor.
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