Candy for Strangers

  Do you know that candy is... sugar?



  Yeah. Heck of a lot cheaper than splurging on a convenience-packaged box of the premade stuff, isn't it?

  If you mix four parts sugar to one part water, you have "simple syrup." You can candy fruits just by dipping them into this, and it has little enough water that it will usually keep for a while without fermenting.

  If you boil it, it changes its ratio, having less and less water. Between about 235f and 245f (113c-118c), it takes the "soft ball" stage, used for fudge and fondant. 245-250f (118-121c) is the "hard ball" stage, used when using caramel as a replacement for sugar in the making of soft caramels - it's stiff, but can be smooshed. A boiling point of 270-290f (132-143c) is the "soft crack" stage, which is where nougat and taffy come from. And 300-310f (149-155c) is the "hard crack" stage. Lollipops and hard candy are this, and you've basically boiled all the water out of it.

  There are candy thermometers, and regular kitchen thermometers will usually work. However, you do not need a thermometer. If yu have a pot or bowl of cold, cold water and take a bit of the syrup on the tip of a spoon or spatula and dip it briefly, it will cool down and reach its final consistency - which is where the different stages got their names.

  If you have a flavoring to add, like lemon zest or fennel or ginger or a distilled essential oil of something, take it off the heat and stir it in really fast. This will minimize the flavor molecules boiling off.

  Drip it onto a metal sheet or piece of tile or such in the size you like, or use a candy mold. You now have candy.

  Rock candy, on the other hand, is made by hanging a piece of natural-fiber string (like cotton or linen or nettle) from a stick over a jar. Capillary action and evaporation cause large crystals to form on the string.

  To make hard caramel, simply put some sugar on a pan on low heat. First, it will melt; stir it well so it melts evenly. You can use this melted sugar to make hard candies without having to boil syrup. A little bit later, it will start to turn a golden brown. This is caramel; take it off the heat and scrape it off the pan. You can dip apples in it, or crush it and use it instead of sugar in making softer, chewier candies... or, you can eat it as is or use it to flavor your tea.

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