Cooking Recipes Articel

What is Christmas without treats? Does it really seem like Christmas without them? All those delicious candies are a delight fit for the holidays.

Candy making is more of an art but there is some science to it. You must balance creativity with skill and incorporate some technical procedures that are sometimes hard to comprehend.

Wait
here’s where we can help.

The trick to candy perfection is knowledge
so what do you need to know this holiday season to keep your sweets just as delightful as the occasion? Easy
you just need to know a little bit about the basics on how candy is made
starting with that basic candy building block
sugar. Well what’s so special about sugar
you ask? Sugar has some special properties that make it the perfect choice for candy recipes.

Now
what special properties
you ask? Sugar crystals are solid at room temperature
but once you put these sugar crystals in water
they dissolve
this is the step-one in candy-making
this forms a clear solution. Apply heat and hold at "just right" temperatures and then this sweet elixir is allowed to boil at very at these specific temperatures. In doing so chemical changes or reactions occur in the sugar; this is because heat breaks the crystals apart into molecules
later the molecules will get back together forming sugar crystals again as the sugar syrup cools. This basis of candy making the backbone of all candies.

You need to understand the care required for the candy before you can ensure that they’re served in the optimal state
you want to give your sweets the proper care and storage they need. Here’s what you’ll need to know:

Although there are many different varieties
as many as imagination will allow
there are only three main types of candy. They can usually be classified as one of the following
or a combination of the following:

First
we have the hard candy. Hard candy is made with the highest sugar content. Characteristically
they include various flavors and colors. Some of the most classic hard candies include peppermint sticks and a variety of different mints
does anyone remember rock candy?. Hard candy should be stored at temperatures ranging from 10-21ฐC for best results
and a relative humidity of 40%.

Second
are the softer candies. In this category we have marshmallows
jellies
and nougats etc. These sweets contain mostly sugar
as well as a low percentage of other ingredients that do not solidify like pure sugar. For optimum results
these soft candies should be stored at temperatures ranging from 24-27ฐC
with a relative humidity of 45-40%.

Third
we look at candies that contain a majority of other ingredients rather than being heavily concentrated on sugars. In this group
we’ll find fudge
chocolates
sugar- or chocolate-covered raisins or nuts
my personal favorite
caramels
and much
much more.
In terms of storage
this group is the trickiest. Caramels are optimum at temperatures ranging from 21-27ฐC
while chocolates are best at the temperature range of 16-18ฐC
with a 50% relative humidity. It’s definitely worth paying attention to to get the most from this exquisite delicacy called candy.

The amount of moisture that candy gains will affect the storage and shelf life of most candies
if they last that long ;-)

Storing Your Candies

Careful storage will enable your magical Christmas candies to be the best nature intended it to be
remaining firm but not hard
soft but not sticky. No matter what age you are
you can always appreciate the taste of good quality candy.