The hard ball stage in candy making is achieved by cooking the candy to a temperature of 250-265 degrees F. The candy will form a ball when dropped in cold water and can be flattened but not completely. It’s important to use a candy thermometer and be careful not to burn yourself.
In candy making, there are several stages the candy goes through as it is heated. These include the thread, soft ball, hard ball, and soft and hard crack phases. The hard ball stage is used to produce some types of candies such as nougat, marshmallow and divinity.
Specifically, hard stage refers to cooking candy to a certain temperature, usually between 250-265 degrees F (121.11-129.44 degrees C). Unless you’re an experienced candy maker, it’s a good idea to use a candy thermometer to determine when you’ve gotten to this level. There are other tests that can help you decide if the candy is at the appropriate temperature, but they need to be done quickly and with great care so you don’t burn yourself or the candy.
As the sugar and other candy ingredients cook, the water begins to evaporate. By the time sugar reaches the hard ball stage it has only about 8% of its original moisture content. If you dip a spoon into candy at this temperature and remove it, you will notice the sugar dripping off the spoon in thick strings. You can also drop some syrup into cold water and it will form a ball. When you remove it, the ball will stay formed, even if it won’t be completely hard.
This is markedly different from the soft ball stage, which occurs at a lower temperature. The soft ball will not hold its shape when removed from the water. There is also a phase between the hard ball and the soft ball called the firm ball, which occurs at 245-250 degrees F (118.33-121.11 degrees C). The main difference between hardball and hardball is that you can flatten hardball candy. You can bend the candy on the hard stage and it will give you pressure, but you can’t flatten it completely.
When doing these tests, you need to keep a close eye on your candy, as it can quickly go from a hard ball to a light crack. If you’re making a few forms of nougat, waiting around to try can mean you’ve ruined your candy. You should go quickly, keep a glass of water next to the pot you’re cooking the candy in, and be sure to use oven mitts when removing the candy so you don’t burn yourself, which can also ruin your day.
Quickly try the candy, but also rely on the candy thermometer to tell you when you’ve reached the hard stage. A good indication, even before you’ve dropped a candy sample into the water, is to watch how the heated sugar falls off the spoon. If you come off with thick strings and your thermometer is at the right temperature, chances are you don’t even need to do the squeeze test to make sure you’ve hit the hard stage.
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