Hard Candy without Corn Syrup
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 ส.ค. 2020
- For a written recipe for the hard candy without corn syrup, click here: jacksonsjob.com/hard-candy-wi...
Let’s learn how to make hard candy without corn syrup or artificial flavors and dyes. Hard candy with just sugar is a tricky process and can take several tries to learn how to make it. Some people pick up this process right away and others struggle for years. This video will show some of the common mistakes and how to prevent them. Be sure to check out the website for more details.
The secret to success is patience and using clean equipment. You will learn how to melt sugar just before it caramelizes which will result in a pleasant tasting candy on it’s own.
If desired, you can use any flavoring in equal amounts or leave the flavoring out altogether and get a nice sweet candy. Only use flavoring that is labeled for food use. Do not use essential oils as they are not labeled for consumption.
TIPS:
Non-stick pans are notorious for causing candies to crystalize. It is not recommend to use one. Stainless steel with a heavy bottom is the ideal pan for making caramel and candy.
Crystalized sugar happens to the best of chefs and bakers out there, so don’t worry if it takes you several tries to learn how to make this candy. If you have never made hard candy before, you can put in a tablespoon of honey or glucose syrup to help prevent crystallization until you learn how to make this with just sugar and water.
You can add 1/2 tsp of lemon juice or vinegar to the water also help prevent crystallization. Cream of tartar can also be used at 1/4 tsp. These ingredients were left out to show how to do the process with minimal ingredients for those that have allergies or food sensitivities.
If crystallization does occur, you can reuse the sugar if it isn't burnt. Simply return it to the pan with more water.
Recipes were created by weighing ingredients. For best results, use a scale and not measuring cups. The recipe can be subject to change. Be sure to check website for any alterations.
Happy Baking! - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
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Hi 👋 It did not work for us. We did everything the video said and tried several times. Glad it worked for everyone else though.
Oh no! Candy making can be very tricky. Humidity can play a big role in whether or not it will be successful. If you want to tell me what went wrong I will be glad to help with some tips and tricks!
Everything was fine until we poured the sugar water liquid into the pan. It was not clear and it dried right away and turned into a white pale color. What should we do next time?
Hi again, Adalynn!
You experienced the dreaded crystallization of sugar. Sugar prefers to stay in its stable/dry state and is always searching for an opportunity to return to it. All it takes is one tiny undissolved grain of sugar to cause a reaction and quickly start to form a chain of sugar crystals. It happens rapidly as you saw.
There are a few ways to help prevent this. I’ll list each one. Some may be repetitive from the video but it’s been a long time since I made it, so kindly bare with me.
Lower the heat and let the sugar water cook at a much lower temperature for longer. Do not let it boil until the sugar dissolves. When the water boils too early, tiny bits of sugar hits the sides of the pan adhering to it and as you are pouring out the melted sugar, it will often pick up those grains and cause havoc. By dissolving the sugar prior to the boiling action, it helps prevent this from happening.
Wash down the sides of the pan as you are cooking, turning down the heat to a low simmer occasionally and really take your time. It could take a good minute or more to make sure you don’t see any sugar bits. Pay attention to the areas around the thermometer and rivets of the pan. Sugar loves to find nooks and crannies. I like to use hot water and a pastry brush as it seems to do a better job of ungluing those bits of sugar from the sides than cold water and a silicone brush.
This is the part that always trips me up. Don’t use the same spoon that you start out with to remove the candy or scrape the sides of the pan as you are pouring out the liquid. Stray sugar crystals love to stick to the spoon. If I do need to use the spoon to add flavoring or coloring, I wash the spoon really well after the sugar has dissolved in the pan to make sure there are no bits sugar hiding out. Scraping the sides will help any stuck sugar crystals to sneak into your candy. It’s best to just pour and leave the last bit in the pan.
When preparing the surface you are going to pour the candy into, I like to do this step either after or away from pouring the sugar into the pan. I have accidentally gotten bits of sugar onto the surface of the sheet pan I’m using while simply prepping. And I would always notice just a little too late (usually as I was pouring the candy into the pan.) This is honestly the second most common mistake I make.
Pay attention to the weather. Since sugar is hygroscopic (attracts moisture from the air,) rainy or humid weather can make it difficult to melt sugar properly or to even set.
Non-stick cookware can cause issues. If any bits of sugar forms on the sides of the pan, they are easily dislodged and can make their way back into the melted sugar easier. Plus, many non-stick surfaces are not recommended as they need to get to a very high heat for a long time and can off-gas or warp some pans.
Finally, you can add a tiny bit of vinegar or lemon juice to the water to help prevent crystallization. The acidity interrupts the chain reaction by delaying it. Kind of like running interference. You only need 1/2 - 1 tsp (2.5-5mL.)
Now: the crystallized sugar you ended up with, you don’t have to throw it out. It can be reused unless it was burned. (And burned sugar is very distinct as it will smell terrible and be dark brown or blackened.) Break the crystallized sugar into pieces or crumble it up depending on the texture and put it back in your pan. Add more water and start over.
Most importantly, don’t give up. There are professional chefs that crystallize sugar even with loads of practice and experience. Candy making and creating caramel has a skill to it that takes time to learn and even with that skill, problems can still occur. Sugar can be volatile and finicky. But once you learn it’s nature and work with melted sugar a while, you really start to master candy making.
I hope this helps you and wasn’t too wordy. If you need more help, please let me know as I want you to be successful. Have a great evening!
Thank You So Much! You are so kind to take Time and Help. Thanks Again
You are very welcome. If it helps at all, I struggled for a long time to learn how to make candy. Some people are naturals and the rest of us have to develop skill over time with a lot of disastrous results. 😳😩😄 Please let me know how it turns out for you!
Well, this looks super simple. However, i'm going to start with the sugar candy w/o flavourings to start. Thanks for a wonderful and straight to the point video.
Try to avoid non-stick pans. They are notorious for crystallizing sugar. If the sugar crystallizes, you can dump it back in the pan, add more water and try again. You can also add 1/2 tsp of white vinegar or lemon juice to the water in the beginning to help. I found it's easiest to practice without the flavoring and it tastes wonderful without any addition. It's how I personally make it. Any issues, let me know and I'll be happy to help walk you through it.
