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Thread: Cream (no crystal) mouth feel, soft maple candy?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Esko,MN
    Posts
    290

    Default Cream (no crystal) mouth feel, soft maple candy?

    I have read, highlighted, re-read The North American Maple Syrup Producers Manual about how to make soft maple candy, nougat, and cream . I would like to produce a soft maple candy that has zero crystal mouth feel to it. I am trying to make small batch, no candy machine, quality maple candy.I cannot do it. I'm frustrated. I have used the 0.7 and 1.4 invert syrup as the manual says the lower the invert, the larger the crystal. I tried the 1.4 invert syrup, I have boiled to 32 degrees above boiling after checking what the boiling point of what is at the time I make it by boiling water just before I start. I wait until a dry day to try to make it. I cool the cooked syrup without movement until 180 degrees and then stirred the syrup and poured into molds. I have rapid cooled and slow cooled the cooked syrup. I have read in the North American Manual that a faster stir creates smaller crystals so I have tried stirring slow as well as fast. I get a nicely firm, melt in your mouth piece of soft candy but there is always a crystal/graininess to my product. Albeit it is a fine crystal, I would like the mouth feel of cream (no crystals). How do I get rid of the small sugar crystal mouth feel? Any help would be appreciated.
    Chad

    2014: 12 taps, 5 gal buckets
    2015: 15 taps on bags
    2016: 150 taps: 100 on bags, 50 on 3/16" natural vac, 2x8 AUF/AOF Homebuilt Arch, 2x8 SL Drop Flu & Auto Draw, SL Propane Canner/Bottler
    2017: 225 taps: Built Lean to, Added SL hood, preheater, concentric exhaust, SL SS 7" SB Filter Press
    2018: 180 taps: Added Shurflo to 50 - 3/16", Auto fill sensor to head tank
    2019: No tapping
    2020: 175 taps
    2021: 300 taps, homemade RO and releaser
    2022: 600+ taps

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
    Location
    Nashville, MI
    Posts
    943

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    Doc, I know nothing about the making of the candy, but your description sure did make me want some right now. I may have to go out and buy some from one of the local producers. Your batches that you are making sound perfect to me.
    2004 - 2012 2x3 flat pan 25 to 60 taps
    2012 2x3 new divided pan w/draw off 55 taps
    2018 - didn't boil surgery - bought new evaporator
    2019 new SML 2x4 raised flue high output evap. 65 taps
    made 17 gal. syrup
    2020 - only put out 53 taps - made 16.25 ga.l syrup
    2021 - Didn't work out
    2022 - 25 taps on bags / 8 taps on 3/16's line - late start

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    Murrysville, Pennsylvania
    Posts
    480

    Default

    I think you are going too high on your initial temperature and also not letting it cool enough. Normally cream is made by going ~22 - 28 F over boiling (~235 F for example) and letting cool to room temperature or even lower to reduce crystal size and create smoother texture. Checked manual and it confirms this for traditional cream.
    D. Roseum
    www.roseummaple.com
    ~100 taps on 3/16 custom temp controlled vacuum; shurflo vacuum #2; custom nat gas evap with auto-drawoff and tank level gas shut-off controller; homemade RO #1; homemade RO #2; SL SS filter press
    2021: 27.1 gallons
    2022: 35 gallons

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Esko,MN
    Posts
    290

    Default

    I may not have explained myself correctly. I don't want to make maple cream. I want to make soft molded maple candy. I want the candy to have the mouth feel of cream, i.e. not being able to feel the crystals on the tongue.
    Chad

    2014: 12 taps, 5 gal buckets
    2015: 15 taps on bags
    2016: 150 taps: 100 on bags, 50 on 3/16" natural vac, 2x8 AUF/AOF Homebuilt Arch, 2x8 SL Drop Flu & Auto Draw, SL Propane Canner/Bottler
    2017: 225 taps: Built Lean to, Added SL hood, preheater, concentric exhaust, SL SS 7" SB Filter Press
    2018: 180 taps: Added Shurflo to 50 - 3/16", Auto fill sensor to head tank
    2019: No tapping
    2020: 175 taps
    2021: 300 taps, homemade RO and releaser
    2022: 600+ taps

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Garrettsville,Ohio
    Posts
    622

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by docsmaplesyrup View Post
    i may not have explained myself correctly. I don't want to make maple cream. I want to make soft molded maple candy. I want the candy to have the mouth feel of cream, i.e. Not being able to feel the crystals on the tongue.
    your talking about a fudge? That is made by same means as sugar candy except it is cooled to room temp(dont touch until it is) then stirred until it turns hard and cut/break into pieces. Smooth texture and stays to form. Doing this and putting in molds is not an option. It has to be manipulated as it turns to stay to form.
    Fred Ahrens
    330-206-1606
    Richards Ohio Maple Equipment
    Ohio CDL sales rep
    LaPierre Dealer
    H&M maple fabricator Dealer
    Service Tech/repair for all brands and electronics

    don't take life too serious, nobody gets out alive anyways!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    Rumney NH
    Posts
    127

    Default

    soft candy is the best but does not last long. I boil to 240-ish. just shy of real candy. the crystals i think are part of making the candy firm. the smoothest candy i ever made was with a run that was boiled on January 27. that is about a month ealer than I normally tap. candies were almost white. just my 2 cents
    2017 140 taps 30x8 12x16 shack 28.5 gal
    2018 158 taps 30x8 12x16 shack with 8x8 kitchen 44 gal
    2019 223 taps 30x8 12x16 shack with 8x8 kitchen 36 gal
    2020 226 taps 30x8 12x16 shack with 8x8 kitchen 250 waterloo ro 63 gal
    2021 230 taps 30x8 12x16 shack with 8x8 kitchen 250 waterloo ro 37 gal
    2022 230 taps 30x8 12x16 shack with 8x8 kitchen 250 waterloo ro 55 gal
    2023 235 taps 30x8 12x16 waterloo ro 50 gal
    2024 54gal

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