Make Sugar Maple Candy

Homemade candy is a delicious way to give someone a thoughtful, handmade gift. This recipe requires only one ingredient and a little bit of patience to create melt-in-your-mouth maple sugar candy. Pick out some good quality maple syrup, grab your candy thermometer, and get boiling!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups real maple syrup (preferably grade B)

Steps

  1. Decide what texture of candy you want. As you boil sugar, water evaporates from the mixture, leaving a higher concentration of sugar behind. Be sure to know the various stages of candy making before you begin making your maple sugar candy.
    • Soft-Ball Stage, {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}: At the soft-ball stage, the sugar concentration is 85% and the candy will form a soft, malleable ball if dropped into ice water. If you allow the sugar to sit out for a few minutes on a flat surface, it will flatten. Fudge candy is heated until the soft-ball stage.
    • Firm-Ball Stage, 245–{{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}: With a sugar concentration just slightly higher at 87%, candy at the firm-ball stage is malleable, but has more structure than the soft-ball phase and will not flatten unless pinched. Caramel candy is heated to this stage.
    • Hard-Ball Stage, 250–{{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}: If dropped into ice water, a hard ball will form at this stage. With a sugar concentration at 92%, the sugar syrup will form thick threads if poured from a spoon. Marshmallows, nougat, and gummy candies are all heated to the hard-ball stage.
    • Soft-Crack Stage, 270–{{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}: The sugar concentration at this stage reaches a high 95%. The candy begins to become more brittle at this stage, though it retains some flexibility and will bend before cracking. Butterscotch and taffy are examples of candy cooked to the soft-crack stage.
    • Hard-Crack Stage, 300–{{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}: The highest temperature with a 99% sugar concentration, the hard-crack stage produces candy that is hard, brittle, and cracks easily. Toffee, brittle, and lollipops are heated to this temperature.[1]
  2. Pour the maple syrup into a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Your saucepan needs to have a heavy bottom so that it can withstand high heat without burning the delicate sugar.
  3. Insert a candy thermometer into the boiling syrup. Be sure to fully submerge the mercury tip of the thermometer to get a correct temperature reading.
  4. Gradually bring the syrup to a rolling boil over medium heat. Be sure to stir occasionally. It's OK if you see foam and bubbles while your candy boils.
  5. Heat the candy until it reaches the soft-ball stage, {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}. Most maple candy recipes call for a soft-ball stage candy, though you can manipulate the texture of the candy by heating it to the stage you desire. If you don't have a candy thermometer, you can Test Candy Hardness Stages by dropping a bit of the sugar into a container of cold water. The sugar should form a soft, malleable ball.
  6. When the candy reaches the appropriate temperature, remove the pan from the heat immediately. Allow it to cool to 175ºF without stirring. This will take about 10 minutes.
  7. Use a wooden spoon to stir the mixture rapidly until the color turns lighter. It should look similar to caramel but be thick and creamy.
  8. Pour the candy into lightly greased molds or a pan lined with waxed paper. Allow the candy to sit until cool.
  9. Once cool, take the candy out of the molds and enjoy! You can store the candy in airtight containers for up to one month.[2]

Tips

  • Allow the candy to cool before touching or eating.
  • Watch the candy thermometer carefully, as the temperature can rise very rapidly.
  • Test your candy thermometer's accuracy by dipping it in boiling water before using it. At sea level, it should read {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}.

Things You'll Need

  • Large, heavy-bottomed saucepan
  • Candy thermometer

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/candy/sugar-stages.html
  2. ↑ http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pure-maple-candy/

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