SIMONS 1

Cacey
Outline
10-3-13
Introduction: What are the scientific processes and procedures on making hard candy or
taffy.
Candy in Scientific Perspective

I. What is sugar?
A. Chemically
B. Sugar in Candy

II. The History of Candy
A. Cultural Processes
B. Factories/Companies
C. Getting Started
D. Examples

III. Types of Candy
A. Crystalline
B. Non-Crystalline
C. Re-Crystallization

IV. The stages when making candy solution, also known as sugar.

A. The temperatures/qualities of each stage.
B. Why dos? (Why add certain products while experimenting?)

V. Alternative Sugars
A. Different Types
B. Comparison to sugar




Note on Plagiarism: Plagiarism was at 31% but some of the sites I had not used.












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Cacey Simons
English12
Research Paper
12-4-13
Candy in Scientific Perspective
When thinking how products change over a period of time, its often thought of
Wow, this product has changed so much over the years! However the changes over the
years hard candies havent changed drastically. Candy still has the same approach of
producing, but since we are living in a more technological time, there are more ways of
making candy. Which leads us to a very important question, what are the processes and
procedures of making candy? This is where the scientific process comes into play. As the
chemical term, sugar usually refers to all carbohydrates of the general formula Cn(H2O)n.
Sucrose is a disaccharide, or double sugar, being composed of one molecule of glucose
linked to one molecule of fructose. Because one molecule of water (H2O) is lost in the
condensation reaction linking glucose to fructose, sucrose is represented by the formula
C12H22O11, 12 atoms of carbon, 22 atoms of hydrogen and 11 atoms of oxygen. When
adding sugar to water, the crystals dissolve while the sugar goes into a solution (Candy
Help). With that being said, a solution cant dissolve an infinite amount of sugar into a fixed
volume of water. When as much sugar has been dissolved into a solution as possible, the
solution is saturated. The saturation point is different at different temperatures. The
higher the temperature, the more sugar can be held in a solution. When candy is being
cooked, the sugar, water and various other ingredients are at an extremely high

temperature. At those high temperatures, the sugar remains, even though much of the
water has boiled away (Britannica). Although when candy is through cooking and begins to
cool, there is more sugar in solution that is usually possible. The solution, supersaturating
with sugar is an unstable state. Though over the years not many had figured out the
aspects of how candy was made, it is excellent to see how times have changed.
Since the years have passed since candy was first developed, the processes and
procedures have varied. Most have the same concept, as well as the products. The focus on
this paper is hard candy as well as taffy. Such a product can be traced back to earlier than
1500 BC. In such a time the Egyptians did not have sugar; thus they made their sweet treats
by combining fruits, nuts, and honey (History of Candy & Desserts). Subsequently, sugar
was traded throughout the Middle East, and by the 11
th
century sugar had spread to
Europe. As a result, Venice had become the sugar capital of the world by the 13
th
century.
By the late 13
th
century the English word candy, was in use. The word candy had
originated from Arabic, quandi meaning made of sugar. Although sugar was the main
ingredient, it was not always the only item classified as candy. By then sugar was a bonus
for people who could afford it (Candy Crate). The first candy factory is known to be the
Startup Candy Factory, which was located in Manchester England. William Startup had
started the company, not thinking that when he passed his family would continue his trend;
his grandsons had taken it back to the United States and started their company in Utah.
The Startup was one of the first candy factories in the state. The company had produced
the first candy bar in the United States as well as being the first to produce and sell ice
cream. This store helped Utah produce more candy than the rest of the intermountain
states combined.
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In later years, sweets were produced for the first time in order to ameliorate the
taste of medicine. By the year 1816, there were already approximately twenty candy
factories in both Philadelphia and New York. Most of the first candies made in factories
were primarily made by hand, and were mainly limited to stick with molasses candies. By
the 1840s, machines were invented to allow the industry to progress further. A revolving
steam pan was developed in Philadelphia in the year of 1843 to assist in the boiling of
sugar. The following year a lozenge-making machine was invented in Boston. The industry
in the U.S. expanded from 383 factories with 1,733 workers in 1850, to 4,279 factories with
33,000 workers producing $80,000,000 worth of materials in the year of 1990. Nine years
later they were producing $135,000,000 and in 1924 the U.S. led the world in candy
production and consumption (Startup Candy Company). By this time, sugars as well as
hard candies were becoming popular.
Leading us to how such products were created. An example would be the lollipop.
The lollipop has quite the history of production. The first appearance of the lollipop
comes from a few thousand years ago when archeological findings established that our
ancestors used honey as an additive to more easily spoiled food. For easier access to the
meal, they would stick a piece of wood to the honey, preserved fruit, or nuts and consume it
by licking and biting. By the 17
th
century sugar had become plentiful in London, street
vendors had quickly found use for candy and started selling manually made lolly pops in
large quantities. According to linguists, lolly meant tongue and pop meant, slap, so the
term was known as a tongue slap (Candy History). The difference between lollipops then
and todays lollipops is that the old English lollypop recipe required the candy to be a soft
substance, rather than hard candy (Candy History and Origins). However during the

