How to Make Old Fashioned Hard Candy

Reviewed by Maria Short

Last Updated: October 8, 2024

Old fashioned hard candy is a treat known to many generations and it's still popular among many. Also known as boiled sweets or crunched sweets, old fashioned candy is suitable for being sucked rather than chewed. Hard candy has the benefit of being long-lasting while still retaining its taste, making it an ideal energy-boosting treat for those hiking, camping, spending time outdoors, etc. Moreover, a few hard candy treats can replace the desire to munch too many soft candies––a little will go a long way to tame a sweet tooth!

Best of all, it's surprisingly easy to make hard candy provided that you have the right ingredients and tools. Once you're familiar with the candy-making process, it will likely inspire you to make more batches. In this article, you'll learn how to make basic hard candy, fruit drops, lollipops and old-fashioned barley sugar. On top of these four options, you can also try caramels, an especially tasty hard candy.

Ingredients

Basic Recipe:

2 cups sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup hot water
Food coloring

Fruit Drops:

450g/1 lb sugar
100g/4 oz powdered glucose
5ml/1 teaspoon cream of tartar
A few drops of fruit extract (essence) or flavoring oil – try pear, strawberry, peach, apricot, orange, lemon, blackcurrant, mango, etc.
Icing sugar (confectioners sugar), for dusting

Lollipops:

450g/1 lb sugar
15ml/1 tablespoon powdered glucose
3 or 4 flavorings and food colorings (orange oil, lemon oil, raspberry flavoring, peppermint oil, etc.)
150ml (1/4 pint) of water

Old Fashioned Barley Sugar:

250g, 9oz, 1 1/4 cups hulled barley
5 liters (1.3 US gal), 8 1/2 pints, 5 1/2 quarts water
1 kg, 2 1/4 lb, 4 cups sugar

Method 1

Method 1 of 5:

Learning the Basics of Making Hard Candy

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You need to be thoroughly aware of what the recipe requires before starting because candy needs precise temperature control and precise actions at the times that the recipe states. Most importantly, remember that candy not attended to is candy that burns!
2
Check the temperature before making candy. Candy should not be made when the weather is high in humidity or rainy or it has a hard time setting. Check the room temperature––it should be around 60ºF-68ºF (15.5ºC-20ºC), with low humidity.
- If you have no choice about cooking in sub-optimal temperature conditions, you may be able to compensate by cooking the candy 1 to 2 degrees higher than recommended by the recipe.
- Altitude will affect the outcome; if you live at high altitude, you may need to make adjustments in accordance with the usual recommendations for high altitude cooking.
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3
If you don't already have one, purchase a candy thermometer of good quality. You need to be happy about working with great precision when making candy––it's a science as well as an art.
- For more details on selecting a candy thermometer, see How to choose a candy thermometer.
- Never touch the base of a saucepan with a candy thermometer. The pan must always be long enough that the thermometer does not reach the bottom when hung on the pan lip.
They are precise because they work. Even doubling ingredients in a candy recipe can result in a failure.
This ensures more even heating.
This can be done manually or using a thermometer. The thermometer is easiest, but it's handy to know how to test the temperature manually, which you can learn to do before using a recipe by reading How to test candy hardness stages.

Method 2

Method 2 of 5:

Basic Recipe

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Have everything in place.
Stir over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Without stirring, let the mixture come to a boil which should be about another 5 minutes,
3
Raise the temperature to high as it boils.
- Right before the liquid reaches exactly 300ºF/150ºC, add the food coloring and flavoring to the mixture. Doing so will allow the boiling action to stir the coloring and flavoring into the mixture.
4
Watch the thermometer until the temperature is at exactly 300ºF/150ºC. (If you do not have a candy thermometer you can fill a glass with really cold water then take a drop of the candy liquid and if it solidifies in the shape of a ball and floats to the surface, then its ready for next step.) Remove the mixture immediately at 300ºF/150ºC, or it will burn!
- After you remove the sugar from heat, the temperature will continue rising but that is not a problem provided that you took it off the heat at 300ºF/150ºC.
5
When it is still very hot, add a dab of flavoring oil and several drops of your choice of food coloring or Kool Aid. Mix quickly.
- Mix food coloring to make fun shades. Try adding the color after stirring in flavor and stir lightly for a swirled effect.
- Mix flavors or Kool Aid or pour over dried fruit for an added texture.
6
Pour the molten sugar onto a greased cookie sheet. Allow it to cool. Spread the mixture around the sheet before it cools too much.
- It is not advised to put the mixture inside the freezer as it makes it harden too fast.
- Try pouring into candy molds or mini muffin pans instead for a consistent shape.
8
Dust with powdered sugar. For a variation, do not dust the pieces––simply leave them as they are and they will look like stained glass.
- The powdered sugar keeps the candy pieces from sticking together and becoming a large, sharp lump. If you like the effect of the colors without the powdered sugar, make sure you store the pieces on pieces of wax paper and not touching one another.
This candy is best stored in paper bags or metal tins for a fun snack or a quick sugar craving.

