Cooking Sugar to Different Stages

When Cooking Sugar, all your equipment must be clean and free of any grease. The sugar must also be free of impurities, such as flour or other ingredients. Sugar has a very high caramelization point and any impurities in the sugar are likely to burn at a much lower temperature, before the sugar begins to caramelize. A copper or other heavy-bottomed saucepan should be used to ensure constant, even heat. Sugar may be cooked by one of two methods: wet or dry.

When cooking or caramelizing sugar by any method, a small amount of an acid (typically lemon juice at approximately ¼ tsp/1.25 mL for 8 oz/230 g of sugar) can be added to help prevent crystallization from occurring during cooking. (For more information on crystallization, see “Wet Method,”.)