Candy
A sweet confection made mainly from sugar, often cooked to a specific temperature that sets its final texture, from soft fudge to hard lollipops.
- Chocolate, sugar and confectionery
Also called: sweetie
In candy making, the temperature of the boiling sugar syrup tells you how much water is left. Soft-ball (about 235 to 240°F) gives fudge and fondant, firm-ball gives caramels, hard-ball gives nougat and marshmallow syrup, and hard-crack (about 300 to 310°F) gives lollipops, brittle and toffee.
A candy thermometer, or dropping a little syrup into cold water, shows which stage the syrup has reached.
Bake it at VanillaGoods
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- CalculatorCandy temperature calculator
Tools for this
ThermoWorks Thermapen ONEReads in about a second, so you can hit sugar and chocolate temperatures exactly.See it on Amazon
Taylor Candy & Deep-Fry ThermometerClips to the pot so you can watch the sugar or oil climb without guessing.See it on Amazon
Silicone Square Candy MoldsNeat, uniform pieces that pop right out.See it on Amazon
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Sources
Written by VanillaGoods in our own words from these sources. Last reviewed October 15, 2026.
- Candy (Q185583), Wikidata