How Round-Shaped Candy and Chocolates are Made
November 13, 2010 6:36 AM Subscribe
How do they make round-shaped candy and chocolate covered items?
I see round candy everywhere: round lollipops, round drops, jaw breakers, jelly beans, chocolate covered items, etc.
I know some of these are made in rounded molds, but how can they make both sides round with just one mold? Or, if they use two molds, how do they put the two sides together so seamlessly? Wouldn't two molds cause some amount of the liquid to leak?
I've seen the making of jelly beans video, which definitely uses a (single-sided) cornstarch mold, but what has me on that approach is how they still end up round on both sides of the bean center when only the bottom of their cornstarch mold is round to begin with. You'd think the top of the molded candy shape would be flat due to gravity!
For chocolate, how can they make such a smooth coating all the way around? If I make something chocolate covered at home, it usually ends up with a flat side due to resting on a flat surface to cool and harden. It's never as round as the professionally made confections!
I've googled all kinds of terms, but all that pulls up is "how to make candy" as if Google is demeaning the term 'round' in my search.
So what gives? What's the secret to making round candies and/or chocolates?
For example, here's a curious shape, which is round-shaped, yet clearly poured (due to the multiple colors), plus it has a little flare off one side: http://www.etsy.com/listing/57793502/
...That one seems even harder to make, with the flare and all, given my lack of knowledge on this elusive technique.
I see round candy everywhere: round lollipops, round drops, jaw breakers, jelly beans, chocolate covered items, etc.
I know some of these are made in rounded molds, but how can they make both sides round with just one mold? Or, if they use two molds, how do they put the two sides together so seamlessly? Wouldn't two molds cause some amount of the liquid to leak?
I've seen the making of jelly beans video, which definitely uses a (single-sided) cornstarch mold, but what has me on that approach is how they still end up round on both sides of the bean center when only the bottom of their cornstarch mold is round to begin with. You'd think the top of the molded candy shape would be flat due to gravity!
For chocolate, how can they make such a smooth coating all the way around? If I make something chocolate covered at home, it usually ends up with a flat side due to resting on a flat surface to cool and harden. It's never as round as the professionally made confections!
I've googled all kinds of terms, but all that pulls up is "how to make candy" as if Google is demeaning the term 'round' in my search.
So what gives? What's the secret to making round candies and/or chocolates?
For example, here's a curious shape, which is round-shaped, yet clearly poured (due to the multiple colors), plus it has a little flare off one side: http://www.etsy.com/listing/57793502/
...That one seems even harder to make, with the flare and all, given my lack of knowledge on this elusive technique.
Response by poster: Can a silicone mold really stretch that much (at the opening)?
posted by purefusion at 6:42 AM on November 13, 2010
posted by purefusion at 6:42 AM on November 13, 2010
The word you're looking for is "panning".
posted by elsietheeel at 6:46 AM on November 13, 2010
posted by elsietheeel at 6:46 AM on November 13, 2010
How to mold chocolate candy. Including details on two piece molds.
(I don't actually make my own chocolates, but some of the instructions there seem like they might produce the results you're asking about.)
posted by Ahab at 6:48 AM on November 13, 2010
(I don't actually make my own chocolates, but some of the instructions there seem like they might produce the results you're asking about.)
posted by Ahab at 6:48 AM on November 13, 2010
Partial answer (for jawbreakers/gobstoppers, and anything with a candy shell): Cold panning.
posted by zamboni at 6:48 AM on November 13, 2010
posted by zamboni at 6:48 AM on November 13, 2010
The word you're looking for is "panning".
Hence the name of one of my favorite candy companies: Ferrara Pan! (although apparently they do hot, not cold, panning!) Some of their popular round candies include lemonheads (and the heads family of grapeheads, cherryheads, appleheads, orangeheads, etc) along with Atomic Fireballs and Jawbreakers.
I was coming in here to answer panning too
posted by Deathalicious at 6:58 AM on November 13, 2010
Hence the name of one of my favorite candy companies: Ferrara Pan! (although apparently they do hot, not cold, panning!) Some of their popular round candies include lemonheads (and the heads family of grapeheads, cherryheads, appleheads, orangeheads, etc) along with Atomic Fireballs and Jawbreakers.
I was coming in here to answer panning too
posted by Deathalicious at 6:58 AM on November 13, 2010
Best answer: Turns out that there are actually three kinds of panning.
Hard panning: Dried by the application of hot air. Used for coating with hard sugar.
Soft panning: A coating of glucose syrup, dried by the application of fine sugar, which makes the glucose syrup crystallise. Used for things like jelly beans.
Cold panning: Dried by the application of cold air. Used for coating with chocolate and the like.
The science of sugar confectionery looks like a pretty awesome book.
posted by zamboni at 7:04 AM on November 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
Hard panning: Dried by the application of hot air. Used for coating with hard sugar.
Soft panning: A coating of glucose syrup, dried by the application of fine sugar, which makes the glucose syrup crystallise. Used for things like jelly beans.
Cold panning: Dried by the application of cold air. Used for coating with chocolate and the like.
The science of sugar confectionery looks like a pretty awesome book.
posted by zamboni at 7:04 AM on November 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Do you think they do chocolate panning as well then? Seems like it'd be feasible.
posted by purefusion at 7:05 AM on November 13, 2010
posted by purefusion at 7:05 AM on November 13, 2010
Response by poster: Cold panning: Dried by the application of cold air. Used for coating with chocolate and the like.
Looks like I posted my question just as you posted the last one, zamboni. Anyway, good deal. Thanks for the link, that book does indeed look great. :)
posted by purefusion at 7:24 AM on November 13, 2010
Looks like I posted my question just as you posted the last one, zamboni. Anyway, good deal. Thanks for the link, that book does indeed look great. :)
posted by purefusion at 7:24 AM on November 13, 2010
Can a silicone mold really stretch that much (at the opening)?
Easily. I haven't worked with candy molds, but I've done a lot of casting of hard plastics in RTV silicone molds. It's really stretchy.
posted by jon1270 at 8:13 AM on November 13, 2010
Easily. I haven't worked with candy molds, but I've done a lot of casting of hard plastics in RTV silicone molds. It's really stretchy.
posted by jon1270 at 8:13 AM on November 13, 2010
Best answer: I used to work in a place panning chocolate covered macadamia nuts and coffee beans. Indeed, you have a very large pan (more like a drum) that rotates. There was a vent that blew cold air (from a wall AC--low tech) into the drum. In the beginning, you basically dump your bare coffee, nuts, or what have you in the pan and turn it on. The pan rotates pretty quickly (60-70 Hz, perhaps) and chocolate would slowly be poured in over an hour or two to coat the nuts or coffee beans. It can be a pretty labor-intensive process.
If the air from the vent is too cold, the chocolate could set up too quickly--so the candy balls may have odd shapes. If you pour too much chocolate on at one time, you have a humongous clump. If the air is too hot, the chocolate never sets up and you have a soupy, melted mess. And if you sneeze into the pan, drop your watch, or accidentally get yourself caught on the pan--big problems.
posted by rybreadmed at 5:28 PM on November 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
If the air from the vent is too cold, the chocolate could set up too quickly--so the candy balls may have odd shapes. If you pour too much chocolate on at one time, you have a humongous clump. If the air is too hot, the chocolate never sets up and you have a soupy, melted mess. And if you sneeze into the pan, drop your watch, or accidentally get yourself caught on the pan--big problems.
posted by rybreadmed at 5:28 PM on November 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by jon1270 at 6:41 AM on November 13, 2010