Thanks so much for this recipe
You are very welcome! 😊
I'm going to try this, thank you for this very informative recipe 😀
Good luck! If you need any help, just let me know. It's got a learning curve to it.
Very insightful thanks a lot..I wonder why you didn't use lemon juice to prevent crystalization..
Very good question! It can be beneficial to put in an acid like lemon juice, vinegar or cream of tartar to prevent crystallizing the sugar. However, the intent was to make this with very limited ingredients for those with allergies or very sensitive to smells and taste. Many with heightened senses do not like the bitterness the lemon gives as it cooks.
I am not sure about lemon juice I never tried it. I only see citric acid in candy process and they add so much of it. And pure citric acid is more extreme than the juice I guess. So I don't want to know how much lemon juice to use then 😂since they put so much pure acid
How much lemon juice is good?
1/2 - 1 tsp (2.5 - 5 mL) is sufficient. If you like the taste of lemon use the full tsp.
Thank y'all for makin' dis
That sugar candy sure looks mighty fine!
You are quite welcome!
“Mr. White, You’re an artist!”
-Jesse Pinkman, Breaking Bad
We love Breaking Bad! Have you finished the series? I think we have watched it several times now.
@@Jacksonsjob nah I haven’t finished the series but I’ve watched some of the famous episodes and I thought it would be funny if I were to be the first to mention a breaking bad reference since hard candy looks a lot like meth
I think you’ll really like it as it progresses. It got better as opposed to worse like so many series out there. The comment was very funny, but you weren’t the first. There are a lot of Breaking Bad fans lurking in the comment section of this and the other candy recipe. I think we could start a series fan base on here. 🤗😆
Thanks for recipe. Was looking for one exspecially without corn syrup.
You’re welcome. Have fun! If you have run into any difficulties, I’ll be glad to help. It’s can be little tricky when you first start making candy in general.
@@Jacksonsjob im curious if you can do this with coconut sugar. I would like to try that. Coconut sugar has a different flavor to it.
@honestabe6841 you likely could do so as you are simply changing the sugar into a different shape. I did a little bit of poking around and I found several recipes that used coconut sugar for hard candies. Maybe this one would be one for you to try? www.ouroilyhouse.com/how-to-make-healthy-suckers/
I hope that helps you. If you do try this recipe with coconut sugar, please let me know what happens. Have a great day!
I am a kid chef and first time i tried this i got it! It was t=not the easiest thing but it worked thank you very much!
You should feel very proud of yourself! Adults have a tendency to not get this on their first try. Congratulations, gamervo!👨🏽🍳
It workkedd omg thank u so much!
You are very welcome. Glad it worked out so well for you! ☺️
I did this and it worked sooo well! I used half a teaspoon of cherry blossom powder for flavor and it was super good and gave it a natural pinkish color. 100% recommend
That sounds amazing! I’m going to have to look for cherry blossom powder and try it out myself.
You just earned another sub
Thank you, Elias! Have a great weekend.
Thank you very much for the recipe it really worked
I also added blue food colouring during the part where I added the flavour.
You are very welcome. Breaking Bad fan, perchance? 🧐
@@Jacksonsjob I sure am a fan.
Really loved it.😊🙏❤️
Same! It was a great show. I have no idea how this recipe got associated with so many Breaking Bad fans, but I love all the witty comments left and chats with everyone!
@Jacksonsjob I guess, because this is how the props were made for show, except they used corn syrup.
There are tutorials out there that show us how to make it, but I couldn't since I had no syrup, so I searched if there is a way to make it without syrup and I found this video which I'm glad it exists and it helped alot of people 🙏❤️😊
That’s too cool they used corn syrup candies for the props! I’m so glad you explained how you got here. I bet many people don’t have corn syrup floating around in their pantry, me included. I’m just glad to help a fellow Breaking Bad fan out! 😁
Thank you! Your tips and instructions helped a lot! I miraculously managed a success on the first try! I mixed the sugar water in a separate measuring cup/pitcher since you were worried about contamination. Worked beautifully!
I'm going to share my sheer dumb luck candy with my neighbor! I'm certainly not going to be able to eat it all.
Brilliant idea to use a separate measuring cup to mix the water and sugar. And very impressive on your first try! 😁 Enjoy your candy! Your neighbor will be thrilled to get homemade sweets. 😊🤗
make a business, sell it for money.
@@grazielamink Hell no. Too much effort for not enough money. My disability means I barely have the energy to keep my flesh-prison operational _and_ do the job I currently have. And I don't even do well at maintaining my flesh prison; just today my brain decided to get foggy to the point where I felt like I was _seriously_ stoned. I had potstickers for dinner because I couldn't figure out how to make anything else... including a sandwich. Adding another job on top of that? Heck no.
Doing an activity for fun is completely different from starting a business. I simply do not have the ability to do that right now.
@@aldenheterodyne2833 that’s tragic
i didnt knew it was that EASY to make METH thank you for teaching me
Another Breaking Bad fan! Who is your favorite character?
say my name..@@Jacksonsjob
Haha. Walter.
So I had to make blue candy (from breaking bad) for my biology project. We don't have corn syrup here in Lithuania so this recipe was perfect, I was surprised how easy it was to make! Although it slightly crystalized. My mom was optimistic about cleaning up, but it only needed hot water! It tasted like one of those rooster lollipops you would buy in the outside market 😄
That is wonderful! Too funny that you are making Breaking Bad candy for a school project in biology! That really makes the show even better given Walter’s profession. 🤣🤣🤣. If the candy ever crystallizes, you can always add more water and start over, melting down the sugar once more until all the crystals dissolve. Those rooster lollipops sound great! Hope you do well on your project and get great marks!
Thanks, I got a 10 which is A+ 😊
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🥳🥳🥳 Fantastic news!!! Congratulations on your grade!
