stages of sugar syrup describe the transformations that sugar and water undergo when heated together. From thin syrup the mixture thickens, bubbles, becomes malleable, and then cracks when dropped into cold water before it finally caramelizes and turns brown. The unique physical properties of each stage lend themselves to particular candying techniques. The rather thin thread stage, for example, is used for candying fruit and making jellies, while the hard ball stage is employed for various soft candies.
