- Before you start have tins, cutters and colourings required ready. Measure your ingredients it accurately.
- Dissolve the sugar in the water before bringing to the boil the syrup should look quite clear. Get ; rid of any stray sugar crystals by washing down the inside of the saucepan with a pastry brush that has been dipped in cold water.
- Use a small pan for making-a sugar syrup you have more control. Use a large pan for fudges with other ingredients added, particularly milk, as syrup froths up and may boil over.
- Boil sugar syrups to the right temperature or stage without stirring exceptions are when recipes contain milk or cream, both of which are liable to catch.
- A sugar boiling thermometer will give you the most accurate results; one with a clip will fasten to the saucepan side. Make sure the bulb is immersed in the boiling syrup.
- Fudges are stirred after cooking to encourage a smooth texture. This is called graining; allow mixture to cool to 110°F (45°C), then stir with a wooden spoon. When ready the mixture thickens, begins to sound gritty in the pan and loses its shine. Pour at once into moulds or tin before it sets in the pan.
- Grease tins-or moulds with butter and make sure you use metal tins or trays because they stand up to the heat of boiled syrup or fudge mixtures. Use mild flavoured vegetable or corn oil for greasing surfaces of plates or trays for recipes such as praline, sugared walnuts and glace grapes.