I put mine over some blueberries that I broke up into larger shards to decorate muffins with and the berries bled a bit to make the candy a wonderful color
Bradley, that sounds so awesome I wish I could see a photo of it! I love stuff like that and wish I had the skillset for decorating muffins and such. You have a lot of talent. ☺️👏🏻
Love this
That sounds delicious! Like taffy without the corn-syrup. Yum!
very informative video, thank you!!! making this for my breaking bad finale watch party and i’ve never made candy before, so i’m a bit nervous. should i add cream of tartar if i have it on hand? if so, when? and will inserting the thermometer/stirring in the dye and flavoring cause crystallization? thank you!!
also, if i double the recipe will it fit in an average sheet pan? sorry for all the questions!!
I’m sorry I’m just getting bake to you. I had to bake around 300 cookies and it took all day!
If you have lemon juice or vinegar, I personally would use it over the cream of tartar since you are new to this. The cream of tartar, juice or vinegar is added in the beginning with the sugar and water.
Make sure to put in the thermometer when you start and it will be less likely to give you issues. If you carefully wash down the sides as you go, the thermometer and stirring in the dye shouldn’t cause an issue.
Yes, you can double the recipe and use a larger sheet pan. It will take longer to dissolve and come up to a boil. Take your time so you don’t burn it.
If the dreaded crystallization does happen, you can return it to the pan and reheat the mixture with more water until all the sugar dissolves. Crystallization is basically sugar returning to its original state.
Enjoy your party! We loved that show. I was not a fan of the spin-off but my husband enjoyed it a lot.
Yo mr white THIS IS ART
Hi, Jesse!
Actually Jesse, it's just basic Chemistry
@rhuridking I never grow old of the Breaking Bad references! They all make laugh. 😆 Thanks for the smiles! 🧊😃🧪
Curious if you know a fast way to get the sugar to dissolve when mixing it? It takes forever to get the sugar completely dissolved sometimes.
Hi, Michael! So I used to do this with lemonade when I was a kid and it helps some with candy making: start out with really hot tap-water and add the sugar. Oftentimes I will stir the sugar and water into a separate bowl and then transfer it to the pan. That helps cut down on chances of crystals forming.
I will then bring the mixture up to a boil, turn the heat down to medium low and cover it with a lid for 2 minutes. Then I carefully remove the lid and put the heat back up to medium or medium-high. That tends to cut about 10 minutes or so.
Thanks for the recipe it worked . By the way when i eat it my teeth get stuck like something holding it is there a way to solve it
This can be an issue with all sugar based candies. Some have found adding a tsp (5mL) of vinegar or lemon juice helps stop this from happening. Also, heating the sugar just a little longer can help but you have to watch carefully or it can burn.
If you eat candy after a meal, it’s less likely to stick as your salvia production is higher. But unfortunately, without corn syrup or another syrup added, there will always be some stickiness to the candy over time as it’s the sugar grabbing the moisture from the air. Wrapping individual pieces in wax paper can help.
Is it hard to clean the pan used to boil the sugar mixture? I’m worried that I won’t be able to use the pan again after this
What I typically do is add hot soapy water once the pan is cool and let it soak 5-10 minutes in the sink and it usually cleans right up as the heat from the water is usually enough to melt the sugar away. Another trick you can do is simply fill the pan up with water and bring it to a boil. It will dissolve the sugar and you can then just carefully pour it down the drain.
so, if setting the heat too high could burn the sugar, are there any bad effects to setting it too low?
Mainly time. It could take hours to get candy and you don’t want to ever leave a stove unattended so you will be stuck in the kitchen watching it. The heat has to get high enough to boil /steam off the sugar. It will take much longer for this to occur on lower levels, but it will eventually happen on most stovetops. Induction can be tricky as they can be very precise and even turn off after a while if they think the pot is unattended for some models. The mixture needs to be warm enough to evaporate the water. You can also get the candy to the point most of the water is boiled off and turn the heat way down to gain more control.
it works
Glad to hear it! 🤗
Do you stirr the water without heat u till all the suger dissolves?
You stir until as much of the such that will dissolve dissolves. Strange answer, I realize. The amount of sugar to water used means the sugar will not be able to fully dissolve. So just slowly stir for around 30-90 seconds and then place on the heat.
JESSE! Our product turned yellow!!!
Don’t worry, it’s a new batch called “yellow snow.” 😳😆 good to see another breaking bad fan!
My friend is a big breaking bad fan so I put blue food coloring in it and we had the best time joking around
We loved that show! I bet your friend really appreciated the time and effort you put into making blue candy. So thoughtful of you in a clever and fun way! 🤣
Can this be interpreted into larger batches or is this for small batches mostly ? Ty for sharing
Yes, you can make larger batches. However, since there is a learning curve to making hard candy, I gave smaller quantities so people wouldn’t invest too much money or time when learning the skill.
No citric acid or vitamin c?
No tartar?
I showed it with minimal ingredients for those with food sensitivities. If you want to add citric acid, I’ve always added 1 tsp after removing from heat in addition with any food coloring and flavoring.
I guess trying with a small batch is not a waste if you fail. This is why I go with small batches only. And if you make more of the small ones means you have to do it more often to have a big batch in the end and this gets you to practising automatically. So I guess small batches have more benefits😉
Can you use honey to stop crystallisation?
Yes, it will really help and tastes wonderful. A tablespoon or two is enough to do the trick. However, you still want to make sure to wipe down the sides if stray sugar forms on the pan.
Can this be put into a press mold after cooled correctly?
I have poured it into silicone and plastic molds before without any trouble.
What exactly is wrong with crystallization
I made two batches of the candy and the first one was fine but the second crystallized so is it still fine to eat when crystallized?
Hello, Alpha! Crystallized sugar is a chain reaction where sugar is returning to its desired state. It is perfectly fine to eat or work with again and attempt to remelt into candy. Crystallization is undesirable when making candies, caramels and fudge as it becomes gritty or grainy tasting like table sugar instead of smooth. But it is not harmful.
Unless it is dark brown or black (it’s burnt and decomposing) it is completely safe to eat. Burnt foods like burnt toast, sugar, meat, etc. is said to have carcinogenic properties. But to be honest, you wouldn’t want to eat burnt sugar as it smells and tastes absolutely horrible.
Hope this helps!
I've done this all correctly, glass texture and all. My issue is how fast it cools down, i cant manage to stir in the flavoring once it's off the heat quick enough - it reaches 300-310, i kill the heat, add flavor, stir, then when i go to dump it into molds like half of it ends up stuck to the side of the pot. Any ideas?
