Making candy is so much fun and can be enjoyed by adults and kids. If you are looking for a fun craft to do with your children, consider making rock candy. Making rock candy is truly an easy candy to make and loads of fun to do. The kids will love to watch the sugar crystals grow to make candy, but they will enjoy eating it more.
Making candy at home has its advantages. You can create unique and interesting creations and make them personal. There are many different candies out there, many of which can be made right at home. If you are not sure what to make, consider your options.
One type of candy you can make at home is hard candy. Hard candy consists almost entirely of sugars with small amounts of flavoring and color. Some common hard candies that you can make at home are peppermint sticks or candy canes, fruit drops, lollipops, and clear mints. Another type of candy variety is the soft kind like marshmallows, some jellies, and nougats. These types of candies can also be made from home but require a little more skill. They are made from sugar, but no more than five percent of other ingredients have been added. Cotton candy is a great example of this kind of candy. It is almost pure spun sugar that has been melted with only a small amount of coloring added. Although marshmallows are not thought of as a type of candy, they would fall into this category as well. They are made by whipping air into a mixture of sugar, corn syrup, gelatin, and egg whites. The third type of candies contains large proportions of ingredients other than sugars such as fudge, caramels, chocolates, sugar- or chocolate-covered raisins or nuts, and pastes. Marzipan is probably the best known and is made from crushed almonds, sugar, and egg whites. But, chocolate fudge is probably the candy that is most easily made at home. Chocolate fudge is made from corn syrup, sugar, chocolate, vanilla, milk, and butter cooked together until the desired consistency is reached. It then needs to be cooled and allowed to harden.
Both beginning and experienced candy makers can easily find a candy to make that will suit their skill level. Remember not to be too ambitious when you’re new to this craft. Try starting with the easiest recipe, like rock candy. Then, when you get used to boiling a sugar solution, measuring its temperature, etc., you can try to tackle the more difficult candies like peanut brittle or fudge. By doing this, you’ll learn the little secrets it takes to succeed. For example, you should always make candy on a cool, dry day. Candy is made from sugar, which pulls moisture from the air. So if you tried to make candy on a warm, sticky day, this would make the cooking time increase. Also, the sugar substance should boil, not simmer. Otherwise, the candy will not harden properly. It is these little things that will make you successful at candy-making.
