Read the document and review the chart.
Making homemade syrups and candies takes practice. A good candymaker perfects products over time through a process of trial and error, carefully documenting steps and ingredients for later reference. Fortunately, the centuries-long history of candy-making has resulted in the discovery of some absolute and irrefutable truths about how sugar and chocolate behave. We know, for instance, that to achieve the most desirable consistency, a syrup should be heated to 230 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature at which it will form a soft thread. On the other hand, a caramel, to form a firm and toothsome ball, must be heated 18 degrees higher. To avoid reinventing the wheel, refer to the following table:
When might a person who is new to candy-making find this document particularly helpful?
when completing a research project on the history of candy-making
when explaining the difference between a syrup and a sugar glaze
when developing different flavors of caramel candy and fudge
when adapting a commercial recipe for taffy for use by a home cook