Hi Chris, you have two options.
You can add the flavoring in a little earlier and before you turn off the heat. Turn the heat down to low, then add the flavor around 290 mark. Then finish cooking the candy. However, you do have to be very careful with peppermint and cinnamon oils as it can steam up and irritate or even burn your eyes and throat. So if you go this route, make sure to lower the heat, add the flavor from the side and divert your face and hands from the steam that may occur.
An easier way is to just reheat the candy a bit before you poor any out. Turn the heat back on just enough to warm up the candy and make it fluid, but not enough to cook it further. So instead of a medium high to high heat, heat it on a lower temperature.
I hope this helps!
Can i cook this without peppermint oil
Absolutely. You can use any flavoring you like that is suitable for candy making or leave it out. If you leave it out, it tastes like sugar and nothing else.
That looks super cool,so is the name glass candy,I was thinking it would look great in a gingerbread house!
Still waiting to bake a loaf of bread,it's been too hot to have the oven on🌡🔥!!
Hi Ka! Hope you are doing well. 🤗 I have seen where they melted hard candy in gingerbread house windows and it looks really good! Personally, if you ever go to make hard candy and don’t have a corn allergy, I highly recommend a bit of corn syrup to make it easier to learn.
So funny you mention it being too hot. I just got on here and uploaded a no bake dessert for that very reason. 🥵
@@Jacksonsjob Hi ya Sarah,the "cheese ball"desert,I will watch the video.
I made some chilled cucumber soup the other day,it was very refreshing.
And I have 4 cinnamon rolls in the freezer,your recipe is the best!
Stay cool!!
@@emmabenuska699 Oh, the cucumber soup sounds perfect! It finally started getting into the 80s some days here so hopefully it will start cooling down your way, soon. Now I want cinnamon rolls again. :D
@@Jacksonsjob IKR,would definitely sacrifice some coolness for a batch of cinnamon rolls😎🌡👍
I’m just about to consider it. Especially with the coming rains (drought finally broken!) cooling things down.
How long do you think I should boil it?
Unfortunately, there isn’t an exact time I can give you as it is really dependent on the pan you use, your stove and how quickly it heats up. Some stoves and pans will only take 5 minutes, others 45 minutes. It typically takes me 30 minutes or so from start to finish as I have a very thick pan and I keep the heat low and steady.
What you can do is the cold water test if you do not have a thermometer. I show it in another candy video that shows you how to make hard candy without a thermometer. Basically, you get a small container of ice cold water and drop bits of the sugar mixture in it carefully when the liquid is no longer boiling vigorously and is thickened. You have to let it sit for several seconds in the cold water to cool it down and then see if it breaks.
The problem with this method is two fold: you increase the risk of burning the sugar as it only takes seconds to go from “just right” to “oh no!”
The second issue is you have a good chance of burning yourself when using the cold water method. You have to let the syrup sit in long enough that it cools down or it will burn your fingers. For these two reasons alone, I highly recommend getting a candy thermometer. It’s just much more accurate and safer.
Hi. Today i m gonna try this. I have some cream tartar. Should i use it?
It depends on how adventurous you are feeling. Whereas it’s not necessary, it does give added insurance. I usually will add around 1/4 tsp for every 2 cups of sugar if I am making it on a humid day.
@@Jacksonsjob thank you so much 🙏🏻
@@su-1080 You're quite welcome! Good luck.
As a German I have no idea how to use tartar cream we don't have it here..... What is tartar cream? I always search in google but I can't find any information
I am gonna use this for making chinese sachima 😋😍😍😍😍
That sounds really good together!
@@Jacksonsjob have you tried sachima before? 😍😍😍😍😍
@@hajra637 a few times. It's very good! There was a little restaurant in NYC that served it in Chinatown that was amazing. It reminds me of funnel cakes but better. :). Actually since that is what you are making, if you have honey, add 1-2 tablespoons to the sugar mixture in the beginning. It tastes really good with sachima and will help prevent the crystallization. Your mom is going to like her gift for Valentine's Day.
@@Jacksonsjob 😍😍😍❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
i made the breaking bad stuff with this recipe maple flavored
Hopefully with less bad side effects that you'd get from the blue variety. 🤣
Hey! Thanks for the recipe! Just wondering if I could get some help with it as it didn’t really work the best for me.
Sure! Tell me what went wrong and I’ll help you troubleshoot. Candy making is a bit tricky to learn.
Thanks! So when i was making the candy, it didn't set and was still a liquid. Not sure what I did wrong, but everything seemed right to me except for that.@@Jacksonsjob
The good news is if this happens, you simply need to reheat the liquid until it gets hot enough. There are also a lot of things you can do with sugar syrup like put it in coffee, cereals like oatmeal or even use it on pancakes or dry cakes. So you don’t have to toss it out. You might have already done so and that’s okay.
First did you have a thermometer? If so, many of the candy thermometers today aren’t as accurate as they used to be due to lack of quality control and globalization of many goods. Since industry standards are lacking, that could be the issue.
If you didn’t have a thermometer or not sure your thermometer is accurate, there is a thing called a “cold water test.”
What you need to do is get a heat proof container and add as cold of water as you can. If you have access to ice, throw a few cubes in and then begin the process of candy making. When it gets to the point you think it is ready, carefully, carefully take a heat proof spoon (wood, metal, silicone) and scoop a small amount out and drop it into the water. It should crackle and create hard brittle threads that you can snap after it cools down a few minutes. If it stays liquid, it just means you need to cook a little longer.
The tricky part is to do this careful and not take too much time as it is very quick to go from just right to burnt. 🥵 To help prevent this, you can and should remove the pan from the heat temporarily.
Thanks! Il try it and let you know if it works!@@Jacksonsjob
Oh please do! I’ll help as much as I can to help you be successful. B
Watch out for crystallization. Its wear the sugar will revert back to its natural state if the sugar isn’t fully dissolved and can happen with just one stray sugar crystal. A tsp of lemon juice or white vinegar added to the mixture can help prevent it. If it does crystallize, you can reheat that as well by adding more water and starting over. The only thing that you can’t reheat is if it burns and turns black.
