longer shelf life candy?

[davey]

Anyone know much about a process that gives maple sugar a longer shelf life?

[brookledge]

Its called crystal coating. I have done it and it works great the only thing is it adds alot of time and labor. With plain candy I usually label it with a six week shelf life. If it is coated I go up to six months.
To do crystal coating you need to boil syrup to 3-4 degrees over syrup cover it with wax paper and let it cool to room temp. then put your candy(after it has dried for atleast 12 hours) in a wire basket and emerse the candy in the syrup it has to be fully covered. Then cover with a fresh piece of wax paper leave it for about 6 hours and remove, it should have a sand paper type of finish to it. You need to keep rotating and flipping as it dries so that it won't stick to the rack.
As you can see it adds alot of time and labor that is why I try to make candy as needed and skip the crystal coating
Keith

[super sappy]

Has anyone tried to take old hard say 6 weeks old candy and dip it to give it a breath of fresh air.2.) When the candy is being dipped can the pieces touch each other. or do they have to soak on say a flat screen type rack-super Sappy

[802maple]

They really should n't touch each other or they will loose there crisp look as they will have flat spots where they touched, also you could refreshen it by dipping it but it wouldn't be very good candy as the candy starts to weep and get the inner part of the candy very crystalized. You are better off to take it off the shelf and add it to your next batch and start over is my experience.

[davey]

How much do you usually adjust your price for doing this, if you don't mind me asking?

[802maple]

Atleast in this area it is hard to adjust your price much as the public see both kinds and most of them without education don't know the difference and the uncoated tastes just as good , so why pay more for it and also the uncoated is fresher

[brookledge]

I believe if you are going to coat the candy you must do it relitivly soon after making it. I have never tried to coat it after it being a few days old.
as 802 said prices are usually the same.
Another way of looking at it is if you make some candy that doesn't sell and you have to throw it away you have lost it whereas if you took the extra time when you made it you might be able to sell it a few months later.
Keith

[HanginAround]

You don't have to throw it away, just re-process it in your next batch.

[brookledge]

You can reprocess it if it hasn't spoiled but after it has gone bad I certainly wouldn't use it again.
Keith

[HanginAround]

What do you call spoiled? I didn't think it would ever spoil, just lose good appearance.

[802maple]

I couldn't imagine what it would be if you could not turn it into Indian sugar (granulated sugar) I never throw away any maple as indian sugar is the grand catchall in the end and a very saleable product