How to test candy temperature without a thermometer?

Drop a small amount of the candy mixture with a teaspoon into a small bowl of cold water. Each time you test the candy use a fresh bowl of cold water. If the candy forms a thin thread and does not "ball up", it is in the thread stage or 230°—235°F.

What is the cold water test for candy-making?

Drop a little of the molten syrup in cold water and it will form hard, brittle threads that break when bent . CAUTION: To avoid burns, allow the syrup to cool in the cold water for a few moments before touching it! Toffee, nut brittles, and lollipops are all cooked to the hard-crack stage.

What can I use if I don't have a candy thermometer?

Cold water is one of the most common methods for testing candy temperature without a thermometer. To use this method, place a small piece of the candy in cold water and wait a few minutes. If the candy hardens, it is ready to be used. If it does not harden, it is still being prepared.

How to tell if water is 100 degrees without a thermometer?

If you leave your elbow in the water or 5–10 seconds, you'll be able to form a rough idea of the water's temperature. If the water feels slightly warm, but not hot, it's around 100 °F (38 °C) .

How do you test fudge in cold water?

The cold water test Drop a piece of hot fudge into a glass filled with ice water. It should form a soft ball that can easily flatten between your fingers. Repeat this test every two minutes, each time using a clean spoon, until the fudge has the desired consistency.

How can I measure without a thermometer?

There are several ways to determine temperature without a thermometer, but one common method is to use a temperature-sensitive material with a known melting or boiling point . For example, you can use ice, which melts at 0°C (32°F), or a substance like paraffin wax, which has a specific melting point.

Can you make hard candy without a thermometer?

You can make hard candy without a thermometer by testing the mixture in some cold water . If it fully hardens when dropped into the water, you'll know that you've reached hard-crack stage.

What is the hand in water test?

The Wrinkle test is used to check the nerve integrity of the hand by assessing the proper nervous response to an environmental stimulus which is water immersion for a sustained period of time. A Wrinkle test is used to diagnose a nerve injury or a limb's digit denervation.

What are the results of a water sample test?

Total Hardness Levels below 60 ppm = soft water, 60-120 ppm = moderately hard,121 – 180 = hard water and above = >180ppm . Problems occur where the water is too hard and deposits on pipes leaving a white limescale.

How do you heat sugar without a candy thermometer?

For any recipe that calls for a candy thermometer, all you'll need is a bowl of cold water instead (The colder the better—ice water is fine!) While the candy is cooking, periodically drop a small spoonful of the candy into the bowl of cold water.

How to tell if fudge is ready without a thermometer?

To test the boiling mixture for doneness, drop a bit of it into a bowl of cold water. If it forms a ball that is soft enough to flatten between your fingers, the mixture is ready for cooling. When the fudge cools to 110 degrees F/43 degrees C, beat the mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon until it's no longer glossy.

Candy Making Without a Thermometer (Cold Water Test) (2024)

By sillymommy in CookingCandy

216,113

Introduction: Candy Making Without a Thermometer (Cold Water Test)

By sillymommy

More by the author:

Step 1: Test Thermometer for Accuracy

If you do have a thermometer you need to test its accuracy.
First bring a pot of water to a boil and add your thermometer.
Make sure the bottom of the thermometer is not resting on the bottom of the pot or your results not be as accurate.
Boil the water for at least 10 minutes and note the temperature.
Water, at sea level, will boil at 212° F (100° C).
For every 500 feet you are above sea level the boiling point will approximately be decreased by 1 F.
If after 10 minutes your thermometer does not read 212 F (100 C) note the difference.
When following a candy recipe add the amount of the difference to the temperature the recipe calls for.

For eaxmple my water boiled at 211 F so when I make candy I make sure my candy reaches 1 degree higher that the temperature called for in the recipe. If a recipe reads to bring the syrup to 235 F I will wait until my thermometer reads at least 236 F.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crE3xb0lWRw

Step 2: Simple Syrup

The syrup (candy mixture) I am using to show the Cold Water Test is a simple syrup.

Simple syrup is:
2 part sugar
1 part water

For this example I used;
1 cup sugar (use pure cane sugar as other sugars such as beet sugar have different melting points and will react differently)
1/2 cup water

The mixture will start out cloudy.
Once the mixture is clear, all of the sugar is dissolved and you have simple syrup.

Simple syrup is great for lemonade, co*cktails, sweetening your ice tea, in ice cream/sorbet making and many other uses.

Step 3: Soft Ball Stage 235 F (118 C)

Soft-Ball Stage is 235 F to 240 F (118 C to 120 C)

Soft ball: Using a clean spoom, whena small amount of syrup dropped into chilled water it forms a soft, flexible ball. The ball will flatten out after a few moments in your hand. The ball is very soft, hence the name soft ball stage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lchea5BHbgs

Step 4: Hard Ball Stage 250 F (125 C)

Hard Ball Stage is250 F to 265 F (125 C to 133 C)

Hard ball: Using a clean spoon whenthe syrup isdropped intocold water it may be formed into a hard ball.
The ball will hold its shape in your hand but it is still flexiable enough that yousquish it easily.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhGe_WajFkg

Step 5: Soft Crack Stage 270 F (135 C)

Soft Crack Stage is 270 F to 290 F (135 C to 145 C)

Soft Crack Stage: The bubbles on the top of the syrup become smaller, thicker and much closer together.
With aclean spoon, when the syrup dropped into coldwater it separates into hard but pliable threads.
The threads will bend slightly before breaking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j-lhRu_Xns

Step 6: Hard Crack Stage 300 F (150 C)

Hard Crack Stage is 300 F to 310 F (150 C to 155 C)

Hard Crack: With a clean spoon, when the syrup dropped into ice water it separates into hard, brittle threads that break when bent.
You can actually hear a crack when the syrup hits the cold water. Once you take the syrup out of the cold water you can feel howbrittle and sharp it is. Be careful as Ipoked myself in the video.

Step 7: Congradulations!

You can now making candy even if you do not own a candy thermometer.

There are many wonderful candy recipes including some of mine I have posted onInstructables:
Apple Jellies Candy https://www.instructables.com/id/Apples-Jellies-Candy/
Easy Decorated Marshmallows https://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-Decorated-Marshmallows-Taste-like-Peeps/
Peanut Butter Candy https://www.instructables.com/id/Fast-Peanut-Butter-Candy/
English Toffee https://www.instructables.com/id/English-Toffee/

You don't even need a thermometer or the cold water test to make the first two.

So go out and make some candy!!!

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Candy Contest