It’s Tip Friday on Marilyn’s Treats. And todays tip is Cooking Sugar Syrups.
Cooking Sugar Syrups
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. 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. Soft caramels
250-265°F – Hard ball Hot syrup will form thick threads when dripped from a spoon. 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!
This article is part of the Tips That Help in the Kitchen Series, Tip Friday.
Lisa/Syncopated Mama
July 12, 2016 at 4:38 PMThis is such a handy list to have around the kitchen! Thanks for joining us at #FridayFrivolity!
Marilyn
July 12, 2016 at 7:57 PMThank you Lisa. It is one of those to store away…. And forget here you put it !
Frugal Hausfrau
July 5, 2016 at 7:59 PMI 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
Marilyn
July 5, 2016 at 9:38 PMYou are welcome Zmollie! Send me some and I will make you waffles!
Nikki Frank-Hamilton
July 5, 2016 at 6:39 PMYou 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!
Marilyn
July 5, 2016 at 9:37 PMAvtully 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..
Katrin
July 3, 2016 at 11:46 AMI 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!
Marilyn
July 3, 2016 at 4:01 PMI 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!
Erlene A
July 2, 2016 at 3:04 PMLove all of your tips. I don’t melt sugar often, but it’s good to know the correct temperatures when I do.
Marilyn
July 2, 2016 at 3:39 PMI 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.
Carla a.k.a Mrs. R
June 30, 2016 at 12:08 PMGreat 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 !
Marilyn
June 30, 2016 at 7:44 PMCooking 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!
Martie
June 30, 2016 at 9:23 AMGreat tip! It’s more like a guide that I can refer back to again and again! Thanks, Marilyn! 🙂
Marilyn
June 30, 2016 at 7:43 PMYou are welcome. I dont make candy much but it was helpful!
Jess
June 29, 2016 at 3:31 PMSuch 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!
Marilyn
June 29, 2016 at 5:11 PMI will Jess!
Sandra Garth
June 29, 2016 at 2:52 PMExcellent tips and so good to have handy in the kitchen!
Marilyn
June 29, 2016 at 5:11 PMThank you Sandra!
Angela @marathonsandmotivation.com
June 29, 2016 at 11:22 AMGreat tips Marilyn! Pinned, so I can refer back to this 🙂
Marilyn
June 29, 2016 at 5:10 PMThank you Angela. Much appreciated.
Helen Fern
June 29, 2016 at 8:46 AMYou 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!
Marilyn
June 29, 2016 at 5:09 PMThank you for your kind comment Helen!
Nicki truesdell
June 27, 2016 at 4:15 PMGreat tips! We are going to make some homemade sno-cone syrups this week, so this comes in handy. Visiting from Mommy Monday Blog Hop.
Marilyn
June 27, 2016 at 8:02 PMI am glad the timing worked for ypu! Good luck. Let me know how they turn out!