Soft ball stage | candy making (2024)

In fudge

…termed in kitchen parlance the soft ball stage, that point between 234 and 240 °F (112 and 115 °C) at which a small ball of the candy dropped in ice water neither disintegrates nor flattens when picked up with the fingers. Butter and vanilla are added as the candy cools,…

Read More

","url":"Introduction","wordCount":0,"sequence":1},"imarsData":{"INFINITE_SCROLL":"552379|1,92513|1,221343|1","HAS_REVERTED_TIMELINE":"false"},"npsAdditionalContents":{},"templateHandler":{"name":"INDEX"},"paginationInfo":{"previousPage":null,"nextPage":null,"totalPages":1},"uaTemplate":"INDEX","infiniteScrollList":[{"p":1,"t":552379},{"p":1,"t":92513},{"p":1,"t":221343}],"topicLeftRail":{"topicInfo":{"id":552379,"title":"soft ball stage","url":"https://www.britannica.com/topic/soft-ball-stage","description":"Fudge: …termed in kitchen parlance the soft ball stage, that point between 234 and 240 °F (112 and 115 °C) at which a small ball of the candy dropped in ice water neither disintegrates nor flattens when picked up with the fingers. Butter and vanilla are added as the candy cools,…","type":"TOPIC","titleText":"soft ball stage","urlTitle":"soft-ball-stage","metaDescription":"Other articles where soft ball stage is discussed: fudge: …termed in kitchen parlance the soft ball stage, that point between 234 and 240 °F (112 and 115 °C) at which a small ball of the candy dropped in ice water neither disintegrates nor flattens when picked up with the fingers. Butter and vanilla are added as the candy cools,…","identifierHtml":"candy making","identifierText":"candy making","topicClass":"topic","topicKey":"soft-ball-stage","articleContentType":"INDEX","ppTecType":"CONCEPT","gaTemplate":"INDEX","topicType":"INDEX","relativeUrl":"/topic/soft-ball-stage","assemblyLinkPrefix":"/media/1/552379/"},"topicLink":{"title":"soft ball stage","url":"https://www.britannica.com/topic/soft-ball-stage"},"tocTitle":"Directory","tocEntry":"References","toc":null,"quoteLink":null,"indexLink":null,"factsLink":null,"mediaLink":null,"media":null,"studentLinks":null,"relatedQuizzes":null,"topQuestions":null,"readNext":null,"discover":[{"id":8604,"title":"8 Must-See Paintings at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.","url":"/list/8-must-see-paintings-at-the-national-gallery-of-art-in-washington-dc","description":"Know before you go.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/31/166231-131-814754C7/Adoration-of-the-Shepherds-canvas-Giorgione-Samuel.jpg","altText":"Giorgione, Italian, 1477/1478-1510, The Adoration of the Shepherds, 1505/1510, oil on panel, overall: 90.8 x 110.5 cm (35 3/4 x 43 1/2 in.), Samuel H. Kress Collection, 1939.1.289, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.","credit":"Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., Samuel H. Kress Collection, 1939.1.289","width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/31/166231-131-814754C7/Adoration-of-the-Shepherds-canvas-Giorgione-Samuel.jpg"},"type":"LIST","breadcrumb":{"homeLink":null,"items":[{"title":"List","url":"/list/browse"},{"title":"Visual Arts","url":"/list/browse/Visual-Arts"}],"lastItemTitle":"Visual Arts"},"superCategory":{"id":2,"title":"Arts & Culture","url":"Arts-Culture","description":"Explore arts and culture; entertainment and pop culture, actors, comics, dance, film, food, music, theatre, tv; visual arts, architecture, fashion, painting, photography, sculpture; literature, fiction, nonfiction, plays, poetry, short story; sports and recreation","keywords":"entertainment and pop culture, actors, comics, dance, film, food, music, theatre, tv; visual arts, architecture, fashion, painting, photography, sculpture; literature, fiction, nonfiction, plays, poetry, short story; sports and recreation","classId":"ART","sortOrder":6},"hashtags":["Jan Vermeer","Gilbert Stuart","Thomas Gainsborough","Rene Magritte","Giorgione","Jackson Pollock","Domenico Veneziano","travel","destinations","tourism"],"hashtagsString":"Jan Vermeer, Gilbert Stuart, Thomas Gainsborough, Rene Magritte, Giorgione, Jackson Pollock, Domenico Veneziano, travel, destinations, tourism","displayDate":[2020,10,31],"urlTitle":"8-must-see-paintings-at-the-national-gallery-of-art-in-washington-dc","featureSubType":"REGULAR","categories":[{"id":11000,"title":"Visual Arts","url":"Visual-Arts","description":"These are the arts that meet the eye and evoke an emotion through an expression of skill and imagination. They include the most ancient forms, such as painting and drawing, and the arts that were born thanks to the development of technology, like sculpture, printmaking, photography, and installation art. Though beauty is in the eye of the beholder, different eras in art history have had their own principles to define beauty, from the richly ornamented taste of the Baroque to the simple utilitarian style of the Prairie School.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/45/24345-050-78FAA104.jpg","altText":"Visual Arts","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/45/24345-050-78FAA104.jpg"}},null,null],"mainCategory":{"id":11000,"title":"Visual Arts","url":"Visual-Arts","description":"These are the arts that meet the eye and evoke an emotion through an expression of skill and imagination. They include the most ancient forms, such as painting and drawing, and the arts that were born thanks to the development of technology, like sculpture, printmaking, photography, and installation art. Though beauty is in the eye of the beholder, different eras in art history have had their own principles to define beauty, from the richly ornamented taste of the Baroque to the simple utilitarian style of the Prairie School.