Candy temperature guide
Candy making depends on how hot the sugar syrup gets. Choose a stage (soft ball, hard crack, caramel and so on) to see the temperature range and the candies made at it, and enter your altitude to adjust the thermometer reading.
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How to use it
- Choose the sugar stage the recipe calls for.
- If you live above sea level, enter your altitude.
- Cook the syrup to the temperature shown, without stirring once it boils, and keep the thermometer bulb in the syrup, not touching the pot.
How it works
The table holds the typical sea-level ranges in °F: thread 223 to 235, soft ball 235 to 245, firm ball 245 to 250, hard ball 250 to 266, soft crack 270 to 290, hard crack 300 to 310 and caramel 320 to 350. The altitude adjustment subtracts altitude in feet ÷ 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Celsius is (°F − 32) × 5 ÷ 9.
Worked example
Soft ball for fudge at sea level is 235 to 245 °F, which is 113 to 118 °C. At 5,000 ft (1,524 m) subtract 5000 ÷ 500 = 10 °F: hard crack becomes 290 to 300 °F, or 143 to 149 °C.
Tips
Frequently asked questions
Are the temperatures the same in every source?
No. Sources differ by a few degrees, so the ranges here are typical values, not a standard. If a recipe gives a temperature, follow the recipe; the stage names are useful when you test a drop of syrup in cold water.
Why adjust for altitude?
Water boils at a lower temperature higher up, about 1 °F (0.6 °C) lower for every 500 ft (150 m) of elevation, and sugar syrup reaches each stage at a correspondingly lower temperature. The tool lowers the range by that amount.
How do I check my thermometer?
Put it in boiling water. At sea level it should read about 212 °F (100 °C); if it reads differently, add or subtract the difference from the target temperature. At altitude the boiling point itself is lower, which is what the altitude setting accounts for.
What is the cold water test?
Drop a little syrup into a glass of cold water. A soft thread means thread stage, a ball that flattens when removed is soft ball, a firm ball that holds its shape is firm or hard ball, and brittle strands that snap are the crack stages. It is a back-up for the thermometer.
Why does it matter so much to hit the stage?
The higher the temperature, the less water is left in the syrup, and the harder the candy sets when it cools. A few degrees can turn fudge into a sticky mess or into something hard.