candy

[nmerritt]

Getting ready to try making candy for the first time. What is the process that seems to work best for everyone, and do you have to spray the rubber molds with anything?

[maplehound]

You need to caot your molds with glycerine. You can get it at the drug store or from your maple dealers. I find it best to boil your syrup in a large batch but to stir it in smaller batches and use the same container to stir in every time as the sugar coating gives you a start for the next batch.
Ron

[Sugarmaker]

nmerritt,
I don't spray the molds just make sure they are clean and dry. If your candy comes out prefect the first time great. If it doesn't don't give up. Many Many factors to candy making, weather, temp and type of syrup. Use the lightest grade you can get. calibrate your thermometer. 2 cup batch on the stove is a good quantity to start. Med high heat. cook to about 235, set aside to cool with thermometer in place cool to around 175 and then stir by hand until you feel a little grain on the bottom of the pan and or able to see a thin white line trailing the spoon while syrup is dripping off of the wooden spoon as you move over the syrup with the spoon above the syrup. Start pouring into the molds.
Good luck,
You will get lots of other opinions and techniques.
Chris

[VA maple guy]

Hi nmerritt, I don't coate my molds with anything either. I just make shure there clean and dry. I do make candy a little different than Chris does. I boil it over high heat to 32 degrees above what water boils at that day. I start stiring right away. The syrup will have a glossy look to it, when it changes to a satin or flat look i pour it into the molds. I usually make small batches (about one quart) because you don't have much time to get it onto the molds and it fills three twenty cavity molds with just a small amount left over. If it starts to harden while your still pouring it, just put it over some heat for a few seconds, that will buy you a little more time. Good luck! and let us know how it goes.
Gerry

[Sugarmaker]

Yea the 235 might be a little light on the temp. I like your idea of the 32 degrees over where water boils. That would be 244 and you would have a better chance making sugar rather than caramel.

Chris

[Jay]

I tryed my hand at making some candy the other night. The first 2 batches I heated to about 244 or so then let cool to 180 and stired for about 1 minute or so. The next few I heated less to about 236 to 238 and they were as Chris said "carmel" they never hardend. Now I did use year old syrup med amber. What is the consistency of candy when its done, I have never had any or seen any. I thought mine was a little grainy or ruff? I only poured it into muffin pans and filled the bottom of the pan a little. It also has whitish streaks in it...normal? Thanks, Jay

[lew]

When you figure your temperature for making sugar, you are taking the syrup up to a temperature equal to 32 degrees above the boiling point of water "FOR THAT DAY'. Not 32 degrees above what is commonly referred to the boiling point of water 212 degrees. water will boil at 212 degrees only when it is at sea level, or with 1 atmosphere of pressure over it. When you rise above sea level the pressure decreases and the the water will boil at a slightly lower temperature. Also, weather systems play a large part in figuring out the correct temperature to boil at. When a low pressure system moves in, water boils more "easily" than when a high pressure system is in place. At our elevation, 1150 feet above sea level, on most days water will boil at 209 degrees. The only real way to know is to boil water just before you make your sugar. Get the boiling point of water then add your 32 degrees for sugar. I know this sounds a little technical and a bit of a pain, but if you want consistency, this is what you do.

With sugar I find that it is not a super critical criteria to have my syrup boiled to say 241 degrees exactly. A degree above or below will still make good sugar. But when you start to make cream, 1 degree either way will make your batch either too runny or too thick.

[themapleking]

Ya cream the biggest pain in the butt to make. Everything else is simple to make.

[brookledge]

I make atleast 50 pounds per year in various sizes and shapes. Mostly 1/3 oz. and 1 oz. size I have never had to use anything on my molds. After use I wash under hot water and let air dry till used again. For my altitude, usually I'm around 242 and I cool to about 190 before it goes in to the machine. The more it cools the less grainy it will be but when you are running it through a machine and into mold you can't let it cool to much or you will lose it.
Keith

[VA maple guy]

Just one more little thing, if you pour it in your molds befor it changes to a satin or a flat look, you will make carmel.


Jay, the age and grade of syrup wil not make any difference in how your candy sets. The grade will make a difference in the colour. I'm not shure about the whitish streaks i have never run into that.
Gerry

[nmerritt]

Does anyone use an electric mixer? And what's the best way to make cream. I made some with a friend and the first batch came out like peanut butter, the other was grainy, almost like sugar.