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/45/24345-050-78FAA104.jpg","altText":"Visual Arts","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/45/24345-050-78FAA104.jpg"}},"typeDisplayName":"List"},{"id":6159,"title":"7 Deadliest Weapons in History","url":"/list/7-deadliest-weapons-in-history","description":"From rocks to rockets.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/28/60728-131-36BD65EF/infantrymen-German-Maxim-World-War-I-machine.jpg","altText":"Figure 13: A Maxim machine gun, belt-fed and water-cooled, operated by German infantrymen, World War I.","credit":"Imperial War Museum","width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/28/60728-131-36BD65EF/infantrymen-German-Maxim-World-War-I-machine.jpg"},"type":"LIST","breadcrumb":{"homeLink":null,"items":[{"title":"List","url":"/list/browse"},{"title":"Technology","url":"/list/browse/Technology"}],"lastItemTitle":"Technology"},"superCategory":{"id":6,"title":"Science & Tech","url":"Science-Tech","description":"Explore science and technology; astronomy; biology; chemistry; earth science; mathematics; physics; technology, agriculture, cars, computers, engineering, industry, inventions, communication","keywords":"astronomy; biology; chemistry; earth science; mathematics; physics; technology, agriculture, cars, computers, engineering, industry, inventions, communication","classId":"SCIENCE","sortOrder":2},"hashtags":["deadliest weapons","swords","drones","nuclear weapons","wmd","machine gun","Greek fire","weapons","killing","destruction"],"hashtagsString":"deadliest weapons, swords, drones, nuclear weapons, wmd, machine gun, Greek fire, weapons, killing, destruction","displayDate":[2017,3,24],"urlTitle":"7-deadliest-weapons-in-history","featureSubType":"REGULAR","categories":[{"id":2000,"title":"Technology","url":"Technology","description":"Humankind has long striven to improve its living conditions through the development of tools, instruments, and transportation and communications systems, all with the goal of making our lives easier, more productive and—why not?—more fun, too. Thanks to human curiosity and technological research, many significant inventions have been made throughout history that in turn made a difference in our daily lives.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/84/203584-131-357FBE7D/speed-internet-technology-background.jpg","altText":"Technology","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/84/203584-131-357FBE7D/speed-internet-technology-background.jpg"}},{"id":6000,"title":"World History","url":"World-History","description":"Does history really repeat itself, or can we learn from the mistakes of those who came before us? History provides a chronological, statistical, and cultural record of the events, people, and movements that have made an impact on humankind and the world at large throughout the ages.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/05/84505-050-8BB58BE6/cave-art-Ennedi-Plateau-Chad.jpg","altText":"World History","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/05/84505-050-8BB58BE6/cave-art-Ennedi-Plateau-Chad.jpg"}},null],"mainCategory":{"id":2000,"title":"Technology","url":"Technology","description":"Humankind has long striven to improve its living conditions through the development of tools, instruments, and transportation and communications systems, all with the goal of making our lives easier, more productive and—why not?—more fun, too. Thanks to human curiosity and technological research, many significant inventions have been made throughout history that in turn made a difference in our daily lives.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/84/203584-131-357FBE7D/speed-internet-technology-background.jpg","altText":"Technology","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/84/203584-131-357FBE7D/speed-internet-technology-background.jpg"}},"typeDisplayName":"List"},{"id":3889,"title":"7 of the World’s Most Dangerous Lizards and Turtles","url":"/list/7-of-the-worlds-most-dangerous-lizards-and-turtles","description":"Think snakes are the only dangerous reptiles? Think again.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/69/181369-131-5ACFAE95/Monitor-Varanus-salvadorii-monitor-lizard-crocodile-New.jpg","altText":"Monitor. Varanus salvadorii is a monitor lizard found in New Guinea can grows to 2.7 metres (9 ft.) aka Tree crocodile, Crocodile monitor, Salvadori's monitor, artellia, reptile","credit":"© Andrey Armyagov/Fotolia","width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/69/181369-131-5ACFAE95/Monitor-Varanus-salvadorii-monitor-lizard-crocodile-New.jpg"},"type":"LIST","breadcrumb":{"homeLink":null,"items":[{"title":"List","url":"/list/browse"},{"title":"Science","url":"/list/browse/Science"}],"lastItemTitle":"Science"},"superCategory":{"id":6,"title":"Science & Tech","url":"Science-Tech","description":"Explore science and technology; astronomy; biology; chemistry; earth science; mathematics; physics; technology, agriculture, cars, computers, engineering, industry, inventions, communication","keywords":"astronomy; biology; chemistry; earth