1900s, in the early years the Startup Company had been making hard candies involved
stirring with sticks. At the time the owner, George Smith, had always left the sticks in to
take home to his kids however, it wasnt until 1908 that he began to market the used
candy sticks. The year 1908 had been a successful year for manufacturing; in that year the
first automated lollipop production was created (Racine Confectionary Machine Company,
Wisconsin). The machine could put hard candy on a stick at the rate of 2,400 sticks per
hour. This shows the scientific advancements that we have made in candy making through
the use of technology. The company believed at that time that they could produce enough
candies in a week to supply the nations demand for a year. In 1931 the term lollipop was
finally trademarked. It may seem as if there were not very many machines, but due to the
introduction of machinery, the making of candy was increasing by the year 1840. By 1847
the invention of the candy press, also known as the toy machine, made it possible to
produce multiple shapes and sizes of candy at once. Now that we have looked at the
production of lollipops, we can break the process down into the individual components on
how a lollipop is made.
During candy production, sugar is normally dissolved in water at room temperature
to the stage where no sugars will further dissolve. The result is often a condensed solution.
This specific condensed solution is put above heat and stirred regularly, enabling
additional sugar to dissolve into solution. The solution will be heated up to boiling, from
which stage no more sugar could dissolve into solution, making a supersaturated solution.
This supersaturated sugar solution is usually heated to above boiling point making more
water evaporate and then the solution is further concentrated. The amount of sugar of the
supersaturated solution may establish the candys final thickness. Simply by keeping track
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of the phases of the supersaturated solution using a candy thermometer and also through
screening one small piece of the sugar syrup inside chilled water, it's possible to figure out
the accurate concentration of sugar syrup. These types of condensed, supersaturated
solutions are extremely unstable because the sugar compounds are susceptible to re-
crystallize ahead of time as the solution gets progressively condensed. The sugar
molecules will begin to crystallize back into a solid. Stirring or jostling of any kind can
cause the sugar to begin crystallizing. When it comes to candy chemically, there are two
main types of groups, crystalline and non-crystalline. Crystalline is the aggregation of
molecules of a substance in a set, ordered pattern, forming individual crystals. Non-
crystalline are types of sugar candy that includes hard candy brittles, chewy candies, and
gummy candies. However, non-crystalline candies are usually easier to produce. The
particular sugar solution should simply contain adequate interfering agents or perhaps
cook to higher temperatures to avoid recrystallization. In taffies, invert sugar by means of
molasses or acid will generate. Corn syrup is generally put into the blend in order to avoid
the development of crystals inside the candy (Science of Candy). Such candies are usually
cooked properly to a higher temperature as compared to crystallized candies in order to
reduce the water content to a lesser amount to reduce recrystallization.
The main component to hard candy is sugar. When making candy the proper term
for sugar is known as sucrose, which is two simple sugars stuck together, which are
fructose and glucose. When preparing candy there are items known as invert sugars, which
are glucose or corn syrup, those products are used to prevent sugar crystals from ruining
the texture. Corn syrup also contains long chains of glucose molecules that tend to keep
sucrose molecules from crystallizing. Crystallizing is the slow precipitation of crystals from

