146 Principles of Food Science Ripening Ripening is allowing candy to sit for a period in order to form a creamy, smooth texture. Fondant is a type of candy that should be allowed to ripen. It is wrapped securely and then allowed to sit for 12 to 24 hours. This wait allows the time needed for smaller crystals to dissolve. The result is a smoother, moister fondant that kneads more easily. Some fondants have invertase added after cooking to cause further hydrolysis of disaccharides into invert sugar. The invert sugar results in a candy with a smooth, fine, even texture that is semisoft to liquid. Tips for Successful Candy Making Two factors must be carefully monitored when making candy. The first factor is the concentration of the sugar solution. The second factor is the size of the sugar crystals. Both of these factors are related to the temperature of the sugar solution. Therefore, it is important that your candy thermometer be calibrated every time you make candy. The concentration of the sugar solution is directly related to temperature. If the solution is a few degrees too low, the sugar concentration will not be high enough. If you are making fudge, you will end up with a sticky sauce instead of a creamy candy. If the solution is a few degrees too high, the sugar concentration will be too high. This will turn your creamy fudge into a crumbly, grainy, dry product. When making caramels or suckers, a few degrees mean the difference between a delicious candy and an unappealing, dry one. See 8-13. Keeping an eye on the candy thermometer is the easiest way to monitor the relative sugar-to-water concentration. Remember, however, that sugar tends to draw water. Therefore, a very humid day will change the sugar-water balance in candy as it cools. This is why some cookbooks will tell you never to make fudge on a rainy day. The high humidity may reduce the sugar concentration just enough to keep your fudge from setting. Candy manufacturers can prevent this problem by carefully monitoring and controlling the environment in the processing plant. Caramelizing Agents A fifth function of sugars in food products is to act as caramelizing agents. When sugar is subjected to high or prolonged heat, it changes into a brown increases the likelihood of crystal formation. Constant stirring of a cooled syrup prevents large crystals from forming and results in a smooth candy. This is why most fudge recipes specify letting the candy sit until it has cooled to 43°C (110°F). You are then to beat the candy vigorously until it begins to set. This helps prevent sugar crystals from forming into large clusters, which would feel grainy. Cooling Cooling times for candy are critical to crystal formation and should not be cut short. Stirring too early can cause a few crystals to come out of the slightly supersaturated mixture. This causes crystal- lization to occur slowly rather than rapidly. Crystals that form slowly are larger and give candy a grainy texture. Rapid crystallization creates small crystals, which give candy a high-quality, smooth texture. It can be difficult to wait patiently for candy to cool, but this step is vital if the final texture is to be smooth. Fondants and taffies are often cooled on a marble slab. The candy syrup is poured on the cool stone. Thinning out the candy syrup on marble results in fast, even cooling that produces lots of small crystals. Janet Ward 8-12 Each of these ingredients will interfere with the development of large sugar crystals in candy. Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.