science; mathematics; physics; technology, agriculture, cars, computers, engineering, industry, inventions, communication","classId":"SCIENCE","sortOrder":2},"hashtags":["encyclopedia","britannica","encyclopedia britannica","list","lists","animals","reptiles","lizards","turtles","dangerous","venom","poisonous","deadly","killer"],"hashtagsString":"encyclopedia, britannica, encyclopedia britannica, list, lists, animals, reptiles, lizards, turtles, dangerous, venom, poisonous, deadly, killer","displayDate":[2015,1,26],"urlTitle":"7-of-the-worlds-most-dangerous-lizards-and-turtles","featureSubType":"REGULAR","categories":[{"id":1000,"title":"Science","url":"Science","description":"How can the sky be blue one day and stormy the next? Why do heavy objects tend to fall downwards when dropped? How are birds able to fly (and why can’t I do the same?)? Human beings have long been curious about the world in which we live, striving to identify connections among the phenomenons we witness and to understand how it all works. The field of science has developed over many centuries as a way of studying and understanding the world, beginning with the primitive stage of simply noting important regularities in nature and continuing through the rise of modern science. The modern-day sciences cover a vast range of fields, including biology, chemistry, meteorology, astronomy, physics, and much more.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/86/193986-050-7B2DBB6A/ball-and-stick-model-structure-atoms.jpg","altText":"Science","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/86/193986-050-7B2DBB6A/ball-and-stick-model-structure-atoms.jpg"}},null,null],"mainCategory":{"id":1000,"title":"Science","url":"Science","description":"How can the sky be blue one day and stormy the next? Why do heavy objects tend to fall downwards when dropped? How are birds able to fly (and why can’t I do the same?)? Human beings have long been curious about the world in which we live, striving to identify connections among the phenomenons we witness and to understand how it all works. The field of science has developed over many centuries as a way of studying and understanding the world, beginning with the primitive stage of simply noting important regularities in nature and continuing through the rise of modern science. The modern-day sciences cover a vast range of fields, including biology, chemistry, meteorology, astronomy, physics, and much more.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/86/193986-050-7B2DBB6A/ball-and-stick-model-structure-atoms.jpg","altText":"Science","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/86/193986-050-7B2DBB6A/ball-and-stick-model-structure-atoms.jpg"}},"typeDisplayName":"List"},{"id":3852,"title":"6 Animals We Ate Into Extinction","url":"/list/6-animals-we-ate-into-extinction","description":"Hungry Hungry Humans","image":{"id":0,"url":"/25/176125-131-8F24FB6D/Skeleton-aurochs-Europe-ox.jpg","altText":"Aurochs. Bos primigenius. Skeleton. Extinct animal. Skeleton of an Aurochs, an extinct wild ox.","credit":"AdstockRF","width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/25/176125-131-8F24FB6D/Skeleton-aurochs-Europe-ox.jpg"},"type":"LIST","breadcrumb":{"homeLink":null,"items":[{"title":"List","url":"/list/browse"},{"title":"Science","url":"/list/browse/Science"}],"lastItemTitle":"Science"},"superCategory":{"id":6,"title":"Science & Tech","url":"Science-Tech","description":"Explore science and technology; astronomy; biology; chemistry; earth science; mathematics; physics; technology, agriculture, cars, computers, engineering, industry, inventions, communication","keywords":"astronomy; biology; chemistry; earth science; mathematics; physics; technology, agriculture, cars, computers, engineering, industry, inventions, communication","classId":"SCIENCE","sortOrder":2},"hashtags":["encyclopedia","britannica","encyclopedia britannica","list","lists","animals","extinction","hunting","food","mammoth","dodo","science","history"],"hashtagsString":"encyclopedia, britannica, encyclopedia britannica, list, lists, animals, extinction, hunting, food, mammoth, dodo, science, history","displayDate":[2023,6,30],"urlTitle":"6-animals-we-ate-into-extinction","featureSubType":"REGULAR","categories":[{"id":1000,"title":"Science","url":"Science","description":"How can the sky be blue one day and stormy the next? Why do heavy objects tend to fall downwards when dropped? How are birds able to fly (and why can’t I do the same?)? Human beings have long been curious about the world in which we live, striving to identify connections among the phenomenons we witness and to understand how it all works. The field of science has developed over many centuries as a way of studying and understanding the world, beginning with the primitive stage of simply noting important regularities in nature and continuing through the rise of modern science. The modern-day sciences cover a vast range of fields, including biology, chemistry, meteorology, astronomy, physics, and much more.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/86/193986-050-7B2DBB6A/ball-and-stick-model-structure-atoms.jpg","altText":"Science","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/86/193986-050-7B2DBB6A/ball-and-stick-model-structure-atoms.jpg"}},null,null],"mainCategory":{"id":1000,"title":"Science","url":"Science","description":"How can the sky be blue one day and stormy the next? Why do heavy objects tend to fall downwards when dropped? How are birds able to fly (and why can’t I do the same?)