If the sugar is heated just past the hard crack stage it will turn amber coloured translucent glass. Caramel 320360 degrees f 160182 degrees c syrup will become transparent and will change color. Glucose or corn syrup is used to prevent the sugar from recrystallizing, by getting in the way of the sugar molecules forming crystals. The sugar will begin to crack and break apart under pressure. Drop a little of the molten syrup in cold water and it will form hard, brittle threads that break when bent. It is a test of how hot a sugar syrup is, and of how much water is left in it. Put several cups of cold water into your mixing bowl until it is at least halfway full. Cook, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved. Cover and cook for 3 minutes to dissolve sugar crystals. Hardcrack stage is a cooking term meaning that a sugar syrup being heated has reached 149 154 c 300 310 f. If you dont have a candy thermometer, you can use the cold water test in a pinch. The hard crack stage is the highest temperature you are likely to see specified in a candy recipe. At this point of heating, the sugar concentration in the syrup is 99%. Bring mixture to a boil do not stir place candy thermometer in mix and allow to reach hard crack stage.
When the threads are removed from the water they cannot be bent without breaking. If your syrup has reached the hardcrack stage, it will form brittle strands in the water and crack as you bend it. Because it has less moisture at this stage, once the syrup reached the cold water it should have formed a hard ball that was more difficult to mold. Candy making without a thermometer cold water test. Used for brittles, toffees, glazed fruit, hard candy, pulled poured and spun sugar. The hardcrack stage is the highest temperature you are likely to see specified in a candy recipe. At these temperatures, there is almost no water left in the syrup. If the heat is too high, the sugar mixture will caramelize and turn brown. If youre making candy at home, you can determine the temperature of your syrup with a candy thermometer or a glass of cold water. Syrup dropped into ice water separates into hard, brittle threads that break when bent. If the sugar is heated just past the hard crack stage it will turn amber colored translucent glass. Candy making how to conduct a cold water test youtube. In a heavy 2 quart saucepan, combine the sugar, water and corn syrup.
The hard crack stage is used for lollipops, spun sugar and hard toffees. Watch as we show you what soft ball stage, firm ball stage, hard ball stage, and hard crack stage look like. A candy thermometer is more convenient, but has the drawback of. To reach the hard ball stage, continue cooking the syrup and then pour a spoonful into the bowl once more to test. In a medium saucepan over a medium heat put water sugar and cream of tartar a stir until dissolved. Stir continuously until the sugar melts takes a while. Use a candy thermometer to bring the mixture up to the hardcrack stage around 290 to 300 degrees fahrenheit. Sugar glass is made by dissolving sugar in water and heating it to at least the hard crack stage approx.
If you have a candy thermometer, remove from heat at the hard crack stage clear glass. If youd like to color your glass, this would be the time to add a few drops of coloring not too much or your glass will be too dark and will become opaque, you. At this temperature, almost all of the water has boiled off, so the solution is 99 percent sugar. Its imperative that you do not stir the liquid, as this will develop unwanted sugar crystals.
Using a clean spoon when the syrup is dropped into cold water it may be formed into a hard ball. The glass can be used as candy windows, for gingerbread houses or sugarcube houses. At the hard crack stage the syrup will have darkened in color and when dropped in the cold water, it separates into hard brittle threads. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
The final stage in this activity is hard crack, reached when your syrup heated to 300f. Nougat, marshmallows, gummies, divinity, and rock candy are cooked to the hard ball stage. Drop a spoonful of hot syrup into cold water, then remove the candy from the water and attempt to bend it. Pour the sugar into a small pan on a stove over low heat. The 300 degree mark is very important as that indicates the hard crack stage. You can tell when your candy is done by performing a cold water test. How to easily make stage glass or fake glass from sugar. Since the sugar syrup gets super hot 300 degrees to be exact, please be careful while handling it. This was on the advice of his pediatrician who placed him on the specific carbohydrate diet because he had nonresponsive celiac disease and. Hard ball stage is 250 f to 265 f 125 c to 3 c hard ball.