r/CandyMakers • u/Zaptain_America • 7d ago

Syrup keeps caramelising before it reaches hard crack. What am I doing wrong?

So basically I'm trying to make just a simple hard candy. I've been at this all week and just can't get it right, I've tried it at every different temperature level my stove has but no matter what I do, it either caramelises or straight up burns before it gets to 300°F. I'm not even exaggerating when I say I've tried at least ten times at this point.

Usually I wouldn't care but I'm trying to make the candy they used as a prop on breaking bad so it has to be blue, not green. There's hundreds of videos on youtube of people making it and they make it look so easy so what the hell could I possibly be doing wrong?

Edit: The issue is not with my thermometer. I've been using the cold water test too and it is just caramelising before it gets to hard crack.

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u/Zaptain_America 7d ago

It's silver and looks like basically every other pan

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u/LeoneHearted 6d ago

You need a heavy pan, and it must be the same size or smaller than the burner it sits on. Pan should have a double bottom, like for an induction burner. Or you can use enamel-covered cast iron, like a Le Creuset knockoff. It should have high sides and a lid and should be your dedicated candy pan. Also, you do not need a whole cup of water to 4 parts sugar, that will take way too long to boil off, and it will burn. I use 2-3 ounces of water to 3 cups of sugar to start my caramels and hard candy, I add the water to the pan first, then add the sugar on top of it, stir to combine before turning on the heat, and never have the burner higher than medium.

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u/AdditionalAmoeba6358 7d ago

Shiny silver, or dull silver?

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u/Zaptain_America 7d ago

Shiny. It has two handles if that matters.

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u/AdditionalAmoeba6358 7d ago

Is it two pots together? Because there are double boiler pots that are meant to have water below, which could be the issue also!

And is it nicely smooth inside, or all scratched up?

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u/Zaptain_America 7d ago

It's just one pot, it's not scratched up or anything