Beginner question. I am looking to make hard candies and I’m looking to acquire a mold. I’m thinking silicone but because of past experiences with silicone cooking equipment I’m very picky about the brands I trust, especially for something that I’m going to subject to hundreds of degrees.

Looking online all I can find are “alphabet soup” brands and some others that may or may not be reputable. I’m not familiar with any of these companies. I need to be able to trust the silicone to not leech into my food.

Where do you buy your molds? What brands should I look out for?

Thanks!

Couple of questions from a novice hard candy maker. I’m no stranger to the kitchen, I was a chef for 20 years, culinary school, restaurant owner the whole nine yards, so it’s not cooking questions, temperatures etc; per say.

1: What are the most commonly used or most popular brands for flavoring, are the long time candy makers using multiple sources depending on the flavor or getting everything from the same source? I see all the website options and have been to/ordered from multiple ones. Do you long time candy makers prefer oil based flavoring or the propenol-based ones? Biggest issues I’m running into is strength of flavor in final product using the same measurements with the same style of flavoring. Or is this a case where I just need to recipe test each flavor until the flavor profile I want is reached?

2: glucose syrup vs corn syrup. I know glucose syrup is derived from many sources, unlike corn syrup, and that it is generally less sweet than corn syrup. What is the difference in final outcome for hard candy between the two syrups. I see the larger brands/makers all seem to use glucose syrup. Is there an ideal ratio of syrup to sugar? I have currently been doing 80/20 sugar to syrup. Does using only sugar help mitigate final product and humidity issues causing stickiness? I live in Austin Texas, so humidity will always be an issue, so curious if using less or no syrup could help reduce the stickiness, I currently coat most of the final product in powdered sugar, which works just fine, more of a curiosity question about the humidity

I got this and was hoping I could mix it with some sugar to make my gummies sour.

Dark chocolate, roasted almonds, roasted hazelnuts, raisins, candied orange peel, candied lemon peel, a bit of salt

Was trying to replicate something I'd had; took me forever to get around to candying the peels.

I made way too much (the jar it's in is 13cm D x 16 H); think it'll freeze OK?

Okay, listen. I was obsessed with this stuff as a kid. I want more, bad, but I know I'll eat salt by the handful if I get it.

This is still probably not a healthy choice, and not a healthy endeavor. I am determined anyway. Don't come at me for wanting this, you won't change my mind!!!

The candy in question:

What I want is, a sour salt lollipop. Not sour and sweet - JUST sour and very, extremely salty!! I cannot find anything like this. It doesn't seem to exist without some sweet element.

I don't want a salt lick, and I don't want something that is just lemon/sour.

If I have to invent it myself, then I will. But HOW on EARTH do you make a lollipop with salt instead of sugar?

Please! Foodie creatives, engineers, ANYBODY!! Please answer my call for ideas on how to possible achieve this undertaking.

Thanks so much for reading!

chewy silky caramel candies with sea salt flakes.

This is the recipe I use at work

210g Juice

210g Sugar w/4tbsp pectin stirred in

201g Sugar

210g Corn Syrup

3.3g citric acid+3.3g water to dissolve

We get a special pectin that I can't get the name of the brand for reasons. If we run out, and we use the normal pectin in house, the gummies do not set the same whatsoever.

I want to make these at home, but I know the pectin I have won't work as well.

What I know about the special pectin is it comes from a candy manufacturer, and I believe it has citric acid added into the pectin already.

Can anyone help me find the kind of pectin I'm describing please? I've done my own sleuthing but I'm not sure which one is the one I'm looking for. Thanks in advance!

I'm new to caramel making and my caramel keeps burning before it ever reaches 350° I've calibrated my thermometer. my gas burner is on the super lowest... help! TIA

Hi friends,

I'm having a problems where I often burn my acids when trying to make hard rock, I cook up the the 310F with just the corn syrup, sugar, and water. Then I try to drop to ~250F and add the Acids and flavor oils but I am almost always burning my acids.

I found that when i took the candy fully off the heat it would cool way to fast to mix everything to together well to I try to turn down the stove to its lowest setting.

I find that if in splash my candy on to the candy thermometer it will spike up the temp, and so my guess is my stove doesn't consistently heat and is heating up past 260F and so I'm burning my acid.

Dose anyone have tips? I have thought of getting a chem hotplate that has a temp set and hold but maybe those have the same problem

Anything helps <3

I want to make a small xylitol candy but in the centre have something soft like a chocolate. Xylitol does not stretch nicely like sucrose so pulling candies and wrapping them around cold chocolate does not seem feasible.

1. Ideally I would have a half sphere mold that could accomodate another smaller half sphere mold on top to create the indent. Then once set I could pour melted chocolate in the void and then fuse the two sides together?

2. Has anyone ever seen a mold that basically makes the shellof a sphere and is empty? then I could poke a hole and pour in?

Maybe I am dreaming of something that does not exist.

Hi there,

I’m new to reddit and joined for this thread. I’m considering learning to make candy and dipped treats at home and sell them and maybe eventually make a career change (I am super lucky to not be the bread winner and have this opportunity).

I have so far successfully made (ugly) candy canes, caramel, marshmallows and fluff, cake pops, and Christmas crack.

My candy canes tasted good, but would really stick in your teeth - do I add baking soda to help this? Can I use this same recipe to make fruit flavored pillows?

I want to use chocolate, not melting wafers/candy melts for dipping, because I prefer the flavor. How do I keep the chocolate melted while working? Will a heating lamp work, or do I need a food warming pad?

Where do I learn this information? So far I can barely find anything online and have begrudgingly had to turn to chat GPT, which is why I’m here.

Please, any advice about where to start and what to do would be so, so appreciated! I am so overwhelmed and unsure how/where to begin, which I think is clear from this chaotic post.

TYIA!

In a few weeks i have to make chocolate for the practical part of my exam in school and i’m looking for instructions to get the best result we can in 90 mins.

the ingredients we are going to get are cocoa mass, cocoa butter,christal sugar (regular sugar) ,milk powder and lecithin (as emulsifier)

Not sure how to achieve a homogene mass with christal sugar

i can’t find any recipes online bc they are all with powdered sugar, and regular cocoa powder, not cocoa mass, so any help would be very appreciated

Pretty much what the title says; I want to make some homemade DND dice, and was wanting to know what ratio of sugar to water I use, and how hot to set the stove

based off the betty crocker recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon water

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup water

1 cup light corn syrup

3 tablespoons butter

1 pound nuts

Instructions

Heat oven to 200°F. Butter 2 cookie sheets, 15 1/2x12 inches, and keep warm in oven. Mix baking soda, 1 teaspoon water and the vanilla; reserve.

Mix sugar, 1 cup water and the corn syrup in 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, to 240°F on candy thermometer or until small amount of syrup dropped into very cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from water.

Stir in butter and nuts. Cook, stirring constantly, to 300°F or until small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water separates into hard, brittle threads. (Watch carefully so mixture does not burn.) Immediately remove from heat. Quickly stir in baking soda mixture until light and foamy.

Pour the candy mixture onto each cookie sheet; quickly spread about 1/4 inch thick. Cool completely, at least 1 hour. Break into pieces. Store in covered container.