Thursday, February 24, 2011

Discover How Humidity Affects Homemade Candies


Believe it or not, humidity, or the total moisture content of the air, also has an impact in the final outcome of your homemade candy. In fact, many seasoned candy makers recommend that you start experimenting with candy recipes when it is not too humid.

Humidity can make caramels and other candies sticky, and this can make removal from candy molds even harder.  To avoid this conundrum, it is recommended that you work in a cool part of your home.  You can also buy a dehumidifier if you plan to make regular batches of candy over the months.

The dehumidifier will ensure that your candies will emerge in prime form, minus the extra stickiness.  The ideal humidity for making candy is no more than 35%. The 25% - 35% range is good; but if the humidity is 50% or more, you may want to reschedule your candy making for another day.

Now, if you are having trouble with moist sugar (which can also be the result of high humidity), you can place your granulated sugar or brown sugar in a plastic container and seal it tightly.  Use a silicone-based gel desiccant to help draw out excess moisture from the sugar. 

Stay tune for more tips about how to make rock candy at home.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Know Your Candy-Making Ingredients

How To Make Rock Candy at Home

There are countless varieties of candies around the world, and these candies are made using four families of ingredients: sweeteners, dairy ingredients, nuts, and of course, chocolate.

Sugar is the core of all sweet treats and candies and also imparts a particular flavor to confectionery. Different types of sugar impart different flavors to the finished product.

Dairy ingredients include whipped cream, heavy cream, half-and-half, etc. These ingredients are used to improve the consistency, texture and taste of the confectionery. The world of candy making would not be the same if early candy makers did not discover that dairy products could be integrated seamlessly with sugar.

Nuts provide that necessary accent to different confectionery. Additionally, people love the distinct crunch that comes with a candy that has been created with chopped nuts. You can use pecans and even walnuts to create great homemade sweet treats at home.

On the other hand, chocolate is one of the most versatile ingredients in the world of candy making and is also an essential ingredient in confectionery like caramels. Whole dark chocolate and cocoa powder can both be used in making candies.

Stay tune for more tips about how to make rock candy at home.