? Human beings have long been curious about the world in which we live, striving to identify connections among the phenomenons we witness and to understand how it all works. The field of science has developed over many centuries as a way of studying and understanding the world, beginning with the primitive stage of simply noting important regularities in nature and continuing through the rise of modern science. The modern-day sciences cover a vast range of fields, including biology, chemistry, meteorology, astronomy, physics, and much more.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/86/193986-050-7B2DBB6A/ball-and-stick-model-structure-atoms.jpg","altText":"Science","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/86/193986-050-7B2DBB6A/ball-and-stick-model-structure-atoms.jpg"}},"typeDisplayName":"List"},{"id":6363,"title":"Extinct in the Wild but Still Around: 5 Plants and Animals Kept Alive by Humans","url":"/list/extinct-in-the-wild-but-still-around-5-plants-and-animals-kept-alive-by-humans","description":"Going, going, but not gone?","image":{"id":0,"url":"/30/196830-131-4B4C258E/Panamanian-frog-toad-Panama.jpg","altText":"The Panamanian Golden Frog is a critically endangered frog which is endemic to Panama.","credit":"© Winston D. Munnings/Dreamstime.com","width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/30/196830-131-4B4C258E/Panamanian-frog-toad-Panama.jpg"},"type":"LIST","breadcrumb":{"homeLink":null,"items":[{"title":"List","url":"/list/browse"},{"title":"Science","url":"/list/browse/Science"}],"lastItemTitle":"Science"},"superCategory":{"id":6,"title":"Science & Tech","url":"Science-Tech","description":"Explore science and technology; astronomy; biology; chemistry; earth science; mathematics; physics; technology, agriculture, cars, computers, engineering, industry, inventions, communication","keywords":"astronomy; biology; chemistry; earth science; mathematics; physics; technology, agriculture, cars, computers, engineering, industry, inventions, communication","classId":"SCIENCE","sortOrder":2},"hashtags":["extinction","endangered species"],"hashtagsString":"extinction, endangered species","displayDate":[2023,6,1],"urlTitle":"extinct-in-the-wild-but-still-around-5-plants-and-animals-kept-alive-by-humans","featureSubType":"REGULAR","categories":[{"id":1000,"title":"Science","url":"Science","description":"How can the sky be blue one day and stormy the next? Why do heavy objects tend to fall downwards when dropped? How are birds able to fly (and why can’t I do the same?)? Human beings have long been curious about the world in which we live, striving to identify connections among the phenomenons we witness and to understand how it all works. The field of science has developed over many centuries as a way of studying and understanding the world, beginning with the primitive stage of simply noting important regularities in nature and continuing through the rise of modern science. The modern-day sciences cover a vast range of fields, including biology, chemistry, meteorology, astronomy, physics, and much more.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/86/193986-050-7B2DBB6A/ball-and-stick-model-structure-atoms.jpg","altText":"Science","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/86/193986-050-7B2DBB6A/ball-and-stick-model-structure-atoms.jpg"}},{"id":1000,"title":"Science","url":"Science","description":"How can the sky be blue one day and stormy the next? Why do heavy objects tend to fall downwards when dropped? How are birds able to fly (and why can’t I do the same?)? Human beings have long been curious about the world in which we live, striving to identify connections among the phenomenons we witness and to understand how it all works. The field of science has developed over many centuries as a way of studying and understanding the world, beginning with the primitive stage of simply noting important regularities in nature and continuing through the rise of modern science. The modern-day sciences cover a vast range of fields, including biology, chemistry, meteorology, astronomy, physics, and much more.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/86/193986-050-7B2DBB6A/ball-and-stick-model-structure-atoms.jpg","altText":"Science","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/86/193986-050-7B2DBB6A/ball-and-stick-model-structure-atoms.jpg"}},{"id":8000,"title":"Lifestyles & Social Issues","url":"Lifestyles-Social-Issues","description":"It's easy enough to agree that human beings all around the world have certain basic requirements that must be fulfilled in order to ensure their individual and collective well-being. History has shown us, however, that it's not so easy to form societies or communities that fulfill these requirements for all members. The fight for human and civil rights has persisted for hundreds of years and remains alive today, both within the borders of nations and on an international scale. It has led to large-scale social movements and reforms concerning issues such as suffrage, slavery, women's rights, racism, environmentalism, gay rights, and much more.