Can you use any oil?
You can. I wouldn't go above 15mL or one tablespoon. I often make this with chili oil. Just be careful when it is near the end of cooking as the oil can start to spatter and burn you. Turn down the heat if you start to see it spattering.
When I tried doing it, the molten sugar "bubbles" come up very high during the boiling process almost coming out of the pot and it forced me to stir or lower the temperature. It didn't want to harden afterwards.
Any tips on preventing the bubbles to go too high?
Oh no! Let’s troubleshoot. That can happen if the heat is too high. Unfortunately, since every stove is different, I give a general guideline on temperature. You were right to turn down the heat. What i recommend next time is to turn down the heat next time one level what you did prior. If it starts to bubble up, turn it down a bit more. You want the bubbles to be a good vigor, but not rise too high that it over flows.
If it doesn’t want to harden after, you can scrape the mixture back into your pot and reheat it.
To get to hardened stage, get a bowl and fill it with cold water and drop a few ice cubes if you have any. Then cook the mixture and when it turns a very light yellowish color or is no longer clear, remove it from the heat and carefully spoon out a bit of the syrup into the bowl with ice water. You should hear it crackle and after waiting several seconds (count to at least ten) so you don’t get burned, fish it out of the bowl and feel it. If it’s liquidy, syrupy, squishy or tacky and doesn’t felt hardened, it’s not ready. If it’s hardened and if there are any pieces that will snap off, then it’s ready.
If it’s not ready, return it to the heat and keep checking every thirty seconds or so and keep removing it from the heat as you check. Removing it from the heat will prevent it from going too far and burning. Once you get to the hard candy stage, it will burn rather quickly and be brown or black and very bitter. If you go that far, it’s trashed.
I hope this helps and let me know if you need anymore. Good luck! You can do this!
Can i pour it onto the steel plate without any paper?
You could, but it will likely stick unless you have some sort of barrier. You could try lightly coating it with oil. I have never tried it on steel, so I am not more help I’m afraid.
Hi. Can I use a golden syrup to replace corn syrup?
Hi, Makeeba! Absolutely, you can replace the corn syrup with golden syrup. It will add a nice flavor to the candy.
Thank you will give it a try
Good luck! Let me know if you need any help along the way.
Can I use maple syrup instead of corn syrup? 😅
Yes, but it’s really prone to crystallization after a day or so.
Do you know when I would add dye or would it not matter?
I usually add the dye toward the end around 300f (150C) but you can add it generally at any time. If you do add it at the end, be careful as it can create steam.
@@Jacksonsjob Thank you so much!
You’re welcome 🤗
can i put it on silicone mold ?
Yes, you can use a silicone mold if it is rated safe for candy making.
I tried this just now and my sugar burnt before even getting to the hard crack stage, do you know why it could've happened? And possibly any tips to avoid it
So sorry to hear this happened! Every stove and pan is a bit different. So likely your burners run a bit hotter than mine. This burning before the candy finishes usually happens when the heat is a bit too high. Kind of like how you can get burnt grilled cheese without the inside being melted yet. Try turning down your dial at least 1/2 the amount you had it at.
@@Jacksonsjob I'm using a gas stove, but it's constructed with 2 "sections" (the outer ring and the central burner), and at one point, all the dial does is turn off the outer burners and leave the central burner on, which is only about 1-1.5 inches across. Could the uneven heat be causing the sugar to brown/burn prematurely?
Absolutely. Gas stoves are a bit tricky to learn how to make candies on in general. When we first got a gas stove about a decade or so back, I burned fudges and candies galore until I figured out my stove. Try to add another 1/4 cup of water to slow down the sugar cooking stage. It will give you more time to melt the sugar without it burning. That should help keep things at a steady temperature while. If you go this route, back the dial down one notch. When you get to the final stages, you could turn your flame nearly off and the residue heat would likely finish the cooking of the candy. Let me know if that doesn’t work and we will come up with another plan.
Great video! Can I use Stevia instead of sugar?
Unfortunately, I am not sure. There is a product called isomalt that can be used for making hard candy, but essentially what I am doing is melting down sugar crystals which turns them solid. I wish I had an answer for you about stevia, but since it is so expensive, I don’t want to mislead you. When I did a quick search online, it doesn’t seem to work the same way as sugar. Hope that helps somewhat.
@@Jacksonsjob Thanks for the info! I think I will try Isomalt, Now just need to figure out the best Peppermint oil to use for flavor.
If you can find it, frontier co-op makes a lovely peppermint. And lorann oil has a really nice strong natural peppermint as well. It’s in a little tiny bottle and is often sold at the stores that sell isomalt. McCormicks is very alcoholy tasting and I personally don’t recommend it. One note about isomalt: I heard not to eat a whole lot all at once as it has a mild laxative effect for some individuals. 😳
@@Jacksonsjob thanks again for the info! Being diabetic, I have already learned what eating too much artificial sweetener can do. 😂
Oh boy! Sounds like it may be an initiation to the club so to speak. I have a family member that became diabetic a few years ago. That’s how we found out as well. We were trying to make all these sugar-free foods for him, testing them and oh boy! That was quite a surprise! 🤣🤣😳🫣
Will it go wrong if you boil it for too long? I only have a thermometer that goes up to 100 degrees C
Eventually, it will burn. It turns black and is very bitter. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can still make candy. You can do the cold water method to determine if it is ready. You drop a few drops of the liquid in ice water, let it sit several seconds to cool down before even attempting to touch it. If the syrup hardens and doesn’t bend but snaps, it’s ready. I have another recipe similar to this one that shows you how to make candy without a thermometer. It shows you this cold water method. Hope that helps.
@@Jacksonsjob thank you!
You are welcome! 🤗
I wanted to add food color, so I used blue gel food color, diluted it in a bit of water, and added it at the part where you add flavoring. It worked out fine :)
Okay update I made a second batch but it didn’t quite turn out the same? It’s not really transparent. I think I was less careful with wiping away the sugar crystals while it was boiling. Is it possible to just remelt and start again, or will that be even more difficult to do?
Sorry for the delayed response. Yes, you just add the coloring at the end when you add the flavoring. You can add it at anytime really. You can add powder or gel straight to the pot and let it boil in, swirl it or add it in the initial stages when you add the water and sugar.
