Making candies without tools
In this page I’d like to discuss how to start making candies without tools at all.
If you are just starting a small cup and a pot or a small pan will do all the work for you. I started using a vodka shot glass as my measuring cup. Listed below are the ingredients and volumes required for hard candies, as I use them for my first ever candies. In the image the tall shot glass I used initially which is 5cm (2″) tall and about 4cm (1.5″) in diameter. It contains roughly 70gr of sugar, but any small cup or glass will do, as long as they are fairly tubular and not conical or shaped oddly.
If you have only one small measuring cup as this one – fill it to the top (flat) with sugar and pour into your pot. Then fill 1/3’rd full with corn syrup – empty that into your pot using a spoon and fill 1/3’rd full with water. That’s it. It is that simple!
To dissolve the sugar and evaporate the water you will need to heat up the pot. I use gas, you can choose any indoor heat source you may have. Remember you need to heat the candy mix up to 150c (302F).
Assuming you don’t have a candy thermometer or laser thermometer you can test your candy (commonly called a “snap test). As you first heat it up use a small burner or smallest heating element you have. It will first boil off the water and then you will start to see the candy mix bubbling in a more viscous manner. At this point start taking samples – one drop at a time. Drip those on some parchment paper (Warning! HOT and STICKY!!!). Allow to cool or fan and see if the drop is sticky or flexible. Try braking it in half with your fingertips. If once it’s cool it snaps in half – your mix is ready. Take off the heat, mix in the flavoring agents and pour onto the parchment paper (or a lightly oiled marble surface). If you opt for the oiled surface use a flavorless oil like sunflower seed oil. For example, don’t use olive oil as your candy may absorb the flavor. Once poured, put your pot in the sink and fill with water, preferably hot, to dissolve the remaining candy.
Cut breaking horizontal and vertical break lines in the hot candy before it cools using the flat back of a knife or a metal bar (in the picture, my aluminum bar and a knife with a straight back end). Don’t use the sharp edge as the candy will heat it up and it will stick to the candy. If it sticks to the back of your blade – it’s too thin.
Allow the candy to cool and then break it into small squares. You can store it in a ziplock bag, a clean and dry jam jar, or even a plain sandwich bag in the fridge as the fridge will prevent it from soaking moisture from the air and ruining the candies.
Enjoy
Saar
