How to Make Candy

Candy is something that all of us love to eat. There are different types of candies available at the store, but there is nothing to beat the taste of candies made at home. Whether it is fruit candy, licorice candy or chocolate candy, it is not that difficult to make candy at home. Many of us wonder how to make candy and the process might seem complicated. But once you start making them with the right supplies and the right technique, you will always make candies at home. Here we are going to discuss how you can make candy successfully at home.

Making Candy at Home

Most people are apprehensive about making candy recipe at home since they think that the process is a long drawn one and it takes a lot of effort. But nothing can be further from the truth, making candy is very easy and given below are a few simple candy recipes that you can try at home.

Candied Orange Rind

Ingredients

• 2 whole oranges
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 ½ cups water
• 1 teaspoon orange extract
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method

To make this orange candy, first you have to remove the rind of the orange with a sharp vegetable peeler. Once you are done removing the zest, place individual zest piece on the work table and remove the white pith. Discard white pith and keep the orange rind in a bowl. Cut the peels of the orange into ½ inch thick strips. Next combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan along with orange extract and ground cinnamon and bring them up to boil. Make sure that you stir this mixture constantly until you get a sugar syrup of right consistency. Now add the orange peels into the sugar syrup and mix thoroughly. Cover the saucepan, reduce heat and let the mixture simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Next remove the orange rind from the mixture and sieve it to get rid of any excess sugar syrup. Place the orange rind in a wax paper and allow them to dry. In a separate bowl, add the ¼ cup of sugar and when the orange rinds are dry, place them in the bowl. Toss them well in the sugar so that they are evenly coated. Your candied orange rind is ready.

Toffee Candy Apples

Ingredients

• 8 firm green apples
• 1 ½ cups dark brown sugar
• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup dark corn syrup or maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons plain unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

Method

For making candy apples, first you need to wash the apples thoroughly and then dry them. Remove stems if any from the apples and insert a wooden stick or skewer through them.

Combine the dark brown sugar with water in a small saucepan and bring them up to a boil. Add the dark corn syrup, salt, butter and vinegar to this mixture. Simmer this mixture for a few minutes until you get a thick but pourable consistency. Remove saucepan from flame and dip the apple in this mixture. Remove quickly, allowing any excess mixture to fall back to the saucepan. When you get an even coating, place apples stick side up on a plate covered with wax paper. Allow them to cool before serving. As you can see this candy apple recipe is very easy to make.

Chocolate Covered Almonds

Ingredients

• 1 cup blanched whole almonds, toasted
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup bittersweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons water

Method

In a saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil until you get a thick consistency sugar syrup. Add the almonds to this syrup and stir to coat the almonds thoroughly. Remove almonds from the syrup and spread them in a platter lined with wax paper. Make sure that the almonds are separated and are in a single layer.

Now melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler and pour them over the almonds. Refrigerate the almonds until they are set well and serve.

These were very simple recipes and you can make them this holiday season for your friends and family. You can also try making rock candy, ginger candy or candied peaches for some variation.