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Marilyns Treats

June 24, 2016 · 24 Comments

Tip Friday Cooking Sugar Syrups

Tip Friday

When making marshmallows, meringues, caramels or candy the recipe can call for cooking and creating sugar syrups. This can be confusing but is easily clarified with the following tips and chart.

Cooking Sugar Syrups

When sugar and water are combined and cooked, the water evaporates as the mixture boils. This concentrates the sugar in the solution, and allows the temperature of the syrup to climb. By stopping the cooking process at different points along the way, sugar will behave differently. These stages can be identified with a candy thermometer, or by certain physical characteristics.

The chart below shows some of the most commonly called for stages of cooking sugar, what they’re used for, and how the sugar behaves at each temperature.

Several recipes on my site call for sugar syrups to be cooked to a specific temperature in order to make marshmallows, meringues, or caramels.

When sugar and water are combined and cooked, the water evaporates as the mixture boils.

This concentrates the sugar in the solution, and allows the temperature of the syrup to climb. By stopping the cooking process at different points along the way, sugar will behave differently.

These stages can be identified with a candy thermometer, or by certain physical characteristics.

The chart below shows some of the most commonly called for stages of cooking sugar, what they’re used for, and how the sugar behaves at each temperature.

COMMON STAGES FOR COOKING SUGAR SYRUPS

When making marshmallows, meringues, caramels or candy the recipe can call for cooking and creating sugar syrups. This can be confusing but is easily clarified with the following tips and chart.

235-240°F – Soft ball

When 1/4 teaspoon of the sugar syrup is dropped into a dish of cold water, it can be shaped into a pliable ball.

Ex: Fudge, pralines, seven-minute frosting, classic buttercream frosting, and Italian meringues.

When making marshmallows, meringues, caramels or candy the recipe can call for cooking and creating sugar syrups. This can be confusing but is easily clarified with the following tips and chart.

245-250°F – Firm ball

When 1/4 teaspoon of hot syrup is dropped into a dish of cold water, it will form a firm ball that doesn’t flatten when removed from the water, but will compress when squeezed.

Ex: Soft caramels

When making marshmallows, meringues, caramels or candy the recipe can call for cooking and creating sugar syrups. This can be confusing but is easily clarified with the following tips and chart.

250-265°F – Hard ball

Hot syrup will form thick threads when dripped from a spoon.

Ex: Marshmallows, divinity, rock candy, nougat

When making marshmallows, meringues, caramels or candy the recipe can call for cooking and creating sugar syrups. This can be confusing but is easily clarified with the following tips and chart.

270-290°F – Soft crack

Hot syrup dropped into ice water can be separated into hard threads. When taken out of water, they’ll bend slightly before breaking. Taffy

When making marshmallows, meringues, caramels or candy the recipe can call for cooking and creating sugar syrups. This can be confusing but is easily clarified with the following tips and chart.

300-310°F – Hard crack

Hot syrup dropped into ice water separates into hard, brittle threads that break without bending. Toffee, nut brittles, stained glass cookie filling or lollipops

When making marshmallows, meringues, caramels or candy the recipe can call for cooking and creating sugar syrups. This can be confusing but is easily clarified with the following tips and chart.

338°F – Caramelized

1/4 teaspoon of hot caramel will make a brittle ball in cold water. The clear syrup begins to turn brown, and more complex flavor compounds begin to form. The sugar gets less sweet as it continues to cook.

Want recipes ideas for your Sugar Syrup? Try my Vanilla Bean Bread Pudding with Coffee Syrup or this Caramel Topping!

Most images in my Tip Friday Series use free stock photos. This article is part of the Tips That Help in the Kitchen Series, Tip Friday.

This Caramel Sauce is simple to make on your stove top! Add sugar, butter, honey and vanilla make this delicious topping for your best desserts. it is easy and quick.Caramel Sauce Simple sugar, butter, honey and vanilla make this delicious topping for your best desserts.
Caramel Topping
This is a great recipe and easy to make as long as you pay attention to the stirring and heating of your ingredients. 
Check out this recipe
These chocolate dipped cream candies have a delicious coconut pecan taste.
Martha Washington Candy
These chocolate dipped cream candies have a delicious coconut pecan taste. They are great for your holiday tins. Don’t get caught empty handed.
Check out this recipe
Sweetheart Fantasy Fudge ~Like Divinity ? Love this fudge! Sugar, white chocolate, marshmallow cream, vanilla, and walnuts are all you need.
Sweetheart Fantasy Fudge
Sweetheart Fantasy Fudge ~if you like Divinity you are going to love this fudge! Sugar, white chocolate, marshmallow cream, vanilla, butter, and walnuts are all you need.
Check out this recipe

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Comments

  1. blankLisa/Syncopated Mama says

    July 12, 2016 at 4:38 PM

    This is such a handy list to have around the kitchen! Thanks for joining us at #FridayFrivolity!