The second batch crystallized. This process can happen with just one little stray sugar crystal. You can reuse it and remelt it. Just add more water and start again. It is simply sugar that took on its natural form, so you can reuse it as long as it didn’t burn. Burnt sugar will be dark brown or black and have a very bitter taste to it. Hope that helps.
Did you use blue in honor of Breaking Bad? 😬👩🏼🍳
@@Jacksonsjob thank you for the response!
And yes, I made it in honor of Breaking Bad because I just finished binge watching it yesterday haha
@@ubiquitous_plebeian I wondered if that was the case. We watched it when it came out and my husband just finished the Better Call Saul show recently. Anytime I hear someone mention blue food coloring, I immediately think of Walter and Jesse. :D
breaking bad?
You just broke bad
How/when do i add dye without it crystallising (if possible)
I typically add it at the very end once I turn off the heat. You just have to be careful when stirring it in. Oftentimes the original spoon can have a stray sugar crystal on it so I typically use a different spoon or swirl the pot carefully. Other times I will also add the coloring in at around 290F (143c) and let it boil the coloring through the candy.
@@Jacksonsjob when i added it at the end and mixed it in with a new spoon it crystalized, so i will boil it in
Oh no! That is the flaw with this type of candy. It is soooo easy to crystallize even when everything went smoothly. It only takes one little crystal of undissolved sugar to ruin the batch and they tend to hide on the sides of pans. One time, I placed the spoon I used in the very beginning on the sheet pan I was going to pour the candy onto and didn’t think about it. Made the syrup and the moment it hit the pan where the spoon was sitting, it began to crystallize. You can reuse crystallized sugar by the way if it didn’t burn. You just have to reheat it with some more water.
Is lemon juice gonna help against crystaling?
The lemon juice does help with crystalizing, yes. You will still need to brush down any sugar crystals that form on the sides of the pan and thermometer if you are using one. And don't stir once it boils. If you add flavoring, a lot of people make the mistake of stirring with the same spoon as before and introduce sugar crystals this way. So if you need to use the same spoon, wash it off so you don't have any undissolved sugar on it.
@@Jacksonsjob so I'll just leave it when it boils? And if its slightly orange I can transfer it to a container? Right? I am scared I make a mistake
@@hajra637 Yes. Once it starts to boil, leave it. The container needs to be heat proof. Some glass can shatter from temperature shock. If you make a mistake, just try again. Baking is all about learning. I have been baking for 30+ years and I still make mistakes.
@@Jacksonsjob oh... This calms me... I'll try tomorrow immediately. Its night time now in germany so I will sleep now and dream of me as a confectioner lol😂❤️
Sweet 🍭🍡🍩🍬 dreams. 😁
Trying this
Good luck! If you have any issues, I’ll be glad to help.
@@Jacksonsjob aw thank you it's drying right now
Wonderful. I hope you had a lot of success. It took me several tries to learn how.
@@Jacksonsjob I made a bigger quantity so I think it takes longer I'll check on it after class tomorrow
If anything goes wrong with the mixture, you can always remelt it with more water and start over. I had to do that on rainy days when it refused to set.
It would be possible to make these with alcohol, yes?
Yes. Typically you add 1-3 tbs (15-45mL) at the beginning before placing the mixture on the heat and just an additional 1 tsp (5mL) at the end after you turn off the heat. It will steam up and make all kinds of splattering noises, so do that part carefully. You do not want to add too much at the end as the candy will not properly harden. The amount at the beginning is a preference of taste. Hope that helps!
@@Jacksonsjob I see, thank you for this recipe!
You are very welcome. Don’t worry if it takes a while for you to learn how to make candy. It’s a bit finicky to learn. If it turns white and gets bendy, it’s called crystallization. You can reuse it, just put it back in the saucepan and add more water to the mixture.
How long does it take to harden?
Usually within 1/2 hour, but longer if it's really humid or the candy was thicker than 1/4" (6mm) when poured out. It shouldn't take more than a couple hours. If it does, the candy either crystallized or didn't come up to temperature. You can reheat it if this happens.
Thank you. Is there a way to make it a different color?
Also is it supposed to be a tiny bit sticky when it's hard
Yes. Either add a packet of koolaid or food coloring to the mixture.
Can I use brown sugar instead of white sugar?
You sure can, but heat the sugar very slow and make sure it is all dissolved before it boils. Brown sugar often has lumps of hardened sugar it it these days from the store.
@@Jacksonsjob You're an angel for the quick response. Much obliged.
You’re welcome! The benefits of a having a small channel and a smaller life. 🤣☺️🤗
@@Jacksonsjob You deserve each and all acknowledgement and grown on your channel. ❤️
@@Karen-ig6bp Very kind! Thank you. Have a lovely day, Karen. :)
Putt blue coliring on it
Who’s your favorite character on the show?
This recipe was very easy and good. I did it quite easily, but I waited too long and it started boiling like really bad, and became a very very dark color and I’m not sure if it’s gonna taste good I’m gonna give more feedback later after cools down.
Update, it tasted like dog water so I redid it with some cotton candy and blues food coloring another time I under cooked it, but it still taste pretty good
When it turns really dark like that, the sugar is breaking down and decomposition is occurring. Basically, burnt sugar. Burnt sugar does taste terribly bitter and it’s not good. Next time, turn down the temperature and pull the candy when it is a light golden amber or brown color.
I’m curious how you know what dog 🐕 💦 tastes like. 😳😁
ok thanks.
ps thats my little secret
🤫🤫
🐕💦😅🤣 I’m still grinning at that one. I see you are a fellow Breaking Bad fan. If you can find blue koolaid, adding a teaspoon of it to the sugar in the beginning is a popular flavor for fans.
can you use juice instead of water?
Yes, you can use juice, but some are more prone to burning than others such as apple juice. You would have to experiment and really keep an eye on the heat. I have had luck with orange and lemon juice personally.
@@Jacksonsjob thank you very much for your quick reply! i will be trying this out tomorrow. best wishes!
Good luck! It’s a bit difficult to learn candy making when you first start, but once you get the hang of it, it’s much easier. Just take your time and enjoy the process of learning.
