Welcome to the summary page for FabulousFusionFood's Cook's Guide entry for Cold Water Tests for Candy along with all the Cold Water Tests for Candy containing recipes presented on this site, with 71 recipes in total.

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These recipes, all contain Cold Water Tests for Candy as a major wild food ingredient.

When making sweets and candy, as the sugar-based syrup is boiled longer and longer the sugar concentration increases and the resultant candy behaves differently. This can be measured using a confectioner's thermometer, but is measured just as easily and frequently by dropping a little of the syrup mixture into a bowl of cold water. Typically, six stages are defined though the first of these is only used for spinning sugar baskets and it's only the latter five that are used in candy making:

1. Thread Stage
   
   110–113°C
   
   80% sugar concentration
   
   When you drop a little of the syrup in water at this stage it forms a liquid thread that will not ball up. This is both the stage of sugar syrup and the stage at which sugar baskets can be woven.
   
   



2. Soft-Ball Stage
   
   113–116°C
   
   85% sugar concentration
   
   When you drop a little of the syrup in water at this stage it will form a soft, flexible ball. If you remove the ball from water, it will flatten like a pancake after a few moments in your hand. This is the ideal stage for making fudge, pralines and fondant.
   
   



3. Hard-Ball Stage
   
   118–121°C
   
   92% sugar concentration
   
   When you drop a little of the syrup in water at this stage it will form thick, "ropy" threads as it drips from the spoon. The sugar concentration is rather high now, which means there’s less and less moisture in the sugar syrup. A little of this syrup dropped into cold water will form a hard ball. If you take the ball out of the water, it won't flatten. The ball will be hard, but you can still change its shape by squashing it.. This is the ideal stage for making marshmallows, gummies and rock candy.
   
   



4. Soft Crack Stage
   
   132–143°C
   
   95% sugar concentration
   
   When you drop a little of the syrup in water at this stage it will solidify into threads that, when removed from the water, are flexible, not brittle. They will bend slightly before breaking. This is the ideal stage for making butterscotch.
   
   



5. Hard Crack Stage
   
   149–154°C
   
   99% sugar concentration
   
   When you drop a little of the syrup in water at this stage it will solidify into threads that will shatter at the slightest torsion (sideways pressure). This is the ideal stage for making toffee, nut brittles and lollipops.