Sugar Casting Tips and Resources Sought

February 22, 2009 6:45 AM

MeFi Chef Brigade: Anyone out there know anything about cast sugar (sometimes called poured sugar or sugar glass)? I'm experimenting with some historical cast sugar recipes, but could use some advice.....

Because I'm dealing with a historical recipe, there aren't any exact amounts given, and I'm having trouble coming up with a sugar/water/acidic (lemon juice or vinegar) mixture that will set up truly hard when it cools. Both my attempts have ended up in sticky messes. I'm fairly sure its the mix that's the problem not the temp, but I'm open to suggestions.

Also, if you have good links on sugar casting, I'd love to see them.

posted by anastasiav to food & drink (10 comments total)

I've not done much candy making, but I just consulted my copy of Shirley Corriher's Cookwise. Her basic recipe for hard crack lollipops is 1C sugar, 1/3C corn syrup (which she uses instead of acid to prevent crystallization) and 1/2C water. All this heated to 310F.
posted by jon1270 at 7:00 AM on February 22

Reading further, she also says to stay away from acids when making hard candies because the acid breaks down the sucrose into glucose and fructose, and if the room is at all humid then the fructose can cause the candy to reabsorb moisture from the air, making it sticky and soft.
posted by jon1270 at 7:12 AM on February 22

Sugar sculptures taste like butt... be prepared to be doing this for asthetics only.

#1. Water is to help even the heating application. You don't need a ton to use it at all if you don't want to. The more water you have, the longer it takes to work it out of the sugar. 4 parts water to 1 part water.
#2. if possible use iosomalt not sugar as it is significantly more stable (harder to accidentally crystalize during heating, don't need acid to prevent crystalization). Heat it quickly (over 15 minutes to temp and you're making a horrible carmel brittle).
#3. When melting the sugar and getting it to the proper temp, do not stir the sugar. You may incorporate air. Air leads to crystalization.
#4. Use a silicone brush with a bit of water on its tips to wash the side splatter down into your melting sugar. Crystals on the walls lead to crystals in you melt, which is basically"game over" when that happens.
#5. It is the maximum temperature that the sugar reaches that makes the difference. Go too far and you've got a totally different substance
5a. 170C/340F for pulling and blowing
5b. Use no water when you melt it and heat to 190C/380F for casting, spinning and piping. Plunch the pan into cold water at that temperature (prevents carryover), and allow to cool and thicken before spinning.
#6. Have a silpat (that's french for - "frickin awesome for sugar sculpting"). Silpats allow for curved shapes very easily... Never cut on a silpat. Use a lightly oiled marble slab for cutting on and color addition.
#7. ALWAYS use a hand bulb for blowing sugar - not your mouth. Accidentally inhale burning hot sugar and you'll be headed to the hospital for 3rd degree burns in your mouth, throat, and/or lungs - if you're lucky enough to make it that far.
posted by Nanukthedog at 7:29 AM on February 22 [2 favorites has favorites]

ehm... 4 parts sugar to 1 part water...
posted by Nanukthedog at 7:43 AM on February 22

Nanukthedog, that's super helpful, thank you!

One question:
Use no water when you melt it and heat to 190C/380F for casting, spinning and piping.
Use no water? Or just very little? Or no water but a small amount of acidic liquid? It doesn't seem like just putting sugar in a pan alone and heating it would do anything but burn the sugar, but maybe I'm wrong....
posted by anastasiav at 8:06 AM on February 22

If you put sugar into a pan on its own and heat it, it will melt, then turn into caramel, then it will burn.
posted by ambilevous at 9:12 AM on February 22

I have made movie prop sugar glass bottles. First I made a mold out of plaster paris. I got the recipe from a book about making molds for theater props. Maybe Google in that direction.

I didn't use lemon.

I still have scars on my hands where I dripped the molten lava sugar. Wear heat resistant gloves!
posted by cda at 10:14 AM on February 22

I learned the hard way that burnt sugar will ruin a pan. Use something expendable.
posted by theora55 at 10:57 AM on February 22

Use "no" water translates to how good your stove is and attentive/good you are. The less you use the faster it evaporates. Final stage for it is just heated sugar with no water molecules, so by using some, you do allow for a more even initial heat transfer. So, if you can do it with none, you'll be to final product faster, otherwise you are just waiting for a bit of evaporation...

As far as burning....just never let it turn black, but even if you wind up with a bit of burn, it is still possible to clean. Sugar is water soluble, so as long as you are making this in a small pan that FITS in a larger pan filled with hot water so that it covers the smaller pan with burn sugar with hot water. Burnt sugar cleans up perfectly fine almost *every* time without anything more than water...
posted by Nanukthedog at 12:22 PM on February 22

Here is an instructable on casting "sugar glass".

Nanukthedog speaks true and has great advice. Just some additional thoughts:

Keep in mind that the things you see on places like the Food Network and what have you are people with years and years of experience, and they have tools that you don't have. (Or are unlikely to have.) Sugar molding is a lot harder than it looks, if you're trying for anything structural or architectural.

Also...it's dangerous. Please wear heat resistant gloves and an apron, so that if you get a splatter, it doesn't stick your clothes to you.

Keep in mind that even sugar experts can be foiled by the environment; hot and humid are your enemy. Any humidity is problematic. Sugar compounds are humectants....they will draw water to them.

None the less, I want to see what you're doing, so ping me with pictures!
posted by dejah420 at 12:34 PM on February 22