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Fudge MakingThere are over 2,000 varieties of confections and including Fudge, Toffee, Caramels, Marshmallows, Jellies and many more. All confections are divided into three categories: Hard candies or high boiled sweets, Chewy confections and Aerated confections Anyone can soon learn the art of Fudge and Toffee Making as long as they follow some simple rules and have the right equipment. You can start with a robust saucepan on the cooker at home, move on to small (10 kg / 25lb) Table Top Cooker that automatically controls the temperature and times the process precisely to give you perfect consistent results before possibly graduating to large scale production. There are two things to avoid - do not cook too rapidly. No matter how much sugar and liquid are combined, it must be cooked until it reaches the proper stage. Boiling rapidly will drive off the liquid, but the candy is more apt to be coarse grained. You must have a clear idea of the four stages in candymaking.... the "soft ball" (238 ºF) used in fondant, fudge and all cream candies; the "hard ball" (248ºF) used in caramels; the "crack" (290ºF) used in taffies; and the "caramel" (350ºF) used in glacé nuts and fruits and peanut brittle. Also, if sugar and water are boiled together and no acid added to prevent graining, then care must be taken to wash down the crystals from the sides of the kettle. This also applies when making fondant. Sometimes, no water is used, as in peanut brittle, and the sugar is "dry" melted. In this case, it must be well stirred, so that the sugar will be uniformly browned. If the spoon is cleaned off frequently and no small lumps are allowed to form, there will be no difficulty in melting the sugar.
The most important physical and chemical properties considered, in their order of importance to the Fudge and Candy maker are: -
For the purpose of this discussion, all confections are divided into three categories:
The second and third categories are further subdivided into two classes ...where the sugar solution is super-saturated (grained) and, where the sugar solution is unsaturated (non-grained). Candies that grain, which are of crystalline structure, include the fondant types, such as cream centres, crystallise creams, fudge, pulled grained mints, rigid grained marshmallows, and soft and hard type pan centres. The non-grained candy group consists of marshmallows, taffies and chewy candies, such as nougats, caramels, molasses kisses, jellies, gums, etc. There are many intermediate or hybrid types of confections combining the characteristics of both the grained and non-grained candies. Sugar is the universal graining agent. The regulators are corn syrup, invert sugar, sorbitol and others that retard or prevent sucrose crystallisation. Fondant is the most difficult and most important, as it is the basis of so many sweets. Learn to make perfect fondant, and you are ready for all that follows. The whole secret is to prevent the syrup from "sugaring". For this purpose, glucose or corn syrup is added, or a little acid, such as cream of tartar, lemon juice or even vinegar, which chemically changes the nature of sugar and makes it smoother. Candies requiring the "hard ball" stage usually contain butter which prevents sugaring, but avoid cooking too long, as it passes from the soft to hard ball stage in a few minutes. When a spoonful is dropped into cold water, it forms a hard ball that can barely be dented with the finger. For the "crack" or taffy stage, acid is used to prevent crystallisation. When dropped into cold water, the candy forms long threads which snap and break, instead of bending. In the "caramel" stage, there is a slight change in colour (becoming yellow) when the candy must be immediately taken off the fire. If sugar and water are boiled together and no acid added to prevent graining, then care must be taken to wash down the crystals from the sides of the kettle. This also applies when making fondant. Sometimes, no water is used, as in peanut brittle, and the sugar is melted along. In this case, it must be well stirred, so that the sugar will be uniformly browned. If the spoon is cleaned off frequently and no small lumps allowed to form, there will be no difficulty in melting the sugar. BOILING SUGAR FOR CLEAR CANDYThe difficulty in Candy and Fudge making is in understanding the boiling of sugar and the effects of certain ingredients on boiled sugar.