a solution of a substance. It can also refer to the solid-liquid separation and purification
technique in which mass transfer occurs from the liquid solution to the solid crystalline
phase. . Crystallization can occur with the presence of a single unincorporated sugar
crystal, and the resulting change in texture. From smooth to fine, lumpy to grainy, these
are both unpleasant in many candies. One way to prevent the crystallization of sucrose in
candy is to make sure that there are other types of sugar usually, fructose and glucose to
get in the way. Large crystals of sucrose have a harder time forming when molecules of
fructose and glucose are around. Crystals form something like Legos locking together, the
Legos locking together resemble molecules. If some of the molecules are a different size
and shape, the molecules wont fit together, and a crystal doesnt form. Many sucrose
molecules can lead to grainy, opaque candy instead of clear and glossy. Some recipes rely
on acids like cream of tartar, lemon juice, or vinegar in very small amounts to prevent
crystallization. When talking about science there are many aspects, the most common
when producing candy is known as interfering agents (Baking 911). Such a term means
that they interfere with formatting of sucrose crystals and provide secondary properties to
the candy. An interfering agent is a substance added to sugar syrup to prevent
crystallization. Interfering agents are added in the beginning of the recipe, before the
sugar syrup begins boiling, to prevent the crystallization process. Common agents include
corn syrup, glucose, and honey (The Science of Food-Book). The behavior between
elements can vary, when working in the lab the final product depends on what elements
are being used together. Corn syrup contains glucose instead of the sucrose of table sugar.
In caramels, brittles or hard candy, preventing crystallization in their recipes contain
enough corn syrup or acids to do this. One way to prevent the crystallization of sucrose in
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candy is to make sure that there are other types of sugar usually, fructose and glucose to
get in the way. Large crystals of sucrose have a harder time forming when molecules of
fructose and glucose are around. Crystals form something like Legos locking together, the
Legos locking together resemble molecules. If some of the molecules are a different size
and shape, the molecules wont fit together, and a crystal doesnt form. The science behind
most candies are the same but when working with different types its comes in hand to
know what you are working with.
Knowing what individuals are working with in the lab is very important. Making
candy in the kitchen in comparison to making it in the lab has an amount of differences. In
the kitchen you already know what sugar is as well as milk but in the lab you have to think
of how such products work and come together in the end to make a final product. When
thinking about common ingredients in the lab, processing what it actually is a key factor.
Examples are honey, maple syrup, corn syrup, simple syrup, golden syrup, and inverted
syrup. Honey is 40% fructose, 30% glucose, and 1% sucrose. Maple syrup and simple
syrup is primarily sucrose and corn syrup is primarily glucose. Golden syrup is roughly a
third fructose, glucose and sucrose. Inverted syrup is primarily glucose and fructose. In the
lab potassium bitartrate is an acid salt that is an added ingredient in candy formulas used
to decrease the rate of crystallization as well as crystal size. It sounds technical yet only in
the kitchen or a factory it is called cream of tartar. Cream of tartar breaks sucrose into
glucose and fructose. If adding acid, a simple way to get other types of sugar into the mix is
to "invert" the sucrose by adding an acid to the recipe. Acids such as lemon juice or cream
of tartar cause sucrose to break up or invert into its two simpler components, fructose and
glucose (About).