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/11/195611-131-4DFC1336/Belgian-pride-parade-People-streets-flags-Brussels-2017.jpg","altText":"Lifestyles & Social Issues","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/11/195611-131-4DFC1336/Belgian-pride-parade-People-streets-flags-Brussels-2017.jpg"}}],"mainCategory":{"id":1000,"title":"Science","url":"Science","description":"How can the sky be blue one day and stormy the next? Why do heavy objects tend to fall downwards when dropped? How are birds able to fly (and why can’t I do the same?)? Human beings have long been curious about the world in which we live, striving to identify connections among the phenomenons we witness and to understand how it all works. The field of science has developed over many centuries as a way of studying and understanding the world, beginning with the primitive stage of simply noting important regularities in nature and continuing through the rise of modern science. The modern-day sciences cover a vast range of fields, including biology, chemistry, meteorology, astronomy, physics, and much more.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/86/193986-050-7B2DBB6A/ball-and-stick-model-structure-atoms.jpg","altText":"Science","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/86/193986-050-7B2DBB6A/ball-and-stick-model-structure-atoms.jpg"}},"typeDisplayName":"List"},{"id":7451,"title":"7 of History's Most Notorious Serial Killers","url":"/list/7-of-historys-most-notorious-serial-killers","description":"Don’t read this list before bed.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/51/212551-131-CCA62CB1/Shadow-man-spooky-building-knife.jpg","altText":"Shadow of a man holding large knife in his hand inside of some dark, spooky buiding","credit":"© Marccophoto—iStock/Getty Images","width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/51/212551-131-CCA62CB1/Shadow-man-spooky-building-knife.jpg"},"type":"LIST","breadcrumb":{"homeLink":null,"items":[{"title":"List","url":"/list/browse"},{"title":"Lifestyles & Social Issues","url":"/list/browse/Lifestyles-Social-Issues"}],"lastItemTitle":"Lifestyles & Social Issues"},"superCategory":{"id":5,"title":"History & Society","url":"History-Society","description":"Explore history and society; accidents and disasters; the age of revolutions; the ancient world; historic dynasties; global exploration; the middle ages; the modern world; prehistory; US history; world history; wars and battles; sociology; religion and philosophy; humanities; ethics; anthropology; festivals and holidays; human rights; human migration; international relations; politics, law, and government","keywords":"accidents and disasters; the age of revolutions; the ancient world; historic dynasties; global exploration; the middle ages; the modern world; prehistory; US history; world history; wars and battles; sociology; religion and philosophy; humanities; ethics; anthropology; festivals and holidays; human rights; human migration; international relations; politics, law, and government","classId":"HISTORY","sortOrder":1},"hashtags":["serial killers","murder","murderers","crime","criminals","gruesome","killing","Jack the Ripper","Jeffrey Dahmer","Dr. Death","Harold Shipman","John Wayne Gacy","H.H. Holmes","Pedro Lopez","Ted Bundy"],"hashtagsString":"serial killers, murder, murderers, crime, criminals, gruesome, killing, Jack the Ripper, Jeffrey Dahmer, Dr. Death, Harold Shipman, John Wayne Gacy, H.H. Holmes, Pedro Lopez, Ted Bundy","displayDate":[2019,10,17],"urlTitle":"7-of-historys-most-notorious-serial-killers","featureSubType":"REGULAR","categories":[{"id":8000,"title":"Lifestyles & Social Issues","url":"Lifestyles-Social-Issues","description":"It's easy enough to agree that human beings all around the world have certain basic requirements that must be fulfilled in order to ensure their individual and collective well-being. History has shown us, however, that it's not so easy to form societies or communities that fulfill these requirements for all members. The fight for human and civil rights has persisted for hundreds of years and remains alive today, both within the borders of nations and on an international scale. It has led to large-scale social movements and reforms concerning issues such as suffrage, slavery, women's rights, racism, environmentalism, gay rights, and much more.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/11/195611-131-4DFC1336/Belgian-pride-parade-People-streets-flags-Brussels-2017.jpg","altText":"Lifestyles & Social Issues","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/11/195611-131-4DFC1336/Belgian-pride-parade-People-streets-flags-Brussels-2017.jpg"}},{"id":6000,"title":"World History","url":"World-History","description":"Does history really repeat itself, or can we learn from the mistakes of those who came before us? History provides a chronological, statistical, and cultural record of the events, people, and movements that have made an impact on humankind and the world at large throughout the ages.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/05/84505-050-8BB58BE6/cave-art-Ennedi-Plateau-Chad.jpg","altText":"World History","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/05/84505-050-8BB58BE6/cave-art-Ennedi-Plateau-Chad.jpg"}},null],"mainCategory":{"id":8000,"title":"Lifestyles & Social Issues","url":"Lifestyles-Social-Issues","description":"It's easy enough to agree that human beings all around the world have certain basic requirements that must be fulfilled in order to ensure their individual and collective well-being. History has shown us, however, that it's not so easy to form societies or communities that fulfill these requirements for all members. The fight for human and civil rights has persisted for hundreds of years and remains alive today, both within the borders of nations and on an international scale. It has led to large-scale social movements and reforms concerning issues such as suffrage, slavery, women's rights, racism, environmentalism, gay rights, and much more.