Candy-Making Lesson

I tried to make hard candy the other day so I could put it on the birthday list. I ended up with a pool of badly burnt sugar.

It was going fine at first. I heated up sugar, water, and corn syrup. The mix had to get to 310 degrees, and it took FOREVER to get to around 260. I literally tried a second thermometer because I thought the first one might be broken. So I thought I had all the time in the world between 260 and 310 degrees. I was wrong. Dead wrong.

When I went back in the kitchen, the concoction looked very dark. Too dark. I took the temp and yelped as it climbed past 320 degrees. All of a sudden I noticed that the air was hazy. I was smoking the place out. I frantically opened windows and turned on the ceiling fan. I didn’t know what to do with the burnt liquid, so poured it on aluminum foil like I was supposed to, and then threw it out after it cooled.

Lesson of the day: If you are making hard candy, watch it like a hawk!