Place 4lbs of the best quality granulated sugar in a copper kettle with two quarts of water and stir well before it boils, so that the sugar will not sink and burn. When sugar boils and fine bubbles appear, begin to test it in cold water. If it snaps like glass between the test, it has reached the stage call the "crack" and is ready for making many kinds of candy. If the boiling is continued, it will soon reach the point called "caramel" when it takes on a yellow colour and must be removed from the fire at once, as the next degree means burning and a very few seconds are enough to reach this stage. Remember sugar passes very rapidly from one degree to another and must be watched carefully and tried often. Never stir sugar while boiling, but it may be, and should be, well stirred before boiling point is reached. CREAM OF TARTAR IN BOILED SUGARThe use of this ingredient is making clear or pulled candy is simply to acidulate or grease it, in order to retard or prevent granulation. Care must be used, as too much acid will cause it to grain and it cannot be boiled to "caramel" if there is too much acid content. About a small teaspoonful to 25lbs of sugar, with the water, will keep it from granulating. Many Candy makers prefer to use glucose (corn syrup) instead, which serves the purpose almost as well. THE EFFECTS OF ALTITUDEIt is a well-known fact to Candy makers that altitude affects the boiling of sugar. At high altitudes, the different stages of Candy making will register 6 to 12 degrees lower according to the altitude. A confectioner's thermometer will be well worth its cost if you follow the instructions carefully. The thermometer should test 212 °F in boiling water. Boiling degrees at different altitudes: Sea Level ......................................................................... 212°F 500 Feet ......................................................................... 211°F 1,000 Feet ......................................................................... 210°F 2,000 Feet ......................................................................... 208°F 3,000 Feet ......................................................................... 206°F 4,000 Feet ......................................................................... 204°F You will note approximately 2 °F for each thousand feet above sea level CORN SYRUP (GLUCOSE)Corn syrups are noted for their physical properties of retarding and controlling the crystallisation on concentrated sugar solutions. This was formerly thought due to the dextrines present. Experience has shown that for practical purposes regular corn syrup, high conversion corn syrups, enzyme syrups and invert sugar have equal effects and can be used interchangeably on a solids basis to control sugar crystallisation in such product as fondant or fudge or other grained confections. Thus, the important thing about syrups is that they effect the crystallisation of cane sugar to a greater degree than invert and without the attendant handicap that invert possesses in that it might introduce excessive hygroscopic qualities. A candy maker can produce most confections without corn syrup, but the sales hazards would be tremendously increased. Dextrines add viscosity, which increases the body of non-grained as well. REFINED CORN SUGAR (DEXTROSE)Refined corn sugar (dextrose) possesses the ability to change solubility characteristics and modify the relative sweetness of confections. Dextrose also tends to crystallise more slowly than sucrose and the solution at the same concentration is less viscous. Sorbitol derived from dextrose is a sugar alcohol. This carbohydrate seems to have plasticising properties on confections. Besides its unique property of having a narrow humectant range, it has an effect on the sugar crystal which results in its ability to keep candies soft for extended for periods of time. it appears to be gaining in favour as a softening agent for not only grained confections, but for non-grained as well. The sugar and corn products industries, through the nature of their products, certainly have given the Candy maker flexibility and a challenge to his creative abilities for producing new candy. RULES FOR CANDY MAKING
AERATED CONFECTIONSAerated confections are the supersaturated solutions that form grained confections, such as creams, fondants, nougats, and fudges, grained marshmallow items. Fondants and creams are prepared by concentrating a sucrose, corn syrup and water solution to around 85% total solids, using a ratio of sucrose in excess of corn syrup, so that precipitation will occur when the supersaturated solution is seeded or crystallisation induced by mechanical means. This generally implies a proportion of 80 to 70 parts sucrose to 20 to 30 quarts of corn syrup. The mixture is usually boiled to 238 F/242 F. Agitation or seeding is carried on at reduced temperatures at around 110 F, so that the crystals so formed will be of impalpable size: Some air is incorporated by the mechanical action of the equipment used in making the fondant. In the case of creams, the fondant is used as a seeding medium and a small percentage of egg or soya albumen in the form of maxetta is used to impart some air. The function of the corn syrup portion is to serve as a humectant that will keep the products soft and palatable; also to permit concentration of soluble solids in the liquid phase to a level of around 80%, which will prevent growth of microorganisms. All three types of corn syrup have application, the special 52 D.F. and enzyme converted 63 D.E. imparting more effective humectant properties. Invert in combination with corn syrup gives excellent results. Refined corn sugar may be used in limited amounts, but it is not generally recommended because of its tendency to grain off in coarser crystals. Sorbitol with corn syrup seems to give a more uniform and whiter cream and fondant. General DirectionThese formulas are the