Handy Kitchen Reference: Candy Temperature Chart (2024)

FAQs

What temperature should a candy thermometer be? ›

300° F–310° F

The hard-crack stage is the highest temperature you are likely to see specified in a candy recipe. At these temperatures, there is almost no water left in the syrup. Drop a little of the molten syrup in cold water and it will form hard, brittle threads that break when bent.

Finally, if the candy forms hard, brittle strands that easily break, the candy is at the hard crack stage, between 300°—310°F. Butter toffee and peanut brittle are examples of candies cooked to this temperature.

You can verify your thermometer's accuracy by testing it in a pan of boiling water. Clip your candy thermometer to the side of the pan, then fill it with water and turn on the burner. Once the water comes to a rolling boil, the temperature should read (if you're at sea level) 212 degrees Fahrenheit.

Because the process of making sugar involves heating and cooling it, sugar manufacturers have learned that the melting point of sucrose (table sugar) is 367 degrees F. Knowing this information, we can use sugar to test the accuracy of your oven's temperature.

The critical difference is that a digital thermometer is used for cooking meat and other food types. You insert the probe into the meat, and it displays the temperature reading for the meat's internal temperature. On the other hand, a candy thermometer measures boiling sugar or any candy solution up to 400 F (204 C).

To make candy or jelly at home, it's essential to have a thermometer that can process particularly high temperatures. Though a meat thermometer might seem like a convenient substitute, it doesn't have the ability to read and process temperature to the same extent that a candy thermometer does.

For the Cold Water Test: 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of the syrup (candy mixture) is dropped from a clean spoon into a small bowl of very cold water (not ice cold). Quickly examine and/or carefully pick up the sugar from the cold water. The firmness of the sugar indicates the highest temperature the syrup reached.

A candy thermometer is similar to a meat thermometer but can read higher temperatures, usually 400 °F/200 °C or more. Candy thermometers can also be used to measure hot oil for deep frying since it can reach higher temperatures than a normal thermometer.

Why is my sugar glass not hardening? ›

Keep heating and stirring your candy until it reaches 300°F (148.89°C). This is very important. If you don't get your mixture hot enough, it won't harden properly. Your candy will be soft and sticky, no matter how long you let it sit, harden, or cool.

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Anything over 240°F will cause the gums to take one a hard candy texture; anything under 220°F will yield a pate de fruit texture. One more thing that you should note, the gummy will have a different texture between 220°F and 240°F. The higher the temp the stiffer the texture.

Also, make sure the thermometer is not touching the bottom or side of the pot, this will cause the thermometer to read at a higher temperature than what is actually the case. Bring the water to a boil. Let it boil for 10 minutes. Now…

The thread stage occurs between 223 F and 235 F, the lowest temperature range in candy making. In addition to using a candy thermometer, you can determine the thread stage by dropping a spoonful of the hot syrup into a bowl of very cold water.