Sugar Candy the best candy for all occasions
Candy, particularly sugar candy, is a confection made from an intense solution of sugar in water. After that flavorings and colorants are added. Candies come in numerous colors and varieties and have a long history in trendy civilization.
The core English word “candy” began to be used in the late 13th century, coming into English from the Old French çucre candi, derived in turn from Persian Qand and Qandi , “cane sugar”. In North America, candy is a wide type that contains candy bars, gumdrops, marshmallows, chocolates, licorice, sour candies, salty candies, tart candies, hard candies, taffies and more. Fruit, vegetables or nuts which have been fixed and coated with sugar are supposed to be candied. Outside North America, the generic English-language name for candy is “sweets” or “confectionery” (United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa and other commonwealth countries). In Australia and New Zealand, chocolate, sweets or candy is jointly known as “lollies”.A well-liked candy in Latin America is the so-called pirulín (also known as pirulí), which is a multicolor, conic-shaped hard candy of about 10 to 15 cm long, with a pointed conical or pyramidal point, with a stick in the base, and well wrapped in cellophane.
Chemically, sugar candies are generally divided into two groups: crystalline candies and amorphous candies. Crystalline candies are not as solid as crystals of the mineral type, but get their name and their texture from their microscopically ordered sugar formation, formed through a process of crystallization, which makes them easy to bite or cut into. Fudge, creams, and fondant are examples of crystalline candies. Amorphous candies have a disorganized crystalline structure. They usually have higher sugar concentrations, and the texture may be chewy, hard, or brittle. Caramels, nut brittles and toffees are examples of amorphous candies.
Basically candy is made by dissolving sugar in water or milk to form of syrup, which is boiled until it gets the preferred concentration or starts to caramelize. The type of candy depends on the ingredients and how long the mixture is boiled. Candy comes in a wide variety of textures, from soft and chewy to hard and brittle. Some examples are: caramel candy, toffee, Wedding candy, praline, tablet, gumdrops, jelly beans, rock candy, lollipops, taffy, cotton candy, candy canes, peppermint sticks, peanut brittle, chocolate-coated raisins or peanuts, hard candy and candy bars.
The final touch of candy depends on the sugar concentration. As the syrup is heated, it boils, water evaporates, the sugar concentration increases, and the boiling point rises. A given temperature leads to an exacting sugar concentration. In general, higher temperatures and greater sugar concentrations result in hard, brittle candies, and lower temperatures result in softer candies.
The names come from the methods used to test the syrup before thermometers became affordable. The “thread” stage is tested by cooling a little syrup, and pulling it between the thumb and forefinger. When the correct stage is reached, a thread will form. This stage is used for making syrups. For subsequent stages, a small spoonful of syrup is dropped into cold water, and the characteristics of the resulting lump are evaluated to determine the concentration of the syrup. A smooth lump indicates “ball” stages, with the corresponding hardness described. At the “soft crack” stage, the syrup forms threads that are just pliable. At the “hard crack” stage, the threads are brittle.
The shelf life of candy is longer than for many foods because of its high sugar concentration, bacteria are not usually able to grow in candy. As a result, most candies can be safely stored in their original packaging at room temperature in a dry, dark cupboard for months or years in shop.
Candy can be packaged in various ways, from individual wrapping (in twisting paper, wholesale candy wax paper or cellophane) pieces commonly used for candy canes and lollipops to candy bars to bulk candy packs. “Candy wrapper” or “sweets-wrapper” is a familiar term for such packaging.