    Reply
    • blankMarilyn says

      July 12, 2016 at 7:57 PM

      Thank you Lisa. It is one of those to store away…. And forget here you put it !

      Reply
  2. blankFrugal Hausfrau says

    July 5, 2016 at 7:59 PM

    I didn’t have a thermometer for decades and relied on a sheet like this torn from an old book – pinning!!

    Thanks for sharing with us on Throwback Thursday!

    Mollie

    Reply
    • blankMarilyn says

      July 5, 2016 at 9:38 PM

      You are welcome Zmollie! Send me some and I will make you waffles!

      Reply
  3. blankNikki Frank-Hamilton says

    July 5, 2016 at 6:39 PM

    You are so knowledgeable about cooking. So impressive. I had no idea that different temps would make the sugar react differently. So cool. I haven’t worked with a candy thermometer much, but I’m thinking I need to get one and perform experiments with sugar. LOL The results of the experiments will be delish!

    Reply
    • blankMarilyn says

      July 5, 2016 at 9:37 PM

      Avtully making candy is the one thing I hate! Mine doesnt come out well and buying a good godiva is much more pleasurable. I only do it to bond with my granddaughter..

      Reply
  4. blankKatrin says

    July 3, 2016 at 11:46 AM

    I had no idea, as usual your tip is so helpful and even though I’ve never melted sugar I think, it’s great to know how to do it the right way!

    Reply
    • blankMarilyn says

      July 3, 2016 at 4:01 PM

      I personally tried it for Christmas but I ended up blistering my fingers until I realized there was a better way! Have a great week Katrin!

      Reply
  5. blankErlene A says

    July 2, 2016 at 3:04 PM

    Love all of your tips. I don’t melt sugar often, but it’s good to know the correct temperatures when I do.

    Reply
    • blankMarilyn says

      July 2, 2016 at 3:39 PM

      I have done very few candy projects. Melting sugat is my least favorite style to use but it does have its purpose. Thanks for adding your opinion! Glad we agree.

      Reply
  6. blankCarla a.k.a Mrs. R says

    June 30, 2016 at 12:08 PM

    Great tip Marilyn, I’ll have to save this. I tried making sea salt caramels last year as Christmas gifts but I failed terribly. I know it’s really simple but sometimes it’s the simple things that baffle me lol Thank you for supporting #SimplifyWednesdays !

    Reply
    • blankMarilyn says

      June 30, 2016 at 7:44 PM

      Cooking these things are always so much more trouble than just buying them. I do it with my granddaughter to make memories or I wouldn’t do this at all!

      Reply
  7. blankMartie says

    June 30, 2016 at 9:23 AM

    Great tip! It’s more like a guide that I can refer back to again and again! Thanks, Marilyn! 🙂

    Reply
    • blankMarilyn says

      June 30, 2016 at 7:43 PM

      You are welcome. I dont make candy much but it was helpful!

      Reply
  8. blankJess says

    June 29, 2016 at 3:31 PM

    Such great tips! 🙂

    I would love for you to share this with my Facebook Group for Crafts, Recipes, and Tips and Tricks: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pluckyrecipescraftstips/

    Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!

    Reply
    • blankMarilyn says

      June 29, 2016 at 5:11 PM

      I will Jess!

      Reply
  9. blankSandra Garth says

    June 29, 2016 at 2:52 PM

    Excellent tips and so good to have handy in the kitchen!

    Reply
    • blankMarilyn says

      June 29, 2016 at 5:11 PM

      Thank you Sandra!

      Reply
  10. blankAngela @marathonsandmotivation.com says

    June 29, 2016 at 11:22 AM

    Great tips Marilyn! Pinned, so I can refer back to this 🙂

    Reply
    • blankMarilyn says

      June 29, 2016 at 5:10 PM

      Thank you Angela. Much appreciated.

      Reply
  11. blankHelen Fern says

    June 29, 2016 at 8:46 AM

    You amaze me with your knowledge in the kitchen. You share so many tips that are really easy to remember. I’ve never been successful with the syrups for candy making – but maybe now I will!! Thanks for sharing on the What’s for Dinner link up!

    Reply
    • blankMarilyn says

      June 29, 2016 at 5:09 PM

      Thank you for your kind comment Helen!

      Reply
  12. blankNicki truesdell says

    June 27, 2016 at 4:15 PM

    Great tips! We are going to make some homemade sno-cone syrups this week, so this comes in handy. Visiting from Mommy Monday Blog Hop.

    Reply
    • blankMarilyn says

      June 27, 2016 at 8:02 PM

      I am glad the timing worked for ypu! Good luck. Let me know how they turn out!

      Reply

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