Candy
Candy is a favorite of all small children as well as many grown ups. The famous sugar candy is made from thick solution of sugar water which is then made tasty and attractive by adding various flavors and colors. These cadies are sometimes made into ice pop candies by freezing them.
Candy is covers a wide term which includes chocolates, liquorice, toffees, candy bars, chewing gums and many more. Fruit or vegetable coating is applied to add shine to these candies. Most commonly these are known as confectionery or sweets. Lollipop is referred to as a sugar candy with a stick. Various kinds of candies such as fairy floss or cotton candies are quiet famous and are favorite of many children.
Candy is manufactured by the diluting sugar in milk or water which is then boiled to get the required consistency. The outcome of the product depends on the time period used for boiling the mixture and the ingredients used in the procedure. These are available in various forms and textures like chewy, soft, brittle and hard. Peppermint sticks, gum drops, lollipops, cotton candy, toffee, praline, rock candy, peanut brittle, taffy, caramel and candy bars are some of the varieties, which are available in the market.
The consistency of the candy depends on the amount of sugar put in the mixture. This mixture is boiled till the water gets evaporated. The higher the temperature on which the mixture is boiled the harder the candies become and the lower the temperature used for boiling the softer the candies become.
The different stages for boiling the sugar are: soft ball- temperature 234-240 º F, 112-115 ºC, sugar concentration 85 %, thread- 230 -233ºF, 110-111 ºC, sugar concentration 80%, and soft crack- 270-290 ºF, 132-143 º C, sugar concentration 95 % are some of the stages used for making different candies.
Gelatin is added in some candies like gummy bears and marshmallows which is made from animal bones thus restricting the vegetarian people to eat them, for e.g. kosher gelatin which is made from fish bone. Some candy may contain pectin, gum arabic, agar agar which is substitute for gelatin, but the final quality of the products may vary from the original usage of gelatin. Other commonly used non-vegetarian product is the carmine, which may consist of wings and other body parts of some insects.
The candies can be edible for the period of two weeks to around one year. The edibility of the candies and sweets can be increased if they are stored in dry and cool places. These candies contain high amount of sugar which can be harmful to health. So it is better to have this confectionery in limited quantities. Our mouth contains bacteria which reside on sugar thus creating acid in mouth and then the cavities. To avoid the cavities and spoiling of the teeth it is necessary to brush your teeth regularly and neatly preferably after every meal or after eating something sweet