Evaluation of Crystalline and Non-crystalline Candies Candy Appearance Texture Flavor Fudge- 120 °F Smooth Thick (compared to Buttery, chocolate fudge at 176 °F), soft, feel crystals Fudge -176 °F Gooey Grainy, very soft, Buttery, chocolate crystal taste (more than fudge at 120 °F) Fondant powdery Soft, crystal-like Very sweet Brittle Yellow/white Hard, sticky, Buttery, crunchy, smooth Toffee Brown, smooth Hard, crunchy, Buttery, caramel dense, smooth, sticky Lollipops Translucent Hard, smooth Orange/strawberry Discussion Each of the non-crystalline candies had an interfering agent, which prevented the crystals from occurring, in addition to being boiled at a high temperature making the solution more supersaturated. The interfering agent in the lollipops is corn syrup, which is an invert sugar breaking down sucrose to glucose and fructose. The solution is too viscous and the molecules cannot move around well so the crystals are unable to form. Corn syrup is also the interfering agent in the toffee as well along with butter. The butter is a fat, which inhibits crystal formation by coating the crystals and not allowing them to attach to one another. The brittle also contains corn syrup along with baking soda; as the sugar breaks down, it reacts with baking soda and releases carbonation, CO2, into the candy. The baking soda is what causes the solution to foam and gives it a brittle texture (McWilliams, 2012, p. 148). The fondant, a crystalline candy, forms a soft crystal-like texture due to the sugar and corn syrup reaction coupled with adequate agitation and temperature. It is crucial that the solution is not stirred until it drops to the desired temperature (120°F) or else too large of crystals will form.
Evaluation of Crystalline and Non-crystalline Candies Candy Appearance Texture Flavor Fudge- 120 °F Smooth Thick (compared to fudge at 176 °F), soft, feel crystals Buttery, chocolate Fudge -176 °F Gooey Grainy, very soft, crystal taste (more than fudge at 120 °F) Buttery, chocolate Fondant powdery Soft, crystal-like Very sweet Brittle Yellow/white Hard, sticky, crunchy, smooth Buttery, Toffee Brown, smooth Hard, crunchy, dense, smooth, sticky Buttery, caramel Lollipops Translucent Hard, smooth Orange/strawberry Discussion Each of the non-crystalline candies had an interfering agent, which prevented the crystals from occurring, in addition to being boiled at a high temperature making the solution more supersaturated. The interfering agent in the lollipops is corn syrup, which is an invert sugar breaking down sucrose to glucose and fructose. The solution is too viscous and the molecules cannot move around well so the crystals are unable to form. Corn syrup is also the interfering agent in the toffee as well along with butter. The butter is a fat, which inhibits crystal formation by coating the crystals and not allowing them to attach to one another. The brittle also contains corn syrup along with baking soda; as the sugar breaks down, it reacts with baking soda and releases carbonation, CO2, into the candy. The baking soda is what causes the solution to foam and gives it a brittle texture (McWilliams, 2012, p. 148). The fondant, a crystalline candy, forms a soft crystal-like texture due to the sugar and corn syrup reaction coupled with adequate agitation and temperature. It is crucial that the solution is not stirred until it drops to the desired temperature (120°F) or else too large of crystals will form.
crystallization_lab_report_.docx