The Science of Candy and Sweets (2024)

FAQs

What is the sweet science of candy-making summary? ›

At the heart of candy-making is sugar. The type, quantity, and crystalline structure of sugar used significantly impact a candy's taste and texture. Candy-making is a temperature-sensitive process. The way sugar is heated and cooled can result in a variety of sweets, from hard candies to gooey caramels.

In general, candy is made by dissolving sugar into water to create a solution. Granulated sugar, the most common type used in candy-making, is sucrose, a disaccharide molecule made up of glucose and fructose. When you force these two molecules to break apart, a very tasty reaction occurs: caramelization.

Foods that stimulate the reward system in your brain, like sugar and other foods that spike your blood sugar, can lead to cravings. Foods that are hyperpalatable (those that are sweet, salty, creamy and easy to eat) can also trigger hormones that contribute to cravings—such as insulin, dopamine, ghrelin and leptin.

Hard candy (like a lollypop or a Jolly Rancher) is made from sugar, corn syrup, water and flavoring. You heat the ingredients together and boil the mixture to drive off all of the water. Then you let the temperature rise. What you are left with is a pure sugar syrup at about 300 degrees.

By letting the fudge cool without stirring, you avoid creating seed crystals. Stirring would help sucrose molecules "find" one another and start forming crystals. Stirring also introduces air, dust, and small dried bits from the walls of the saucepan—all potential seeds for crystal formation.

Before the Industrial Revolution, candy was often considered a form of medicine, either used to calm the digestive system or cool a sore throat. In the Middle Ages candy appeared on the tables of only the most wealthy at first. At that time, it began as a combination of spices and sugar used as an aid to digestion.

Certain foods and beverages, such as fruit, yogurt, sweet potatoes, and smoothies, may help reduce sugar cravings. Foods that contain whole grains, fiber, and protein may also keep you feeling fuller longer.

“Unlike sugary treats, which provide only short-term fuel for the body and can make you crave more sugary treats, a healthy snack that pairs a protein with a high-fiber carb will provide a longer lasting fuel source, satisfying your hunger,” clarifies Taylor.

*Sweet takes the longest to digest. *Eating the sweet item first enables the flow of digestive secretions, she explained. *Dr Kohli added that by consuming sweets after your meal, “you would slow down your digestion“. *Apart from digestion, “eating sweet at the start of your meal is said to activate the taste buds”.

Hard candy is made of sugar, corn syrup, and other substances that dissolve easily in water. Just like the saliva in your mouth, the water in the glass allowed them to dissolve. Adding heat made this process easier and faster.

Why does the temperature of candy rise as it boils? ›

As a sugar syrup is cooked, water boils away, the sugar concentration increases, and the temperature rises. The highest temperature that the sugar syrup reaches tells you what the syrup will be like when it cools.

Glucose syrup is a substance primarily used in commercial food production as a sweetener, thickener, and moisture-retaining agent. As it doesn't crystallize, it's often utilized to make candy, beer, fondant, and certain canned and premade baked goods.

To make candy, sugar is first heated to a high temperature so that it melts . The scalding solution is then then cooled into a solution that is supersaturated. The supersaturation is considered unstable, forcing the sugar molecules to crystallize into a solid.

Candy is made by dissolving sugar in water or milk to form a syrup, which is boiled until it reaches the desired concentration or starts to caramelize. The type of candy depends on the ingredients and how long the mixture is boiled. Candy comes in a wide variety of textures, from soft and chewy to hard and brittle.

Once the saturated solution starts to cool down, it becomes supersaturated. A supersaturated solution is unstable—it contains more solute (in this case, sugar) than can stay in solution—so as the temperature decreases, the sugar comes out of the solution, forming crystals.

In the world of boxing, where many new or amateur fighters rely on aggression, bravery, and power, the concept of “The Sweet Science" takes things to another level. The term refers to boxers who stay calm and strategic, aiming to win the fight without taking too much damage.