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/11/195611-131-4DFC1336/Belgian-pride-parade-People-streets-flags-Brussels-2017.jpg","altText":"Lifestyles & Social Issues","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/11/195611-131-4DFC1336/Belgian-pride-parade-People-streets-flags-Brussels-2017.jpg"}},"typeDisplayName":"List"},{"id":5563,"title":"10 Best Hockey Players of All Time","url":"/list/10-best-hockey-players-of-all-time","description":"Wanna fight about it?","image":{"id":0,"url":"/13/134913-131-D9520745/Ice-Sledge-Hockey-Canada-Cup-USA-ice-2010.jpg","altText":"Ice Sledge Hockey, Hockey Canada Cup, USA (left) vs Canada, 2009. UBC Thunderbird Arena, Vancouver, BC, competition site for Olympic ice hockey and Paralympic ice sledge hockey. Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Vancouver Olympics","credit":"© VANOC/COVAN","width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/13/134913-131-D9520745/Ice-Sledge-Hockey-Canada-Cup-USA-ice-2010.jpg"},"type":"LIST","breadcrumb":{"homeLink":null,"items":[{"title":"List","url":"/list/browse"},{"title":"Sports & Recreation","url":"/list/browse/Sports-Recreation"}],"lastItemTitle":"Sports & Recreation"},"superCategory":{"id":2,"title":"Arts & Culture","url":"Arts-Culture","description":"Explore arts and culture; entertainment and pop culture, actors, comics, dance, film, food, music, theatre, tv; visual arts, architecture, fashion, painting, photography, sculpture; literature, fiction, nonfiction, plays, poetry, short story; sports and recreation","keywords":"entertainment and pop culture, actors, comics, dance, film, food, music, theatre, tv; visual arts, architecture, fashion, painting, photography, sculpture; literature, fiction, nonfiction, plays, poetry, short story; sports and recreation","classId":"ART","sortOrder":6},"hashtags":["National Hockey League","NHL","ice hockey","Gordie Howe","Wayne Gretzky","Bobby Orr","Mario Lemieux","Maurice Richard","Terry Sawchuk","Jean Béliveau","Jacques Plante","Steve Yzerman","Alex Ovechkin"],"hashtagsString":"National Hockey League, NHL, ice hockey, Gordie Howe, Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr, Mario Lemieux, Maurice Richard, Terry Sawchuk, Jean Béliveau, Jacques Plante, Steve Yzerman, Alex Ovechkin","displayDate":[2021,8,5],"urlTitle":"10-best-hockey-players-of-all-time","featureSubType":"REGULAR","categories":[{"id":4000,"title":"Sports & Recreation","url":"Sports-Recreation","description":"Physical contests and recreational games have long played a part in human society. In both team and solo sports, the human body has been pushed to its limits in the name of improving athletic performance and in order to break record upon record. The ancient Olympic Games are an early example of the contests in which humans have engaged to showcase physical prowess. In modern times, sports and games have evolved into a lucrative and competitive industry, while other leisure activities, such as card and video games, can be competitive or just serve as a way to unwind or socialize.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/13/170713-131-8D6B0AF7.jpg","altText":"Sports & Recreation","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/13/170713-131-8D6B0AF7.jpg"}},null,null],"mainCategory":{"id":4000,"title":"Sports & Recreation","url":"Sports-Recreation","description":"Physical contests and recreational games have long played a part in human society. In both team and solo sports, the human body has been pushed to its limits in the name of improving athletic performance and in order to break record upon record. The ancient Olympic Games are an early example of the contests in which humans have engaged to showcase physical prowess. In modern times, sports and games have evolved into a lucrative and competitive industry, while other leisure activities, such as card and video games, can be competitive or just serve as a way to unwind or socialize.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/13/170713-131-8D6B0AF7.jpg","altText":"Sports & Recreation","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/13/170713-131-8D6B0AF7.jpg"}},"typeDisplayName":"List"}]},"byline":null,"citationInfo":null,"websites":null,"freeTopicReason":"TOPIC_IS_INDEX_PAGE","articleSchemaMarkup":{"keywords":"soft ball stage","wordcount":0,"url":"https://www.britannica.com/topic/soft-ball-stage","description":"Other articles where soft ball stage is discussed: fudge: …termed in kitchen parlance the soft ball stage, that point between 234 and 240 °F (112 and 115 °C) at which a small ball of the candy dropped in ice water neither disintegrates nor flattens when picked up with the fingers. Butter and vanilla are added as the candy cools,…","publisher":{"name":"Encyclopedia Britannica","@type":"Organization","logo":{"url":"https://corporate.britannica.com/wp-content/themes/eb-corporate/_img/logo.png","@type":"ImageObject"}},"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"article"},"studentArticle":false,"initialLoad":true}