During this process of producing candy there are many steps that have to
understood why they happen. There are many stages when the candy is being made. As
sugar syrup is cooked, water boils away, the sugar concentration increases, and the
temperature rises. The highest temperature that the sugar syrup reaches tells you what the
syrup will be like when it cools. There are many stages when making candy such as hard
and soft ball, hard and soft crack, and firm stage. The soft crack stage is when the syrup
bubbles on top become smaller, thicker, and closer together. At this stage the moisture
content is low. When you drop a little of this syrup into cold water it will solidify into
threads, so when they are removed from the water it is flexible and not brittle. They will
slightly bend before breaking. When boiling the sugar the temperature ranges from 270 to
290 degrees Fahrenheit with a sugar concentration at 95 percent. Examples of this stage
are salt-water taffy as well as butterscotch. Another stage is known as the firm-ball stage.
This is when a little drop of syrup goes into cold water, it will then form a firm ball, one that
wont flatten when you take it out of the water, but remains flexible and will flatten when
squeezed. When boiling it will be from 245 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit with a sugar
concentration at 87%, an example of this process would be known as caramels. The stage
that comes into play when making hard candy/lollipops is the hard-crack stage. The
temperature runs from about 300 to 310 degrees Fahrenheit, while the sugar
concentration reaches about 99 percent. The hard-crack stage is the highest temperature
that is likely to be specified in a candy recipe. At these temperatures, there is almost no
water left in the syrup. When dropping a little of the molten syrup in cold water it will
form hard, brittle threads that break when bent. To avoid burns, allow the syrup to cool in
the cold water for a few minutes. When working in the lab many wonder why, and by why
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meaning why add certain products while experimenting. When thinking about assembling
candy, corn syrup is a main ingredient. The main reason corn syrup is used is because it
contains long chains of glucose molecules that tend to keep sucrose molecules from
crystallizing. After the syrup is begins to boil it is important to stop the stirring process
because is has dissolved the crystal structure of the sugar, and stirring is an agitation and
can encourage fructose and glucose molecules to rejoin to form sugar. Another important
step is to wash down the sides of the pan after being used because during that process
sugar crystals are dissolved. Any single crystal of sugar clinging to the side might fall in as
a factor that can push toward recrystallizaton. Recrystallization is dissolving both
impurities and a compound in an appropriate solvent, either the preferred compound or
contaminations can be wheedled out of solution, leaving the other behind (About).
On the other hand, when thinking about the how the processes and procedures have
changed over a period of time have changed dramatically in many ways, from machines
being built, factories being produced, finding out what elements work together with what
in the lab, and experimenting. Sugars are the primary component of candy, they exhibit an
arrangement of physical and chemical attributes. Simply by modifying the sugar amount,
type and level of temperature, agitation and inclusion involving some other substances, a
variety of candies types could be created.
Although studies show that in some candies there are sweeteners used besides
sugar, alternative sweeteners are essentially calorie-free and at least 30 times sweeter than
sucrose. Therefore in such candy products it is not good quality to have overwhelming
sweetness. At hand there currently are five alternative sweeteners approved for use in the
United States: saccharin, acesulfame-K, sucralose, aspartame and neotame. Other

sweeteners don't show the unique sweetening, bulking as well as production attributes of
sugars. On the contrary additional sweeteners can be an appropriate replacement for
sugars in candy making. An example would be sucralose; such a sweetener is the only
alternative made from sugar. It is known to be 600 times sweeter than sucrose. To put
that into perspective, thats 1.6 calories per teaspoon. Sucralose is derived from sugar
through an original, multi step process that creates an extremely stable substance unable to
be absorbed in the human body. Manufactured under the name Splenda, sucralose can be
found as a tabletop sweetener and in a variety of products (Mayo Clinic). From comparing
different types of sugars to different types of products and methods used when making
candy, it is always a good help to experiment.
Experimenting is very important when figuring the process out to how it was years
before. When experimenting, it is a good to keep a journal to know what has happened
during the procedure. Trial and error is likely to occur, hence having all notes and details
written down will help with your next step when producing candy. As well as knowing
how chemicals and elements work together to form the product as well as knowing what
combining elements has interfering agents. Making products in the lab can be difficult if
not knowing how elements react with one another. Knowing the basics behind such an
experiment is always important, its good to know the background of everything you are
working with. For example knowing what temperature to set sugar at as well as for how
long so it can contain the right shape and texture. Although candy may be a joy to eat, its
also a joy to discover how it was created, produced, and still being developed today.


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