Best Syrup Grade for Candy

[OneLegJohn]

I don't want to do a bunch of testing for inverted sugar. I just want to know what the best grade that is most likely to work? Light or Medium?

[ennismaple]

The lighter the better for candy.

[red maples]

I don't have that much experience but I kinda like a very light med. it seems to have a little better flavor!!

[Sugarmaker]

Nate,
Light may work the best but I have made nice candy from Med syrup too. Yess its about finding the sweet spot in the invert sugar range that assures quality batches each time.
Make a small batch first. If it turns out OK then you can increase the batch size with the same syrup.
Are you using a machine? or making by hand?

Chris

[maplefrank]

i use light. and it has worked good so far........the invert test, sounds like alot of work, like school chemistry !!!!!! i did use some grade B and made sugar cakes.......

[TapME]

the author Noel Perrin in one of his essay books talks about making candy. I think it is called sugaring on 15 dollars a year. It is very simple and easy to follow and works great.

[OneLegJohn]

Making by hand today. I'll probably test for inverted sugar. I hate doing it.

[802maple]

I have literally made several ton of candy and have never done a invert sugar test. I wouldn't know how if it were presented and have never had a failure due to the syrup. I most always use early Fancy grade syrup. The biggest problem I have had was not boiling my thermometer that day to see where water boils and adjusting to that.

[DrTimPerkins]

....I most always use early Fancy grade syrup.

Which is why you don't have problems. Early season light syrup normally has quite low levels of invert.

Steve Childs of Cornell Univ Maple Program does an excellent presentation on maple confections and has put together an excellent notebook on the subject.

[802maple]

Which is why you don't have problems. Early season light syrup normally has quite low levels of invert.

Steve Childs of Cornell Univ Maple Program does an excellent presentation on maple confections and has put together an excellent notebook on the subject.


But I don't always use early syrup, that is why I said most always. Everybody tries to make such a science out of it, when it isn't rocket science, all you have to do is use a high quality syrup. The man was asking what grade we use and I told him and you for some reason needed to spin it.

[ToadHill]

802 Maple,

What constitutes "high quality syrup"? Just because a syrup may be darker and have a higher invert sugar level doesn't necessarily make it low quality, but it will not make good candy. Also, you could have a light syrup with a high invert level and think that it is "high quality" and find that you couldn't make candy with it. The fact is it takes about 3-4 minutes to do an invert sugar test with the method that Steve Childs teaches in his confections workshops and then you will know whether you are wasting your time or not. Better yet, do the invert test when you package your syrup and make a record of each batch. That way you will know which batches will make the best confections. It really isn't that hard to do.

That said, it isn't rocket science, but using the minimal amount of science necessary isn't that difficult and will help us make better products. And even if you don't want to do the invert sugar test yourself you shouldn't discourage others who are learning and trying to understand the complexities of why some syrup will work to make confections and others won't.

Lastly, I fail to see how Dr. Perkins was spinning anything or trying to make it to complicated. I've taken two of Steve Childs' courses and they are well worth the time. I would recommend them to anyone who is making candy for sale.

Randy

[Sugarmaker]

Must be getting closer to syrup season!
I have made lots of candy, not tons, just small batches from a pint to a gallon and a half from most every grade with and without testing for invert without and with a machine. I have made my best candy since I got a machine (some shots of candy machine from a KIT)! Seems to be something about the agitation of the syrup with the screw and then adding not stirred syrup to the seed.
Makes me appreciate that someone took the time to invent that piece of maple equipment.
In mixing by hand it seemed to turn out much grainier. Usually I get a nice gloss on the poured candy from the machine and most of the time this is a good indication of a good texture to the product.
Guess I never had really bad maple candy just different grades of GOOD!
Nate how did the candy turn out? Hope it met your expectations.
Regards,
Chris

[802maple]

Toadhill,
If one can't tell the difference between high quality syrup and lower quality syrup by the taste, no matter which grade. then I guess that one would have to go to science end of the business to make his candy. Understanding the quality and whether it will make good candy by taste is what someone learns by experience. Just because it is light doesn't mean it is high quality, I of anyone you could ask would tell you that.

I have no problem at all if a sugarmaker wants to do the test to make candy, One leg John seemed to be saying that he didn't know if he wanted to do the test and what grade to use. There is a definite difference in taste between syrup that will make candy and syrup that won't. I answered him as to what I would do and what grade I would use, then Dr. Tim comes on and basically says that I get away with because I only use early syrup of which I use mostly early syrup, but I do use later syrup also, but it has to be "high quality".
If I should be condemned for that then so be it, tomorrow will be another day.