Could you show me how to make hard candy using flower tea? (Like Violet water or lilac?)
I can make a video for you next week if you like as we have dandelions blooming. It would be the same concept. But basically, you need to soak 1 cup of hot water with 1 cup of petals for 1 hour and then let soak overnight in the fridge. The next day, you strain out the petals and use that water with the sugar and just follow the same process that is in this video. Let me know if you want a video and I’ll be glad to make you one.
@@Jacksonsjob thank you!!! I did actually do it semi successfully yesterday but it's more like chewy rock candy, which is still awesome. Maybe I just didn't cook it quite long enough
@reina kitty yes, you just needed to cook it a little longer to drive off more moisture. If it is really humid out, it can make the candy sticky but chewy just means you need to cook it a little longer. Look for it to really slow down and it will take on a sweet cotton candy type smell when it’s at the right state. If you still don’t get it after another couple tries, let me know and I’ll be glad to do that video for you.
@@Jacksonsjob I greatly appreciate it! I'm trying again today 😁 I'll let you know how it goes!!
Please do. It sometimes takes a handful of tries to get the hang of candy making, especially when just using sugar and water. But once you get the technique down, you’ll be golden from that point forward. The key is to not give up.
I can make crystal from breaking bad i mean! Edible glass
🥶🥶🥶 Closest blue emoji I could find that sorta relates. 🤣 We loved that show!
So the main things are only sugar and water?!
You are correct. You are basically melting sugar to just below caramelizing it and the water controls how fast it melts so you are less likely to burn it.
Jesse... We need to cook
“What about the contamination?”
I tried making hard candy (with corn syrup) and got to the boiling stage. It was slightly brownish when I added food colouring, but it didn't even do anything (no colour change). Any tips?
What kind of food coloring did you use? If you used liquid food coloring, it takes quite a bit! Sometimes the entire tube and it will barely tint the candy. Some of the grocery store brands gels are also like this. A good cheap way to get a solid color and good flavor is to mix some koolaid packet into 1 tbs of water. Not sure if that is avaliable overseas.
@Jacksonsjob Thanks for the info! I did use liquid food colouring but only put in like 2 tablespoons. I think I might try some sort of powder like kool-aid or an alternative. Besides, it could mean i wouldn't have to add separate flavouring.
I would venture to say it was the liquid, then. Personally had terrible experience with grocery store brands in most cases even for icing cakes or coloring batter. I use koolaid all the time as it’s very popular with the students my husband teaches. They taste just like the drink flavor you pick! Cherry and grape are super popular.
@@bag_o_chip you making meth?
@Happie another Breaking Bad fan?
How do i make it look blue?
Hello fellow Breaking Bad fan! Ifyou can find blue raspberry koolaid, it will both flavor the candy and make it blue. You add the packet to the water in the beginning stages and skip adding peppermint. Otherwise, you have to use a good quality food coloring as the drops they sell in grocery stores usually turn the candy green. Craft stores usually sell the better quality gel food coloring.
@@Jacksonsjob 🙏 Thank you
@Warcriminalwastaken you are very welcome!🤗
Hi can u place the candy in tinfoil I don’t have parchment
Absolutely. Just peel it off slowly after it cools. Some like to oil or spray the tinfoil.
@@Jacksonsjob thanks
Any time!
I guess it's gonna rip since tin foil is kinda sensitive ripping instantly. At least I have made this experience and I had a candy with tin foil in it😂
can we add blue food coloring
Yes you can, but it won’t give you the same effects as the type on the streets. Just a sugar high.
@@Jacksonsjob thank you
also fast reply
also are there anything else we could use instead of peppermint oil
@@themineguy1234 absolutely! Just replace the peppermint oil with any type of flavoring. If you can find LorAnn Oils, you can choose from a variety of flavors. They are in little tiny vials and are often found in baking sections or at craft stores. You can also find them on Amazon. They make the candy really strong flavored as opposed to using extracts you find in the baking isle. I use 1/2 to the entire bottle for a batch of candy as I like strong flavors.
@@Jacksonsjob thank you again
Jesse, we have to cook!
I have to wonder if this is another Breaking Bad reference. 🤣
@@Jacksonsjob you would be correct 😂
🤣🤣🤣 It was a great show. Can’t say that for the spin-off. 😳
The sugars not dissolving I’ve been mixing for 20 min😢
Oh no! Every stove is a little different and so are pans. If your pan is super heavy or stove temperature is low, it can take 45 minutes or even longer. So I would suggest upping the temperature a bit and watching closely.
Add vinegar. Takes care of your crystallization
Great idea! Thanks for sharing this valuable tip with others, Kevin! I will update my description to include vinegar trick.
@@Jacksonsjob no problem! I made some yesterday using that method! Works great every time. The only change I’d make using vinegar is bring the sugar to 315-320 instead of 310. Makes it harder and doesn’t make them so sticky.
Great advice once again! I actually thought about recommending the higher temperature to my friend when I made this video years ago (she has a kid with allergies and wanted candy) but settled on the lower amount due to how easy it is to go from great to burnt at the higher amount.
The candy sticks to the paper
Oh no! I’m sorry this happened to you! The candy can stick depending on the type of paper used. If using wax paper, the hot sugar syrup will melt the wax and adhere to the paper as it cools. If using parchment, it shouldn’t stick, but some store brands are in general prone to sticking as they aren’t well coated. You can combat this by slightly oiling or spraying it with non-stick cooking prior to making the candy. But if you use wax paper, it will likely always stick as wax will always melt due to the high temperature.
Sometimes, you can place the candy in the oven upside down on a baking tray with a lip and heat it at the lowest temperature possible and carefully remove the stuck paper after a few minutes of heating. If it was wax paper, it will have a waxy off flavor, unfortunately. Hope this helps.
Jesse we need to cook
Say my name.
@polarkanopy 😆😆😆
Oh dear I did this the other way
As long as it turns out, the method doesn’t matter!
@@Jacksonsjob aight Mr white
Jesse! I hope you’ve been studying your chemistry. 🧊 🍭
I MADE CARAMEL TOFFEE AND IT TURNED OUT CHALKY. SOME MAY CALL IT CRYSTALIZED. HERE WE CALL CORN SYRUP GLUCOSE SYRUP SO I USED SOME GLUCOSE SYRUP AND MY TOFFEE TURNED OUT MUCH BETTER.
