The Chemistry of Candy
The Chemistry of Sugar (Sucrose)
Carbohydrate – carbon, hydrogen, oxygen
Disaccharide – glucose and fructose bonded
together
Inversion of sugar forms glucose and fructose
Sugar is sweet
Sugar is an instant source of energy for the body
– sugar high
Corn Syrup
• Starch (a polysaccharide) from corn is broken
down into smaller molecules including glucose
making a viscous solution (syrup)
• High fructose corn syrup is made from corn syrup
by converting some of the glucose to fructose
• Fructose is sweeter than glucose or sucrose
• Problems with too much fructose
– Gets converted to fat in the liver and can lead to heart
disease
– Can cause insulin resistance and lead to diabetes
Forms of Candy
Crystalline
Glass
Types of Candy
and
How They Are Made
Rock Candy
• Pure sucrose crystallized from a super
saturated solution
• Dissolve sucrose in hot water
• Introduce seed crystals (of sucrose)
• Cool
• Formation of large crystals is slow process and
requires the seed crystals
Fudge
• Mix together sucrose, corn syrup, butter and
chocolate (or other flavoring) and heat
• Allow to cool
• Butter and corn syrup control crystallization
giving large number of very small crystals
Hard Candy – Lollipops, etc.
• Glasses formed from sucrose plus glucose
(dextrose) or high fructose corn syrup or by just
heating with some acid (lemon juice) to invert
sucrose
• Heat sugars in water to make a concentrated
syrup
• Pour into molds
• Cool
• Liquid solidifies without crystallizing because of
other sugars added to the sucrose.
Taffy
• Heat mixture of sucrose, corn syrup, flavoring,
fat (butter) and water
• Cool forming a sticky mass without crystals
• Pull to introduce air further softening the
candy
Cotton Candy
• Sugar is melted in a machine and forced out
from a spinning head through nozzles by
centrifugal force.
• Molten sugar cools so rapidly it cannot
crystallize and forms tiny threads of pure
sugar.
Carmelization
• Sugar is heated so hot that it starts to form
new compounds.
• Some of them are amber in color.
• Some of them impart a new flavor.
Gum
• Historically made from chicle, a natural gum
from tree latex
• Now made from synthetic polymers similar to
those used in rubbers
• Sugar for sweetening, and flavor added
Gummies
• Made from gelatin (like Jello)
– Gelatin is a protein (polymer of amino acids)
– Gelatin is made from collagen that comes from
animal skins and bones.
• Mix and heat gelatin, sucrose, corn syrup,
coloring and flavoring.
• Pour into molds
• Cool