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Required Temperature and Testing Procedures for Sugar Stages
Appears in
By Bo Friberg
Published 2003
| Sugar Stage | Fahrenheit Reading | Celsius Reading | Réaumur Reading | Manual Testing Procedure |
| Thread | 215° to 230° | 102° to 110° | 82° to 88° | Pull a small amount of sugar between your thumb and index finger; shorter or longer threads will form depending on the temperature. |
| Soft Ball | 240° | 115° | 92° | Place your index finger in ice-cold water, dip it very quickly into the hot syrup, and immediately plunge it back into the ice water. The sugar will fall off your finger and you will be able to roll it into a ball. |
| Firm Ball | 245° | 118° | 94° | The test is the same as for the soft ball stage, but here the ball will be firmer. |
| Hard Ball | 250° to 260° | 122° to 127° | 97° to 101° | The test is the same as for the soft ball stage, but here the sugar will be more resistant to forming a ball and the ball will not be malleable. |
| Small Crack | 265° to 270° | 130° to 132° | 104° to 105° | Dip your finger into ice water and then into the sugar syrup as for the soft ball test; at this stage you will be unable to form the sugar into a ball. The sugar will also show small cracks. Crack 275° to 280° 135° to 138° 108° to 110° The test is the same as for the small crack stage, but at this stage, the sugar will break apart. |
| Hard Crack | 295° to 310° | 146° to 155° | 116° to 123° | The test is the same as for the small crack stage, but at this stage, the sugar will shatter when placed in the ice water. Caramel 320° 160° 128° Test by observing the color of the sugar: The syrup will change from amber to golden, and then become light brown. |
| Caramel | 320° | 160° | 128° | Test by observing the color of the sugar: The syrup will change from amber to golden, and then become light brown. |