Making Boiled Sugar Syrup

A special unlined copper pan (Fr. poêlon) is used for heating sugar. It should be cleaned with vinegar and salt, then rinsed with water. (Do not use a tin-lined copper pan as the lining may melt.) A heavy-bottomed stainless steel saucepan can be substituted. Prepare a bowl of cold water in which to dip the hot saucepan to stop the sugar cooking once the desired stage has been reached. Rest a candy thermometer in a bowl of hot water. Add sugar to the saucepan with enough water to cover the sugar; the initial proportion is not important.