need advise

[Russian Doll]

want to make some sweets at home with the kids and start making jams etc but i have no sugar thermoter...

any tips on how i know when stuffs at the different temps

failing that if anyone has a spare one and would love to donate or swap then please pm me

thanx in advance

[hamster]

I made toffee and you can tell when it's done by dropping a glob of it in a mug of cold water and when it's ready it turns solid. Or something like that!

I also made fudge when I was very young and I can't remember how we did it, but I know we didn't have a thermometer, so it must be possible. If no-one else knows, I'll see if I can find out for you when I'm not technically supposed to be working.

[Silver Ether]

I have never used a thermometor ... and all my jam comes out fine... just test it by putting a dot on a cold plate in the fridge ... turn the heat of under your jam kettle while waiting to see if its ready or you can overdo it ... if not reached the set point continue to boil for a few more mins ... its comes with practice.

Fudge .. I do it in the micro and its fail safe.

[ina]

I've survived so far without a thermometer, too. However, I've never successfully made fudge (tried several times) - so maybe that's why!

[WiseBird]

I bought a thermometer for making sweets and jams after years of making them without one ( I thought I needed one because all of the modern cookery books said I did!) but everything I made using it was a disaster...even jam! Threw it away in the end

So I always follow the advice from the old recipes...there are different stages when boiling sugar and they are tested by dropping small amounts into cold water.

Soft ball: when the mixture can be rolled to a soft ball between finger and thumb (this is 238 deg F)

Hard ball: as above but a hard ball is formed (240 - 248 deg F)

Crack: the mixture will harden quickly in the water and you will be able to easily snap the thread that has formed (280 - 300 deg F)

Keep boiling and you will end up with 'caramel', which is very easy to burn!

I never have any problems with toffee and fudge but I must admit I have not tried other types of sweets. For jam making I also use the saucer method...its simple and it works!

Donna

[mrsflibble]

I've only ever made fudge the marshmallow way; take a bag of marshmallows, some butter and a bar of chocolate broken into little bits, stick it all in a pan and stir until melty and gooey.

[Russian Doll]

I bought a thermometer for making sweets and jams after years of making them without one ( I thought I needed one because all of the modern cookery books said I did!) but everything I made using it was a disaster...even jam! Threw it away in the end

So I always follow the advice from the old recipes...there are different stages when boiling sugar and they are tested by dropping small amounts into cold water.

Soft ball: when the mixture can be rolled to a soft ball between finger and thumb (this is 238 deg F)

Hard ball: as above but a hard ball is formed (240 - 248 deg F)

Crack: the mixture will harden quickly in the water and you will be able to easily snap the thread that has formed (280 - 300 deg F)

Keep boiling and you will end up with 'caramel', which is very easy to burn!

I never have any problems with toffee and fudge but I must admit I have not tried other types of sweets. For jam making I also use the saucer method...its simple and it works!

Donna

hun you are a star thanx so much...we made some boiled sweets and thanx to your advise there a sucsess

[WiseBird]

hey, you are very welcome!

can't beat the old recipe books!

Donna

[Milims]

You also have to take note of the different types of boil. At first, when the colour of the liquid is quite light the boil is rapid with small bubbles that don't realy burst when they reach the surface. As the liquid darkens the bubbles become larger and burst on the surface - a bit like the way porridge does. To test for soft ball I either keep a chilled plate to hand and drop some on to it or a saucer of cold water - if the fudge sinks to the bottom of the water and leaves a greasy mark on the surface it isn't ready if it forms a solid drop in the water, or a very tacky ball on the plate then it's ready for beating. If you take it from the heat and beat it until it looses it gloss and you can hear a slight grittiness as you stir - thats it ready!