How Are Different Types Of Candies Prepared

Candy is prepared from sugar syrup. The syrup is heated for a long period so that it starts to solidify. Candies come in variety of textures, from soft and gummy to hard and brittle. The type produced depends on the temperatures and cooling period of syrup during its preparation.

The History

In Old days steam power was used in factories. Candy making and consumption increased during 19th century. In early days of its development preparation was done mostly by hand. It used to be prepared at home or in small, local shops. Increased machine involvement caused prices to come down and consumption increased.In the late 19th century early 20th century, candy was considered sweet and friendly, so preparing it at home, giving to friends and relatives was the trend. But over time its manufacturing developed in to a big industry. There had been a time when it even got the status of alternate meal. At that time there was very little awareness about nutrition. It was only in late 20th century that people were made aware, that these give empty calories and their popularity came down.

Safety

Making candy can be hazardous at times, due to the high temperature of sugar. The temperature often exceeds 150 degrees Celsius. Even small splashes can cause burns.

Types Of Candies

They are basically 2 types of candies. Hard Candy and Soft Candy.

1. Hard candy

Hard candy, is a candy prepared from syrups heated to a temperature of 160 °C. After heating the syrup to this temperature, it is poured in moulds and then cooled till room temperature we get hard candy. To add color, food grade color is used.

2. Soft candy

Soft candy is subdivided in to two categories:

a. Cotton candy

Cotton candy is made by spinning sugar. The Machines used to make cotton candy has a spinning head covering a small bowl. Granulated sugar is poured in the bowl while it spins. Heaters melt the sugar, and this melted sugar is squeezed out through tiny holes by centrifugal force, and the molten sugar solidifies in the form of strands, then a stick, cone, or hands are used to collect the strands.

Those Tempting Candies Lets Know Their History

Candy, the confectionery with a high sugar content, has an interesting history behind it. The term candy can be used to refer to any sweet confectionery. However, the definition of candy is not universal. What is considered as candy in one culture may be dessert in another.

Read on to know more about your favorite confectionery.

1) Candy Canes

Originally candy was made in the form of straight sticks. Around 350 years ago, straight sugar stick candy was used to decorate the Christmas trees. Eventually a cane shape was given to it representing a shepherd's cane, but the candy was still white. It was only after a 100 years since then that the candy was given the colorful stripes that we now see.

The production of candy canes was automated in the 1950's by a catholic priest.

2) Chocolate

The rulers of the Aztecs loved to have chocolate as a drink. This form of chocolate eventually spread to Europe. The actual inventor of the edible chocolate is not known. However, Joseph Fry during his experiments found that a mixture of cocoa powder and sugar eventually resulted in a sweet product that could be molded as one desired and then eaten. This product instantly became hugely popular among the people.

3) Marshmallows

Marshmallows have an ancient Egyptian origin. The marshmallow plant grows in salt marshes and large bodies of water. Ancient Egyptian doctors used to use marshmallow sap mixed with sugar, egg white and some other ingredients as a remedy to treat sore throat in children. It has also been found that they were given to rich kids as a treat. However, eventually as civilization progressed, people began to get more restless and found a faster way of manufacturing marshmallows by eliminating the sap. This led to the medicinal properties being lost as well.

4) Cotton Candy

Although candy has been around for a considerable amount of time, cotton candy was only recently invented. The European chefs were known to make a sweet confectionery called 'Golden Grass, that is popularly believed to be the predecessor of cotton candy. They were easily made into different shapes as desired. It was only with the advancement of the sugar industry that cotton candy began to be produced

5) Jelly Beans

The earliest known reference to this confectionery is associated with the marketing of jelly beans to soldiers engaged in the Civil War by a jelly bean manufacturer.