I'm sure you have realized that using a water based food coloring is a no-no. Are you absolutely sure the coloring you are now using is actually free of water? Even paste colorings will still contain small amounts of water, and even that small amount will cause sugar or chocolate to seize up. I'd recommend adding the coloring at the start, when you first begin to boil the sugar and water. That way any water it may have will boil off. Also- are you flavoring this mixture? Those flavorings also need to be oil based- not the usual extracts you see at the grocery store, which are water, glycol, or alcohol based. The other thing that might be triggering this is that you have small crystals of sugar on the sides of the pan which you are knocking off when you start stirring. What you are making is a sort of sugar glass- not a form it really likes to be in. Sugar is a crystal, and it really prefers to be one- so even the teensiest crystal is a seed that sets the process off. To combat this, you need to wash down the sides of your pan while it is cooking down. Or you can pop a lid onto the pan for a few minutes before you reach the correct temperature to allow steam to do it for you. Then when you start stirring, take great care not to scrape the sides of your pan at all- just to be safe. The only other thing I can think of is if you are using a candy thermometer to be sure you are at the correct temperature. Check that in a pan of boiling water, and make sure it is reading 212F or 100C. If there is a difference in what your thermometer reads and these, take that difference into account when making your candy syrup. Add or subtract the difference in that reading from your final target temperature. If it's reading a bit low- then add the difference. If it's reading high, then subtract. Unfortunately there isn't any rescue for your current mixture- at least not for candy making. However, you can still use it to sweeten coffee or tea, or to decorate baked goods.
This is the second batch with the oil food coloring (made by Wilton for making candies). It looks more "foamy" then seized so this might be a temperature thing. I have made several batches of clear lollipops with flavoring (LorAnn Oils) that turned out perfectly. The only change was the addition of the dye (pot/thermometer stayed constant - and both are brand new).
You had a lit of great ideas and I'm going to try them! Wish me luck :)
I believe you have foam because you are using a whisk in your candy syrup. You really should only whisk your mixture until it comes to a boil and the sugar is dissolved. After that, if you are mixing in flavoring at the end it's best to do that with either a wooden spoon or a heat-proof silicone type spatula. I actually prefer to use a wooden spoon all the way through the process myself. Metal spoons and implements can actually trigger the crystals to form- because they conduct heat from a small area and leave it supersaturated, at the same time you are disrupting them. You've also got sugar crystals on the edge of your pan there, which are trouble waiting to happen if they get picked up by that whisk. Anyway- here's keeping fingers crossed for the batch. At least even sugar crystals taste good! And colored/flavored kinds are even better.
Thats very good To know! I have ordered a baking set of silicone spatulas but they won't be here for a bit so will definitely move to a wooden spoon for all of it! Thank you for all of the information. I know just about nothing about the science of baking!
At least learning kitchen chemistry and baking science usually tastes good! Sometimes it helps to understand what's going on- or is supposed to be going on, when you are cooking. I'd suggest a book called The Food Lab, by J. Kenji López-Alt, as well as checking out the section he does for a website called Serious Eats. It can really help you understand what's going on in the pot, and why things work the way they do- and he does it in a really good way, easy to follow and fun.
/81d7c340-83ad-4ad0-9efc-42c577bc7b67--20200108_121837.jpg)
5 Comments
This is the second batch with the oil food coloring (made by Wilton for making candies). It looks more "foamy" then seized so this might be a temperature thing. I have made several batches of clear lollipops with flavoring (LorAnn Oils) that turned out perfectly. The only change was the addition of the dye (pot/thermometer stayed constant - and both are brand new).
You had a lit of great ideas and I'm going to try them! Wish me luck :)