Hard-ball stage

Hard-ball stage is a stage in cooking sugar syrup, about 250 to 265 degrees Fahrenheit, when a drop in cold water forms a hard ball that can still be squashed.

Hard-ball stage: A saucepan of thick, bubbling clear sugar syrup, with a candy thermometer clipped to the side and a small firm ball of syrup resting in a bowl of cold water.
  • Measurement, dietary and professional terminology

The Exploratorium lists hard-ball stage at 250 to 265 degrees Fahrenheit, with the syrup near 92 percent sugar. A drop of syrup in cold water forms a hard ball that stays firm but can still be squashed into a new shape.

Because so little water is left, candies cooked to this stage are chewy and firm. The museum names nougat, marshmallows, gummies, divinity and rock candy among them. Cooks usually watch a candy thermometer, or test a spoonful of syrup in cold water, and pull the pot from the heat when the stage is reached.

The temperatures are for sea level; at higher altitudes the page says to subtract 1 degree Fahrenheit for every 500 feet above sea level.

Hard ball comes after firm ball, used for caramels, and before soft crack, used for saltwater taffy and butterscotch.

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Sources

Written by VanillaGoods in our own words from these sources. Last reviewed October 15, 2026.

  1. Science of Cooking: Candy-making Stages, Exploratorium