TO
DO: The first thing that should be done each day, before you start, is
to TEST YOUR THERMOMETER: Immerse the thermometer into cold water. Bring
the water to a boil. At what temperature DOES water boil today at your
house?
HERE'S HOW IT IS: IF you were to cook the candy to the usual - say - 280 degrees ON the thermometer, then it would be 2 degrees overcooked. Since the weather or ground level has caused your thermometer to be 2 degrees off, you would need to cook it only to 278 degrees.
Try not to cook candies on a rainy day. The barometric pressure, when the air is heavy- on rainy and cludy days, holds the thermometer down. Candy is done sooner too. "Make candy when the sun shines," ...motto of good candy makers. It is very difficult to make candies that turn out perfect on rainy days...even for an experienced candymaker. I recommend a TAYLOR or WILTON thermometer. They are around $10-15.00. These are encased in metal and the bulb will not accidentely touch the bottom of the pan and give false readings. I also use it to stir with if I am making candy that should be stirred.
You are 'on your own' if you insist on using the cheapy 'cylinder' thermometer! Once it will be closer to the bottom of the pan than another time, etc. Besides, I've been told by a manufacturer that these aren't even calibrated. This means one may give a different reading than another both doing the same thing in the SAME place. No good...waste of money.
Also, it is claimed, the temerature is only for pure water. If you have water like we do here, the contaminents may also affect the boiling point.
OTHER: You will need 2 kinds of pans too.
1.) Use a thin (good quality) pan for candies that MUST STAY IN THE PAN for any length of time for cooling. If you leave the thermometer in the pan, you may notice the temperature rising even after the candy is removed fro the stove. Using a heavy pan, your candy will burn, in this case.
2.) Use a HEAVY PAN for fudges, fondants, etc., that are to be dumped immediately onto your marble slab. You can get so good at this candymaking as to win yourself a wonderful reputation as the BEST candy maker in town! You should expect these candies to be the best you have ever eaten. If they are not, you are doing something wrong. Watch the flavoring and color! Too much of either and candy won't taste good. Oil flavorings are very strong and can fool you. They are like purfume...you go around the purfume counter smelling it and pretty soon, your nose is 'numb.'