Jerry

[OneLegJohn]

Candy got pushed off. My mom backed out on me. Something about getting ready for Christmas, blah, blah. I wasn't really listening. She is our expert. I'm thinking of getting a candy machine after hearing Chris's experience.

I have been to the Steve Childs workshop, got the test kit, and book. I didn't want to drive all of the way to the sugarhouse for it. I was in a pinch. I will test for invert sugar and try to make a gallon batch.

[ToadHill]

802maple


If one can't tell the difference between high quality syrup and lower quality syrup by the taste, no matter which grade. then I guess that one would have to go to science end of the business to make his candy. Understanding the quality and whether it will make good candy by taste is what someone learns by experience. Just because it is light doesn't mean it is high quality

While you may be able to taste a syrup and deem it high quality, you can't taste for invert sugar. You can have syrup that is very good flavor (high quality by your standards) and it can still have high invert sugar levels and it will not make confections (or at least not very good ones).


I answered him as to what I would do and what grade I would use, then Dr. Tim comes on and basically says that I get away with because I only use early syrup of which I use mostly early syrup, but I do use later syrup also, but it has to be "high quality".

Dr. Tim simply stated a fact. I didn't read any insinuation into it as you did. Anyone who makes confections knows that early/lighter syrups work better. Dr. Tim simply pointed that out and explained that it is because they tend to be lower in invert sugar levels. You suggested that he was spinning something, but I don't believe that was his intent and I didn't read it that way.


If I should be condemned for that then so be it, tomorrow will be another day.

I don't think anyone intended any condemnation, but rather they are trying to help others understand the process and why it works the way it does.

Randy

[WMF]

With enough experience you in fact can tell if a syrup has high invert. It may taste good but the high invert leaves a honey like after taste.

The test is a good way to quantify the amount of invert however.

[DrTimPerkins]

The man was asking what grade we use and I told him and you for some reason needed to spin it.

802. I apologize if I somehow inadvertantly insulted you. Not at all my intention to do that or to "spin" anything. Simply stating the fact that early season normally has low invert (not always), which perhaps not everyone here knows.

[802maple]

I am sorry if I went off on the deep end here. But like WMF says it leaves a after taste, I guess I wouldn't call it honey as far as I am concerned. To me it is more of a sweet earthy taste, not metabilism but headed that way. Maybe we should get a grant to study whether Chuck and myself are accurate or not. LOL

[PATheron]

Jerry- What about my pensylvania fancy? What can you make that into? Acic indegestion for the guy with the turkey baster? Theeeon:)

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Theron,
Mix equal parts of Pa Fancy and Buxton Mersh. Blend like that will do about anything you want to do with it:lol:

[802maple]

Careful Doug,

We are not supposed to be making bombs

[Maple Ridge]

I was thinking of making soft maple candy this weekend, and didn't realize how much sience was involved. I understand what invert sugars will do now, so if it dose not setup I will know why. I had some dark amber left that I was going to use, but I don't know now if I dare. O well I might give it a shot anyway.

[vtmaplemaker]

as long as it is good dark amber it will work, I have made good candy and cream with B as well...

[OneLegJohn]

I finally made some candy. I borrowed a sipple machine. Wow, what a time saver! I used some light amber (invert sugar <20) and mixed medium amber (invert sugar 170) 5 to 2 ratio. It came to about 36 invert. I hear 35 is ideal. I did this on my 8th wedding anniversary, my wife bless her, she puts up with a lot.

[ToadHill]

How was the texture and firmness? Any white spots? What temp did you boil to and cool to? Glad to hear it was successfull.

[Sugarmaker]

Nate,
Yes like most mechanical things in life its great to have the right tool for the job. So you will have a candy machine on the list of items needed in the future. Glad the candy came out good. Congratulations on the anniversary too.
Regards,
Chris

[OneLegJohn]

I screwed up. When I pulled candy from my crystal coating dip, the sugar layer on top coated my candy. Any tricks to getting that super-fragile layer of sugar off the pieces of candy?

[Sugarmaker]

Nate,
Several others are experts on the coating of candy. Me, not so much as I have never tried it. I think your supposed to remove the layer of crystals floating on the surface using cheese cloth or something like that?
Chris