If you have checked out the Recipe of the Week: Ichigo Ame already you know I love the thin crunchy shell of the sugar with the juicy strawberry, but why and how does it work? Ichigo Ame (pictured above) translates to candied strawberry in Japanese and is a relatively common street item during events. Tanghulu on the other hand is usually a more broad reference of the Chinese veresion of candying fruit. Both use the same techniques its just how it is applied for what fruit is used. I am by no means a candy maker (who knows maybe a side project of perfecting delicous candy sweets will happen), but I do like to have a general understanding of why and how food works the way it does. This allows me to look at other recipes through a new viewpoint and create new ideas.
Let's get food nerdy for a little bit. I knew from researching the process for Ichigo Ame I needed to hit 300°F to ensure a quick hardening yet crunchy layer I have recently come to learn that this is called the hard-crack stage which ranges from 300°F - 310°F and is just before we begin the caramalization process. This stage puts the sugar in a near waterless stage and once cooled creates brittle but solid threads and coatings. (P.S. you don't want to get this on you on accident...I learned the hard way). This is also the stage where you would make suckers/lollipops and brittles.
If we go hotter we start to carmelize the sugar. First as a clear to light amber liquid, then as more camelization begins it takes on the darker brown color. This would be great for nuts and decorations. After about 350°F you hit the burnt-sugar zone, and begin to get that bitter taste of burnt sugar. No amount of strawberry will hide this.
Now if you do not get your sugar hot enough for the hard-crack stage you will find yourself in the soft-crack stage this is around the 270°F - 290°F window. Here is where you will find that your sugar is still flexible. If you try to coat your fruit with this you may find the coating with a more "chewy". The most common example you would find here are your butterscotch and taffy treats.
I hope this helps give some foundation to why you need certain temps to reach certain results. Maybe in the future we will go through the 4 other stages of the candy process at even lower temps. As always, I hope this helps you on your own personal culinary journey of deepening your knowledge and skills at home. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.
Thanks for reading,
Chef Ted
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