Hard-Ball Stage
© Randal Oulton
Hard-Ball Stage is a cooking term meaning that a sugar syrup being heated has reached 121 – 130 C (250 – 266 F.)
It is a test of how hot a sugar syrup is, and of how much water is left in it. At this point of heating, the sugar concentration in the syrup is 92%.
You test by drizzling a small amount of the sugar syrup from a spoon into a cup of cold water. If the stage has been reached, the syrup will form a firm ball (clump). You can press down on the ball and it will hold its shape; you can take it out of the water and it will hold its shape.
The Hard-Crack Stage is called for in recipes for gummies, nougat, rock candy, popcorn balls, marshmallows, etc.
The stages of cooking sugar syrup are:
1. Thread Stage (106 – 112 C)
2. Soft-Ball Stage (112 – 116 C)
3. Firm-Ball Stage (118 – 121 C)
4. Hard-Ball Stage (121 – 130 C)
5. Soft-Crack Stage (132 – 143 C)
6. Hard-Crack Stage (149 – 154 C)
Cooking Tips
High altitude: For every 300 metres (1,000 feet) that you are above sea level, subtract 1 degree C (2 degrees F) from the temperatures given in your candy recipe.
Hard-Ball Stage by thermometer
© Randal Oulton
