How to Make Cane Syrup Candy

While sugar cane syrup is a familiar cooking ingredient in American Southern and Caribbean cuisine, many people have never worked with this sweet, viscous substance. It makes an excellent hard candy, and can be used in a number of other applications as well---from pork glazes to pancake toppings. The process for making hard candy from sugar cane syrup is very similar to the process for making hard candy from sugar or corn syrup. As with standard hard candy recipes, experience working with sugar is a must if you want to produce a high-quality result.

Things You'll Need

• Vegetable oil spray
• Hard candy molds or metal baking sheets or silicone baking sheets
• 1 cup sugar cane syrup
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp butter or margarine
• ½ teaspoon vinegar
• 2-quart saucepan
• Metal spoon
• Pastry brush
• Cold water
• Small bowl
• Candy thermometer
• Several drops food coloring (optional)
• Essential oils or flavoring oils (optional)
• Wooden skewer
• Knife
• Buttered wax paper

Instructions

Prepare Your Work Space

1. Lightly spray your candy molds or baking sheets with vegetable spray. Set aside.

2. Assemble all ingredients within easy reach.

3. Place your pastry brush in a bowl of cold water and set aside. You will be using the pastry brush to keep the sides of the saucepan from accumulating crystallized sugar once your candy mixture has begun to boil.

Prepare the Hard Candy Mixture

1. Add the sugar cane syrup, sugar, butter or margarine and vinegar to your saucepan. Stir together over low heat until the mixture is thoroughly blended.

2. Increase heat to medium, until mixture reaches boil. Continue to boil without stirring. Push down any sugar crystals with your damp pastry brush. Test mixture frequently with your candy thermometer, making sure that the thermometer is not in contact with the bottom of the pan.

3. When the mixture reaches 260 degrees Fahrenheit, remove from heat.

Add Color and/or Flavorings

1. At this point, food coloring may be added to the hard candy mixture if desired. Add a few drops of your favorite color to the mixture (more if you would like the color of the candy to be especially bright.)

2. Return the saucepan to the heat. Incorporate the color into your mixture by stirring it briefly with a wooden skewer. Boiling will ensure that the color is evenly distributed.

3. When the hardy candy mixture reaches 272 degrees Fahrenheit, remove it from heat. Allow it to cool until it is no longer boiling or simmering.

4. At this point, flavoring can be added to the mixture if desired. This is not strictly necessary. A few drops of essential oil (or 1/2 teaspoon of an oil-based flavoring such as vanilla or almond) should be sufficient. Stir the flavoring into the hard candy with your wooden skewer.

Finish the Candy

1. Pour the candy into your prepared molds or baking sheets. If pouring into baking sheets, wait until the candy is cool enough to handle and then cut with your knife into one-inch pieces.

2. Do not refrigerate. Allow to candy to cool until hardened.

3. When they are completely cooled, wrap the candies in buttered wax paper and store in an air-tight container.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are inexperienced with candy-making, a candy thermometer is invaluable.

• Your vegetable spray should be neutral in flavor, unless you would like your candy to take on the taste of a particular vegetable oil. Bland oils such as canola are recommended; more flavorful oils, such as olive, are not.

• Because hot syrup can be dangerous to work with, it is recommended that you get your candy molds or candy setting areas ready before you begin making the candy itself. Hard candy syrup is tricky to work with, so preparing your candy receptacles ahead of time is prudent because it will allow you to keep your focus on the candy. Assembling all of your ingredients and tools ahead before you make the candy is recommended for the same reason.

• Hot candy syrups can be very dangerous. Make sure to use potholders and take other precautions when working with boiling syrups.

References

• Steen's Pull Candy
• Cooks.com: Stage Plank Candy
• Food Network.com: Candy Ribbon Recipe

Resources

• Cane Syrup: Sweet Taste of the South
• How to Make Sugar Cane Syrup in the Kettle
• Ribbon Candy Syrup: Once a Staple, Now a Novelty