How to test for stages of sugar syrup (2024)

FAQs

How to test for stages of sugar syrup? ›

To check your sugar syrup has reached the correct stage without using a sugar thermometer, place a bowl of very cold water next to the hob. Using a clean spoon, carefully take a little of the syrup and drop it into the bowl of cold water. Leave to cool for a moment then pick up the ball of syrup.

Hard Crack: With a clean spoon, when the syrup dropped into ice water it separates into hard, brittle threads that break when bent. You can actually hear a crack when the syrup hits the cold water.

Slowly immerse the hydrometer into the syrup into the test cup until it reaches the “HOT” test mark and then carefully release it. If the reading is lower than the number on the table, the syrup is “light” and will need more boiling. If it is higher, it will need to be diluted.

The Benedict's Solution provides a test for the presence of simple sugars. If sugar is present, the Benedict's Solution will turn color (shades of yellow, orange, brown).

Continue boiling, uncovered, not stirring the mixture but shaking the saucepan occasionally to distribute the heat as the mixture turns amber in about 9 minutes, then darker amber as it registers 305 degrees on the thermometer (hard-crack stage ), about 3 minutes longer.

Soft Crack

You'll see the soft crack candy stage begin with the appearance of small bubbles rising to the surface of the sugar. At this stage, the sugar will separate into brittle threads that bend slightly before breaking when handled.

Each time you test the candy use a fresh bowl of cold water. If the candy forms a thin thread and does not "ball up", it is in the thread stage or 230°—235°F. This stage is similar to sugar syrup rather than candy. If the candy forms a soft pliable ball, it is in the softball stage, about 235°— 240°F.

Using a clean spoon, carefully take a little of the syrup and drop it into the bowl of cold water. Leave to cool for a moment then pick up the ball of syrup. If it's pliable, sticky and can be moulded in your fingers easily, it has reached the soft ball stage and the syrup can be used to make fudge and marzipan.

Can you overcook sugar syrup? ›

The answer, Jenni, is that you can fix an overcooked candy syrup by simply adding more water to it. For there's really no “cooking” going on in a candy syrup that contains only sugar and water. Proteins aren't coagulating, starches aren't gelling, fats aren't breaking down, nothing like that is going on.

Stirring or bumping the pot can result in sugar clumping together and hardening into crystals. If you're making syrup with water, stir the sugar into the water to fully dissolve it before you add heat. Use a clean spoon every time you need to stir. The same goes for candy thermometers and any utensils.

Various parameters were evaluated such as PH, viscosity, density, stability test. The syrup was determined to be stable and ready for technology transfer. ... Syrup is present in syrup in large quantities, so it is often susceptible to bacterial contamination used as a preservative.

To test your candy temperature, you'll want a bowl of cool water to drip the sugar into. You'll know you've reached the soft ball stage when the sugar forms a small ball in the water. The ball will quickly flatten after a few moments of handling as it warms in your hand.

In professional maple syrup production, the maple syrup maker will boil anywhere from about five gallons to 13 gallons of sap down to about a quart of maple syrup. When the syrup reaches 7 degrees Fahrenheit over the boiling point of water (212 degrees F), or 219 degrees F, the syrup should be done.