basis of all Nougats; you can reduce the proportions of either one in various ways and still get the weight out of the whole batch. The regular nougat formula would be 25 pounds without the nuts. You can increase the number of eggs a little, should you want lighter nougat. The main thing is to see that the eggs are well beaten, and then that the batch is evaporated (but not boiled) to the proper degree, SUPERFINE NOUGATPlace ten pounds white honey in a clean copper pan, set on a moderate fire, and stir and evaporate until nearly up to the small crack. Meanwhile have the whites of five dozen eggs beaten as stiff as possible; now let the honey run into the beaten whites of eggs in a fine stream, beating all the time with the egg beater in order to prevent the eggs curdling, then add five pounds of sifted fine lozenge sugar - set the pan on another pan containing hot water an site and bear over moderate fire until batch is evaporated to the snap; i.e., when a small piece it taken out, flattened, and cold water run over it, if with your finger you can "snap" it off, it is done. Should it be soft and tough and will not snap, it must be evaporated a little longer. Another method of trying the enough is by tapping it with the back of your hand, and then it does not stick, it is done. Now add half a teaspoonful of vanillin, and six pounds of blanch almonds, well dried. Have a tray lined with manila paper, line bottom and sides with wafers, spread the enough in the tray in small pieces, flatten it well on top, rubbing your hands over to make it smooth, then cover with wafer and place a sheet of paper over all; then lay a smooth board on top and press down with a heavy weight, or a piece of stone. Allow it to cool and it is ready to cut. To cut nougat properly, take it out of the tray and place on a smooth, level table, tack two wood strips along the sides of the batch, then move the nougat out far enough to cut off a strip with a sharp knife. Don't press on the knife, but use a saw motion, as otherwise the knife will stick. Lay the strips on trays lined with wax paper, and then cut up into any shapes you desire. REGULAR NOUGATSoak half a pound of egg albumen in enough water to cover over night, then stir up well and if all the albumen is dissolved, strain through a sieve and beat up as stiff as possible. Meanwhile cook ten pounds white sugar, five pounds clear honey and five pounds glucose (corn syrup) to a good ball; take out about three pounds of this and stir and pour slowly into the egg albumen. Two persons, one pouring and one stirring well with the eggbeater should perform this operation. Cook balance of the batch to the crack and pour and beat it into the egg batch, then add five pounds powdered sugar and beat or stir over hot water bath, as directed in Formula Bo. 1. Now add six pounds raw almonds, English walnuts or pignolias, fill into water lined trays and finish. You may wrap these, or coat with chocolate. In order to make almonds go further, drop them in pieces the size of a large pea, and use one pound less than specified. MARSHMALLOWS7½ lbs. Granulated Sugar 5½ lbs. Glucose (corn syrup) ½ lb Gelatine ½ Gallon Warm Water Dissolve the gelatine in water, then soak all together in lukewarm water and beat thoroughly. Beating is one of the main essentials in marshmallow work, and really requires a good mixer or beater. The batch can now be run out on the slab, marked off and cut into regulation squares, or it can be run in starch if you have the boards and moulds, and an extra large mouth funnel dropper. The batch should be strained before beginning to beat, and if desired may be flavoured with orange flower or rose. PLAIN FUDGEPlace twelve pounds of sugar in copper pan, add eight pounds of glucose (corn syrup) and two quarts water; set on the fire and site until sugar dissolves ad starts to boil, then add gradually four quarts cream or two quarts of condensed milk, and cook to "the ball". Take off the fire, stir a little, then add four pounds stiff cream fondant and beat the batch until well mixed, add flavour, set on the fire again a minute and stir until sufficiently warmed to pour out easily, then pour on greased slab to cool, then mark the top and glaze with white eggs. When dry, break into suitable pieces. If a very rich quality is wanted, a half-pound butter may be added while the batch is cooking. Important- Handling FudgesInstead of pouring it on the slab USE BOARDS covered with waxed paper; if the slab is warm, it may safely be used, but it is better to cover it with waxed paper; the cold slab makes the fudge soft and pasty, while the surface of the batch will grain; try the boards. Nuts are popular, added to any of the formulas. CHOCOLATE FUDGETo six pounds coffee sugar, use two pounds best quality unsweetened chocolate, grated. Stir until thoroughly mixed then add two cups of sweet cream, beat to a smooth paste, adding as you proceed, four or five ounces of warmed butter. This done, put the mixture in a kettle where it will melt very slowly (it should not reach the boil under two hours). At the end of that time, increase the heat and boil fast for ten minutes, or until it reaches "the ball"; then stir in vanilla sufficient to flavour well, about three or four spoonfuls, and pour on slab, or in to greased pans, and while still rather soft, mark into squares. MAPLE FUDGECrush a quantity of maple sugar fine with rolling pin, and use in proportion of one pound of sugar to one pint of milk. Pour milk hot over the sugar, having previously added a pinch of baking soda to the milk. Let the sugar melt slowly over the fire, and then bring to fast boil. When the syrup threads from the tip of a spoon, stir in a tablespoonful of butter for each pound of sugar. When it again reaches the boil, pour out on slab, or into buttered pans, and cut into squares as it hardens. For these recipes and many more download the recipe book at the top of this page c |
