Meet your new best friend. Yes, a candy thermometer is your pal!   If you want to make candy you need this tool. Period.   It’s truly indispensable for all types of candy making from fudge to lollipops.

I know that some people are a little afraid of using a thermometer.   It sounds so scientific and you’re a cook, not a scientist. But candy making is kind of science-y.

Perfectly made caramels, toffee, taffy, hard crack candy all require sugar to be cooked to a certain temperature range or sugar stage. Sugar + heat = chemical reaction. In the case of lollipops, you’re taking a solid (sugar), mixing it with water and corn syrup to form a liquid, and then heating it until the sugar melts and becomes hard and transparent like GLASS! It’s sort of amazing if you think about it.

1. Fill a saucepan halfway with water.  Attach candy thermometer to the side of the pan, making sure the tip doesn’t touch the bottom.
2. Bring the water to a boil.
3. When the water boils, check the temperature. Water boils at 212° F. (see note) which means your thermometer should read 212° F {100° C.}. If the reading is higher or lower, take the difference into account when testing the temperature of your sugar syrup – or get a new thermometer!

Note: At sea level, water boils at 212 °F. With each 500-feet increase in elevation, the boiling point of water is lowered by just under 1 °F.

So really there are only two things to remember when using a candy thermometer:

1. Always check the thermometer’s accuracy before you beginning a cooking project.
2. Make sure the tip does not touch the bottom of the pan.

That’s it!  Happy candy making!

For more candy making tips and tricks visit the Learn section of our website.