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
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.
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
250-265°F – Hard ball
Hot syrup will form thick threads when dripped from a spoon.
Ex: Marshmallows, divinity, rock candy, nougat
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
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
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 is such a handy list to have around the kitchen! Thanks for joining us at #FridayFrivolity!
Thank you Lisa. It is one of those to store away…. And forget here you put it !
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
You are welcome Zmollie! Send me some and I will make you waffles!
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!
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..
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!
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!
Love all of your tips. I don’t melt sugar often, but it’s good to know the correct temperatures when I do.
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.
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 !
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!
Great tip! It’s more like a guide that I can refer back to again and again! Thanks, Marilyn! 🙂
You are welcome. I dont make candy much but it was helpful!
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!
I will Jess!
Excellent tips and so good to have handy in the kitchen!
Thank you Sandra!
Great tips Marilyn! Pinned, so I can refer back to this 🙂
Thank you Angela. Much appreciated.
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!
Thank you for your kind comment Helen!
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.
I am glad the timing worked for ypu! Good luck. Let me know how they turn out!