soft ball stage

Directory

References

Discover

8 Must-See Paintings at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

7 Deadliest Weapons in History

7 of the World’s Most Dangerous Lizards and Turtles

6 Animals We Ate Into Extinction

Extinct in the Wild but Still Around: 5 Plants and Animals Kept Alive by Humans

7 of History's Most Notorious Serial Killers

10 Best Hockey Players of All Time


candy making

Learn about this topic in these articles:

making of fudge

  • Soft ball stage | candy making (8)

    In fudge

    …termed in kitchen parlance the soft ball stage, that point between 234 and 240 °F (112 and 115 °C) at which a small ball of the candy dropped in ice water neither disintegrates nor flattens when picked up with the fingers. Butter and vanilla are added as the candy cools,…

    Read More
Soft ball stage | candy making (2024)

FAQs

How long should it take to get to the soft ball stage? ›

about 18 min to reach boiling. about 40 minutes to reach soft ball stage.

How do you know when sugar is at soft ball stage? ›

Using a clean spoon, carefully take a little of the syrup and drop it into the bowl of cold water. Leave to cool for a moment then pick up the ball of syrup. If it's pliable, sticky and can be moulded in your fingers easily, it has reached the soft ball stage and the syrup can be used to make fudge and marzipan.

How to tell when fudge is at the soft ball stage? ›

Soft-Ball Stage

At this temperature, sugar syrup dropped into cold water will form a soft, flexible ball. If you remove the ball from water, it will flatten like a pancake after a few moments in your hand.

