Help w/ a candy making question!

brianna611

Grrr.  I have everything to make homemade toasted coconut marshmallows, except you have to heat the syrup to 240 degrees on a candy thermometer, which I don't have.  Anyone know how I can tell when it's ready?  Like let it boil for a certain amount of minutes?

TIA!

GladToBeMrs.SRS

C&P'd from About.com:

 

Some cooks prefer to use a candy thermometer and some prefer to use the old-fashioned cold water way to test the doneness of candy. Below there are directions for both.

Thread Stage - begins at 230 degrees F. - Makes a long thread when dropped in cold water.

Soft Ball - 234 degrees F. - Forms a soft ball that doesn't hold its shape. Cream candies, fudge, fondants are done at the soft ball stage.

Firm Ball - 246 degrees F. - This ball will only flatten with pressure. Divinity and Caramels.

Hard Ball - 250 degrees F. - This ball will hold its shape when pressed. Taffy.

Soft Crack - 270 degrees F. - Separates into bendable threads. Toffee and Butterscotch.

Hard Crack - 300 degrees F. - Becomes brittle. Peanut Brittle.

Caramelize - 310 degrees F. - Sugar turns dark.

 

HTHs!

 

 

Meka13

I think there is a trick you can drop a tsp of cold water in it and it hardens then it is ready.

AlishaRichelle

Am I the only one who is still immature enough to laugh at the idea that people are making things that can be referred to as "soft crack" or "hard crack"? ?Sorry - had to throw that in...

brianna611

Thanks ladies.  I don't trust myself to figure it out, however, so I called DH's grandma and I'm going to borrow hers b/c I'd hate to end up ruining them!

reeni

it's the other way around... a tsp of the syrup in a cup of ice water. Then follow pp's About.com list for what to look for in the cooled blob.

And yes, I teach at a culinary school and we still get guffaws about cooking "to crack stage".

brianna611

I remember now that this is how my mom does it (dropping a tsp in cold water), but she's more experienced than I!

GladToBeMrs.SRS

AlishaRichelle:

Am I the only one who is still immature enough to laugh at the idea that people are making things that can be referred to as "soft crack" or "hard crack"?  Sorry - had to throw that in...

 

LOL...in this case, I'd have to liken myself to toffee, and my husband to peanut brittle.  

 

::giggle::