Method 3

Method 3 of 5:

Fruit Drops

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Fruit drops are a very traditional hard candy that can be flavored to suit your preferences.

Have everything in place.
Use parchment or baking paper, or grease lightly.
Using a wooden spoon, stir until the sugar dissolves.
Bring to the boil. Cover, then boil for another 3 minutes.
Boil until the temperature reaches 154ºC/310ºF, also known as the hard crack stage. (See How to test candy hardness stages for more information).
Mix through quickly.
Using lightly oiled scissors, quickly cut small pieces off and use your hands to shape into small balls.
These are lovely wrapped in clear cellophane or tucked into a small candy tin as gifts. If you are adding them to a tin, line with wax paper.
Ensure that moisture doesn't get to the drops or they'll lose their appeal and turn sticky.

Method 4

Method 4 of 5:

Lollipops

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One of the easiest old-fashioned candies to make, lollipops are a delicious addition to the old fashioned hard candy maker's repertoire. Lollipops are also known as suckers, lollies or sticky-pops.

Have everything in place.
Depending on whether you're using 3 or 4 flavorings, measure thirds or quarters in a measuring jug.
Add 150ml/1/4 pint of water. Gently heat and stir well to ensure that the sugar dissolves.
Bring to the boil, then cover and boil for another 3 minutes.
Boil until the temperature reaches 130ºC/265ºF, the hard ball stage.
Separate quickly into three or four batches. Pour in the chosen flavoring for each batch.
Carefully add a lollipop stick to each round, covering with a little more syrup if needed.
Carefully remove them from the parchment paper. Wrap in clear cellophane or stick into a lollipop holder and they're ready to be shared around or given away as a gift.

Method 5

Method 5 of 5:

Barley Sugar

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This is a very traditional sweet often relied upon for its glucose "restorative powers" when performing outdoor activities or during emergency situations.

Have everything in place. Prepare the baking pan by covering in parchment paper or oil a marble slab.
Keep the heat low and be aware that it's easy to burn barley, so keep a regular check on the water level.
It will look like white jelly. Then return it to the pan.
Then add it to the pan and stir until it is dissolved, over a gentle heat.
Twist as you cut, to form the traditional twisted barley shape.
Once hardened, they can be wrapped individually in cellophane or place on wax paper inside an airtight tin.

Community Q&A

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Question

How can I make candies in a certain shape?

Community Answer

You can buy silicone candy molds to create the shape you desire. Molds are available online or in specialty stores.

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Where is the best place to get hulled barley?

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Most grocery stores sell barley in a box. Check near the rice.

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My toffee is soft like butter. Unfortunately, I already put the chocolate and nuts on top. Can I do anything to save it?

Community Answer

Freezing or refrigerating it for a short while might help. You may just have to redo the recipe.

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Tips

Hard candies make great gifts. Place in jars or cellophane bags and decorate. Add labels so that the recipient knows what flavors to expect.

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If you don't have a thermometer, use a spoon to drop tiny amounts of molten sugar into ice water every few minutes. When the drops form hard threads or balls that you can bend and is not sticky, remove from heat. This is called the ball stage.

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If you like to experiment, try mixing flavors to make a unique flavor.

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Warnings

Watch your teeth! It is always better to suck hard candies than to chew or crunch them.

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Heated sugar is almost as hot as a deep fryer. If you get it on you, it will stick and burn for several seconds. Cooking old fashioned candy is not suitable for children under 12 and when teaching children over 12, remain in a role of constant supervision.

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Hard candies should be eaten in moderation and not as a regular part of the diet.

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