Many recipes in this section are made using a boiled sugar syrup. The sugar is first dissolved in water over low heat until clear. It is very important to start with a clear syrup and the sugar completely dissolved. The syrup is then brought to the boil. The temperature required depends on the type of sweet being made. A sugar boiling thermometer removes guesswork.
212°F (100°C) – Temperature of boiling water. Keep the sugar thermometer ready for use in a pan of boiling water. Check the reading on the thermometer for accuracy.
230°F (110°C) – Thread: test by dipping a cold fork in the hot syrup; when a drop falls from the prong a fine thread will form.
240-245°F (116-118°C) – Soft ball: when a little syrup dropped into a saucer of cold water can be gathered into a soft ball that flattens when rolled between the fingers.
250°F (120°C) – Hard ball: when a little syrup dropped into a saucer of cold water can be gathered into a hard ball that holds its shape when rolled between the fingers.
300°F (150°C) – Crack: when a little cold syrup dropped into a saucer of cold water immediately hardens and snaps easily. The colour of the syrup at this stage is a pale straw, showing that it is beginning to caramelize.
310°F (155°C) – Caramel: the syrup turns brown in colour.