How long does sugar take to get to the hard crack stage? ›

Continue boiling, uncovered, not stirring the mixture but shaking the saucepan occasionally to distribute the heat as the mixture turns amber in about 9 minutes, then darker amber as it registers 305 degrees on the thermometer (hard-crack stage ), about 3 minutes longer.

Is 240 degrees soft ball stage? ›

If the candy forms a soft pliable ball, it is in the softball stage, about 235°— 240°F. This is the stage you would cook to if you are making fudge. If the candy forms a firm but not hard ball, it is in the firm ball stage. The temperature of this stage is between 242—248°F.

At what temperature should you beat fudge? ›

Experience has shown that you should beat the mixture when its temperature ranges from 43°C to 45°C (110°F to 113°F), which normally occurs 15 minutes after the pan is removed from heat. The fudge is warm, but not burning hot.

How to tell if fudge is ready without a thermometer? ›

To test the boiling mixture for doneness, drop a bit of it into a bowl of cold water. If it forms a ball that is soft enough to flatten between your fingers, the mixture is ready for cooling. When the fudge cools to 110 degrees F/43 degrees C, beat the mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon until it's no longer glossy.

What temperature is the soft crack stage? ›

Soft-crack stage (270–290 degrees Fahrenheit): When you add a small amount of syrup to cold water, it makes a soft cracking noise and forms pliable threads. The soft-crack stage is for candies such as taffy and butterscotch.

What does a soft ball stage look like in water? ›

To test your candy temperature, you'll want a bowl of cool water to drip the sugar into. You'll know you've reached the soft ball stage when the sugar forms a small ball in the water. The ball will quickly flatten after a few moments of handling as it warms in your hand.

What happens if you boil fudge too long? ›

Too cooked

The result is hard and brittle fudge. To save the fudge, put it in a saucepan with 45 to 60 ml (3 or 4 tbsp.) of 35% cream and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is completely melted. Then let it boil without stirring until the thermometer reaches 114 to 115 °C (237 to 239 °F).

Should you stir fudge while it's boiling? ›

You should mix the cream, butter, and sugar when making your fudge, but put down the spoon once it has reached its boiling point. Stirring while your sugar mixture is boiling will only form sugar crystals and make your fudge crunchy rather than silky smooth.

What is the difference between hard crack and soft crack? ›

Next is soft-crack stage, this happens between 270-290oF, sugar concentration is 95%, and forms solid, flexible threads. Hard-crack stage occurs between 300-310oF, sugar concentration is around 99%, and makes hard, brittle threads when dropped in water.

How do you break the sugar cycle? ›

Steps to take to break a sugar addiction
  1. Focus on eating a balanced diet. Sometimes, the best advice is also the most obvious. ...
  2. Don't skip meals. ...
  3. Plan and prep. ...
  4. Make time for movement. ...
  5. Get plenty of sleep. ...
  6. Drink Lots of water. ...
  7. Journal your food intake. ...
  8. Don't eliminate food groups that aren't harming you.
Mar 16, 2023

Why didn't my peanut brittle get hard? ›

The main reason why peanut brittle doesn't get hard and have the crunch we expect is because the sugar was not cooked long enough. The sugar needs to be cooked to what is called the hard crack stage, 300ºF.

Is 236 a soft ball stage? ›

Example: According to a fudge recipe, your boiling sugar must reach 236 F, the soft-ball stage. Once the sugar syrup has come to a boil, you drop a spoonful of syrup into the cold water—you repeat this process every three or four minutes.

What does soft ball stage mean? ›

termed in kitchen parlance the soft ball stage, that point between 234 and 240 °F (112 and 115 °C) at which a small ball of the candy dropped in ice water neither disintegrates nor flattens when picked up with the fingers. Butter and vanilla are added as the candy cools,…

What to do if I don't have a candy thermometer? ›

For the Cold Water Test: 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of the syrup (candy mixture) is dropped from a clean spoon into a small bowl of very cold water (not ice cold). Quickly examine and/or carefully pick up the sugar from the cold water. The firmness of the sugar indicates the highest temperature the syrup reached.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Duncan Muller

Last Updated:

Views: 5761

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (59 voted)

Reviews: 90% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Duncan Muller

Birthday: 1997-01-13

Address: Apt. 505 914 Phillip Crossroad, O'Konborough, NV 62411

Phone: +8555305800947

Job: Construction Agent

Hobby: Shopping, Table tennis, Snowboarding, Rafting, Motor sports, Homebrewing, Taxidermy

Introduction: My name is Duncan Muller, I am a enchanting, good, gentle, modern, tasty, nice, elegant person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.