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Help With Sugar / Hard Candy Molds

post #1 of 11
3/18/06 at 6:14am
Thread Starter 
Hi Sugar Geniuses out there! I need HELP!!!!!

I just spent 50.00 on three silicon molds from First IMpressions. I want to make candy gems like on this guys website:

http://www.jeff-the-chef.com/stock.html

This is my first attempt with sugar. I used a recipe for sugar glass, because I wanted the gems to come out clear.

As soon as it hit 300 degrees, I poured it into the molds.

Then I had fun with the sugar and got experimental. I made spun sugar nests and candy glass, etc. Those things worked out.

However, when the candy hardened , and they popped out of the molds, they were not as shiny as they should be. There were tons of tiny little air bubbles preventing the shine and the cut-look of the gems.

Where did I go wrong, and how can I fix this? I have a wedding cake in July that I have to have these gems for, and I'm trying to practice. Is there a recipe for this? I did not use cream of tartar. Would that do the trick?

Also, is there a way to get the color of the candy to come out clear looking, and less yellow?

Could any Sugar Master out there give me a hand?

Thanks!!
Ellen
I love my lil' munchkin
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post #2 of 11
3/18/06 at 6:22am
It sounds like you stirred to much air into them when they were cooking. Does your recipe say to stir occasionlly and you should probably stir slowly so as not to get a lot of air in the mixture. You could also tap it on the counter immediately after you pour it into the molds. See if this helps! What recipe are you using?
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post #3 of 11
3/18/06 at 8:07am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the tips. I did not stir at all during cooking, as the recipe indicated. I may have overly boiled it, though. I will tap it on the counters next time. It is not hard to make the sugar syrup...so I'll give it another go.

I used the sugar glass recipe.
I love my lil' munchkin
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I love my lil' munchkin
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post #4 of 11
3/18/06 at 4:28pm
Thread Starter 
any other enlightenment out there on this one?
I love my lil' munchkin
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I love my lil' munchkin
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post #5 of 11
3/19/06 at 7:44am
Well, you have several problems here so I will take them one at the time.
First, I would not use the sugar glass recipe for what you are doing its really not designed for that purpose. You should use a regular boiled sugar recipe. Did you wipe down the sides of your pan while you were boiling your sugar? What type sugar are you using?

I cannot remember but does the sugar glass recipe call for an acid? If it does you do not need it in casting or molding sugar.Reason being is the acid is for elasicity and moisture retardation its really not needed in what you are doing.

As far as the air bubbles go it was proably re-crystallized sugar from the sides of your pan. What type pan did you use? I would do it agian but remove the sugar mixture at 280F let your bubbles subside in the mixture and pour it inot your molds then. The mixture temperature will continue to rise even after it is removed from the heat.

If you do stir, only stir until the mixture starts to boil then stop! You will notice that granulated sugar carmelizes at 320F and it sounds like your thermometer maybe off some to.

I checked out that link thats some pretty impressive stuff that guy has.
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post #6 of 11
3/19/06 at 7:58am
i pull my hot sugar mixture off the heat and let set for a couple of minutes, let the temp come down abit and give the bubbles a chance to form, then i pour into my prepared molds.
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post #7 of 11
3/19/06 at 11:48pm
I am wanting to do some of the blown sugar and sugar pulling. Is this something one can learn for themselves or do you have to take a class. I want to make ribbons and bows and other things. I am pretty sure I can make sugar cages from what I have seen on the Food channel. I am going to Cal. Cake Camp in September and there will be 2 classes there to take. But there are a lot of other classes too. So if I can do this by myself that would help. Thanks
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post #8 of 11
3/20/06 at 2:25am
Hi, Ellen.

You may want to try this with Isomalt. You can buy small quantities online (chefrubber.com) comes to mind. It dries clear--not yellowish like sugar--and it seems to get fewer bubbles in it. It isn't really a large crystal structure, either, so you get less re-crystallization. It's fully edible, but a bit harder than regular sugar. If it dries a bit cloudy, you can hit it very quickly with a flame--like a small food torch for caramelizing sugar on creme brulee--and it will melt just enough of the outer surface to get is shiny again.

Rae
I love you, but your emergency is not my crisis!

They say that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance.--Terry Pratchett (b.194
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I love you, but your emergency is not my crisis!

They say that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance.--Terry Pratchett (b.194
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post #9 of 11
3/20/06 at 5:38am
Thread Starter 
Thanks! Sugar Creations, I would just love a good recipe for this. Do you have any suggestions?

The sugar glass worked beautifully on other things (like the spun sugar). I will have to try the isomalt sugar instead...maybe that would be better. The recipe just called for basic sugar.

Nonetheless, I thought working with sugar would be impossible, but it really wasn't as difficult as one would think. I'm looking forward to more experiments!
I love my lil' munchkin
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I love my lil' munchkin
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post #10 of 11
3/20/06 at 2:52pm
Well if you can afford the Isomalt use it.Do not have to mess with acids or glucose or that other stuff. But if you need a sugar recipe let me know.
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post #11 of 11
6/11/06 at 4:01pm
YipEE!

party.gif.....party.gif.....party.gif.....party.gif

I found it, I found it... a place where I can purchase a sugar swan.

Been askin' you guys if you know of a place. Offerin' to buy your work too.

Anybody still interested in selling a swan, let me know... Would rather support your work than someone not a member here. (Not soliciting just chattin' so if I'm yanked, I apologize to the administrators.) So, I'd be glad to hear from any member.

But this post has a link to Jeff... He sells swans. Now, if I can get it across the border!
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