Trouble with Pulled Sugar

[dmalouf]

I've made quite a few attempts at pulling sugar and each time I start pulling it, it becomes very firm very quickly and starts cracking before I can finish. I've watched YouTube videos where it seems like people have a lot of time to pull and shape the candy.

 

I've tried several different recipes, some involving more corn syrup, some with adding vinegar at the beginning or at a specific temperature, I don't stir it once I add the corn syrup. I've used a cool room and a warm room. My equipment is clean. I've been cooking it to about 310 degrees.

 

I appreciate any suggestions.

 

[JohnT]

I am not a candy person, but have you read http://forums.egullet.org/topic/92495-confectionery-101/?p=1282055 - it may have some info for you.

[Lisa Shock]

Might be that your room and equipment are too cold. I usually have a sterno burning at the top of my work area and have a large silpat down on the table to insulate it. That and, I use a gooseneck lamp with a heat bulb in it to illuminate the work and help keep it warm. You can also reheat on small silpats in the microwave.

[David J.]

I learned pulled sugar from Chef Stephane Glacier and ribbons cool quite quickly. It's been a while, but I remember having only a minute or so before it cooled too much to work. How long are you getting?

[minas6907]

Sounds more like in the first post he's not cleaning the sides of his pan. If you have sugar crystals on the sides when you pour out, you wont be able to pull, it'll just solidify and crack.

[andiesenji]

Back in the '80s when I was doing pulled sugar work, ribbons and panels, I had 4 extra large warming trays on a table (you really need a surface lower than a regular kitchen counter)  and had them covered with foil and waxed paper. 

The warming trays (Salton) maintained just enough heat to keep the sugar workable without melting it.

You can often find them on ebay at very reasonable prices.   Like these.    Mine are model H-940, about 12" x 24" .

 

Over the table I had a bank of commercial heat lamps as are used in restaurants to keep plated foods warm.  Like these.

I also put a portable screen up at one end of the table where it faced the doorway - drafts can be a problem.

[David J.]

We used the heat lamps over simple boards with a silpat to keep our sugar at temperature. You will have a problem if you let it cool too far. In fact that's the model lamp we used and the one I bought for home use.

Edited February 10, 2015 by David J. (log)

[David J.]

The recipe we used successfully is:

1,000g white sugar

400g water

200g glucose

10 drops tartaric acid

Cook between 162-166C

Bring to a boil, take off heat, skim and brush down the sides.

Add glucose, insert thermometer, and put back on the heat.

Cook to 160C, add acid and cook to 165C.

You also have to pull the sugar to the right sheen before you do your final pulling. It takes a bit of practice to know when you have folded it enough.

[andiesenji]

I have a device that clamps to the edge of the table and which I can use to loop the sugar around and pull it AFTER I have poured it out on a marble slab and folded it a few times until I am able to handle it.

 

I'll get the thing out and post a photo tomorrow. Not feeling up to digging it out this evening.   For me it worked sort of like a "third hand".