Lollipops

[sugaring in vt]

So my wife decided after watching a story on the local news that she wanted to make some lollipops. So I looked up recipes on hear for her. When I told her she needed to add glucose or some other ingredients she said they didn't on the news. So we made them the way she saw it done and they came out fine. We just heated the syrup to 295 degrees and poured into the forms. They came out good. So my question is why do some recipes add other ingredients like corn syrup, Kero syrup, or invertase( spelling?). Is this something that extends shelf life? Thanks for replies

[unc23win]

I believe adding other ingredients is more of a way of saving syrup although it might add to the shelf life. Typical rock candy is white sugar with karo syrup so some recipes will just substitute syrup for white sugar.

[sugaring in vt]

Sounds like a good way to save on the cost. thanks for the reply.

[jmayerl]

It has nothing to do with costs. To make candy that doesn't pull out customer filling, other ingredients are added. Ours are 50% syrup, as is every recipe I have seen.

[sugaring in vt]

We didn't seem to have that problem with the ones we made. I have bought some before that were very sticky. The ones we made we heated to almost 300 degrees and they came out very hard and very brittle. I don't know if it matters but we did use a very dark syrup. We are going to make some more so it will be interesting to see if they turn out the same or do get the stickiness this time around. Its all a learning experience for us.

[Scribner's Mountain Maple]

I was interested in making some lolli's for the kids and some friends. What is the typical recipe for a small batch and how is the batch prepared before it goes into the mold? i.e temp, other ingredients, stirring, etc.

Thanks for any info,
Ben

[sugaring in vt]

The ones we made were just maple syrup. We used a cup and a half of syrup. We heated our syrup in a small saucepan with high sides so as not to make a mess boiling over. We heated the syrup to almost 300 degrees and shut the heat off and let it settle for a little bit before pouring into candy molds. I don't think you can wait to long as it does cool fairly quickly and get hard to pour. We put ours in a glass measuring cup so we could reheat it a little bit in the microwave to be able to keep pouring. When heating it to 300 we started on medium heat till it got to about 280 then we turned the heat down to low. When it gets to about 292 we shut the heat off. It still gained 3-4 degree from the heat in the pan. It rises very quickly once it hit the 290 temp. I will say these turn out to have a very strong maple flavor that some people may find to strong. They are also very dark colored almost like chocolate. I looked at some recipes on here that call for adding glucose or Karo syrup and some other ingredients. These recipes may make the candies more like what you see at stores but I can't say that for sure because I didn't make them that way. I've also been told they are made with these ingredients so they don't stick to your teeth. We didn't experience that with the ones we made but we've only made them once so take everything I say as a complete novice at it. Lol

[MapleGuy12]

Also there are other ingredients because it will make a bigger batch with less syrup. I do 1 cup of very dark syrup , 1 cup of corn syrup , and 1 cup of white sugar. Take it up to 275 degrees. We store them in the fridge so they last longer but we haven't been able to test that theory because we cann't keep them in stock. Great seller and you make good money on them.

John

[SeanD]

John, what molds do you use? I can't imagine the thin, white plastic lollipop molds I've seen withstanding those temps. How many lollipops do you get from your batch?

Sean

[MapleGuy12]

Yes those are the molds I use. I buy them from leader and they are made to withstand the temperature. I get around 50 lollipops , so I get 4 batches out of one quart of syrup.

John

[SeanD]

Thanks. So the 1 cup maple syrup, 1 cup corn syrup, 1 cup white sugar is a batch that yields 50 lollipops or is that what you get from 4 batches? Do they cool fast enough that the molds can be ready by the time the next batch is ready to pour? I think these would be a hit at my market. How much do you sell them for?

[MapleGuy12]

The 1 cup ratio is a batch and you get 50 lollipops out of that. Yes, they cool pretty quick. They are a big hit for my markets. I sell them 2 for $1.00, some people say my price on them are to cheap but at that price i still make great money.

John

[SeanD]

Wow, that's a lot of pops for one batch. I'll need more molds than I thought. I'm definitely going to play around with these this winter and bring them to market next season.

I'm going to put out some maple sticks next week and see how they do. I'm going to sell those for 25 cents. That's what I get for my honey sticks. Without really seeing the size difference between a maple stick and a lollipop, I would think you could easily get a buck for each lollipop. I personally wouldn't think twice about giving my kid a buck to get one. Maybe I'm picturing something bigger like the big lobsters.

I wonder if my heat sealer will mold and seal a bag around the stick. Do you wrap in plastic wrap?

Thanks for the info. This is good stuff.

[MapleGuy12]

No I put them in the same bag as my molded sugar candy. So that the sticks stay clean and protected.

John

[SeanD]

Ah, right. Put the whole thing in a bag. Better. Thanks for the tip.

[blurr95]

Yes those are the molds I use. I buy them from leader and they are made to withstand the temperature. I get around 50 lollipops , so I get 4 batches out of one quart of syrup.

John What molds are you using from Leader, I was looking at them today, and they listed a 3, 5, and 6 count mold. Very interested in making these.

Thanks Jason

[unc23win]

Any secrets about getting them out of the molds? Mine came out just not as nice as I wanted. Maybe I was inpatient?

[Moser's Maple]

Any secrets about getting them out of the molds? Mine came out just not as nice as I wanted. Maybe I was inpatient?

I normally coat the mold with food grade glycerine

[unc23win]

I normally coat the mold with food grade glycerine

Thank you I ordered some from Amazon.

[SognSyrup]

Following.

Yum.

[Bruce L]

Made my first maple suckers or lollipops last night,one question is about bagging them,do you inflate the small bag somewhat so the sucker is not against it,and if so how?

[SeanD]

Made a batch of these last night. Many thanks to all who provided input.

Anyone looking to try these, I'll add that the liquid comes to a boil easily and quickly, so use medium/low or low heat. By the time I reached 240+ I had the burner on low/simmer to keep the boil going.

To bag them, I just gave the bag a shake to open it up and just tried to be careful not to touch the sides putting it in.

Sean

[DMF]

Resurrecting an old thread here. How do you guys package these lollipops? Sean and Bruce above mention bags... Where do you get them and how are they sealed?

Thanks in advance!

Rich

[SeanD]

I use heat seal bags. The whole thing stick and all goes in the bag. I usually shop around when I need them. For a long time, Staples had the best deal, but they stopped carrying them. You'll find cheap bags, but they'll nail you on the shipping. I think my last order went to U-line.

[DMF]

Awesome, thanks!