The chalky, crystallizing is so easy to do when not using another type of syrup. It literally only takes one grain of sugar to cause the chain reaction. Smart to use the glucose syrup to prevent it.
Can I use erythritol instead of sugar?
Unfortunately, no. It must be either cane or beet sugar to work.
Her: it should brake easily me: brakes it on head Dad: why is your brother laying on the ground
🤣😳 If you pour it in too small of a pan, the candy will get too thick and will be very difficult to break. Even with hard-headed brothers. 😅
I used root beer extract, we'll see how this goes
I didn't cook it long enough, any ideas
You can put it back on the heat and bring it back to temperature slowly. You may need to add a little water to keep it from burning.
😁😁😁😁😁
:):):)
Ooh my candy is not hard after a hour
Oh no! So three things could have happened. One, the candy needed cooked a little longer to get to hard crack stage. Some thermometers are inaccurate and this can result from getting a wrong reading. Two, the candy is drawing moisture from the room on a super humid day and the sugar is trying to recrystallize. Three, it needs a little longer to harden. If the candy doesn’t harden at all, you can return the mixture back to the pan and bring it up to hard crack stage 300F (149C) again.
Breaking bad
😆
jesse
Better call Saul before making these for advice!
@@Jacksonsjob by the way, it tasted delicious, thanks for the recipe
You are very welcome! Did you use blue food coloring? 😂
@@Jacksonsjob yup....
@@Jacksonsjob 😂
JESSE WE NEED TO COOK
Nice one. 😂 Blue food coloring is a must.
@@Jacksonsjob of course
😆🤣😂
@@Jacksonsjob hey uh I made this and it never solidified any tips ?
So two things could have happened. If you waited several hours for it to cook, there’s definitely something off. The thermometer could be wrong and it needed to cook longer. This happens a lot as some thermometers are cheaply made these days. The second thing that could have happened is not all the sugar dissolved and it crystallized which means it won’t harden. You can return the mixture to the pan and cook it again as long as it didn’t burn (it would be black and smell bad.) Add a little more water, about 1/4 cup. When it looks like it is ready, drop a small amount in ice cold water. If it hardens, it is ready. If the mixture stays liquid, keep cooking and checking it. It goes from a fast boil to barely any bubbles when it’s close and it will take on a light amber to yellow color. Let me know if you need more help.
i am going to use this to make a look-a-like of the meth from breaking bad
Good luck finding the right shade of blue. I haven’t found one close yet. 🤣
Tip use blue flavoring or food Color to make it look like m3th
🤣😂 Been watching Breaking Bad episodes?
the whole reason im watching tho
We looked up fried chicken recipes when the show was on. 😁
Update it did not boil. The circle just started to become grey and smoke was coming out so yah i fucked up
Update 2 :i redid it now i managed to do it but the candy is very sticky so yea haha well it least its better
Oh boy! It’s such an unpleasant smell when sugar burns, too! That can happen. Every stove top is different. What is happening here is your temperature gauge seems to runs much hotter than mine. It’s common with different brands and types of burners. This means you need to turn down the dial quite a bit. If you had it on high, go down to medium. Had it at medium, go down to medium low or even low. Cook this low and slow for less chance of burning. Remember how many batches Walt went through before nailing down his blue candy. 🤣
So let me get this straight, instead of using high fructose corn syrup that has 234g of sugar per cup, you're using 300g of sugar instead. You basically just made a High Sucrose Cane Syrup instead. lol
Clever way to think of it. The purpose of this recipe isn’t to be healthy as it is candy.
Some people are allergic to corn and want to enjoy the occasional treat. Others don’t have access to corn syrup or want to use what is on hand. Some don’t like the taste of corn syrup. There are a variety of reasons to make candy without corn syrup. Regardless of the reason, this recipe accommodates these individuals.
The cup to cup analogy also doesn’t work as recipes are created using a baker’s ratio. To accomplish this, ingredients are determined by weight, not by volume measurements. A cup of corn-syrup weighs 368 grams and a cup of sugar weighs 200 grams. A cup of corn-syrup has 937 calories and a cup of sugar has only 773 calories. By using volume measurements, we are already muddling up the recipe and the bakers ratio.
Finally, to make hard candy with corn-syrup, the corn-syrup is in addition of granulated sugar, not just corn-syrup alone. Therefore, one could not simply compare this gram for gram even if we did apply the ratios correctly. I hope this helps clarify why the recipe is written to exclude corn syrup.
If you want a corn-syrup based candy, I make it in another video. Have a great evening!
I don't understand why not just make this with the corn syrup so you don't have to even think about crystals...a lot easier
Dennis Lee, I complete agree with you that corn syrup makes hard candy very easy to make. For the beginner, I highly recommend using it or another type of syrup. A couple tablespoons of corn syrup added and you don't even have to really think about crystallization.
However, there are people with food allergies, dietary restrictions and some simply do not have access to corn syrup in their area that also want to enjoy hard candies. I originally made this recipe for someone with severe food allergies that wanted candy. Have a great weekend. :)
Some of us can't do cornsyrup tbf. That's why i'm here.
@@tubedallday1457 I'm with you on the corn syrup.
E
Easier, but there is a belief that corn syrup is partially responsible for making everyone fat since it's mass production in the 70's. It's even regulated in certain countries. So trying to at least cut out corn syrup here & there is helpful and probably more authentic when making very old fashioned hard candies that predate corn syrup. Always worth a try.
I don't have corn syrup and I can't find it in stores where I live so this recipe is quite handy for me
Boooog
Thank you for the feedback. Have a great week! 😁
fake meth 🤑👹🤑
Which Breaking Bad is your favorite character?
@@Jacksonsjob idk, maybe jesse
I’m torn between Jesse, Hank and his wife Marie. The guy that plays Hank is great in pretty much all the shows I’ve seen him in.
Finally I made this in my 5th try 🥲🙂 and a very thank you to make this video
Did the candy finally harden for you?
Jesse we need to cook
That was a great episode and amazing show!