Sugar stages chart

A sugar stages chart lists what happens as a syrup is boiled hotter. Water boils away, the sugar becomes more concentrated, and the syrup sets harder when it cools.

At sea level the stages run from thread at 230 to 235 degrees Fahrenheit, soft ball at 235 to 240, firm ball at 245 to 250, hard ball at 250 to 265, soft crack at 270 to 290, and hard crack at 300 to 310. In the classic cold water test a drop of syrup forms a soft, flexible ball at soft ball, a ball that holds its shape at hard ball, and brittle threads that snap at hard crack. Beyond that, sugar turns clear liquid near 320, brown near 338 and burnt near 350.

At higher altitudes the chart is adjusted by subtracting 1 degree Fahrenheit for every 500 feet above sea level.