If you don’t have a thermometer you can use the water drop test to check the consistency of your candy. Keep in mind you should be aiming to attain the Hard Ball Stage. Using a clean spoon, stream a tsp of your syrup into a bowl or glass of cold water from a few inches above the water. Our candy will go through various stages.
Thread Stage – 223 – 234° F – 80% sugar concentration. Your syrup will simply pour off your spoon in a stream. In cold water, your syrup will dissolve and mix into the water and dissipate.
Soft Ball Stage – 235 – 244° F – 85% sugar concentration. Once streamed into cold water, it will create a soft blob that you can push around with your finger. If lifted from the water it will be very soft and start melting and flattening between your fingers.
Firm Ball Stage – 245 – 250° F – 87% sugar concentration. At this stage, a bit of the syrup streamed into a clean bowl of cold water will form a firmer ball that can be shaped in the water and lifted out. Once squeezed between your fingers, it will be malleable and shapeable but sticky.
Hard Ball Stage – 251 – 265° F – 92% sugar concentration. At the hard ball stage (which is the stage we need) a stream of syrup dropped into water will form a firm blob that holds its shape both in and out of the water. When squeezed firmly between your fingers, there should be slight give but the candy should still be shapeable.
Soft Crack Stage – 266 – 290° F – 95% sugar concentration. At this stage the stream of syrup with solidify once it hits the water into firm strands. Once removed from the water, the blob will be tough but slightly flexible before breaking / shattering if tapped.
