candy

Sugar Temperature Chart: Candy Stages by °F/°C (2026)

Sugar Temperature Chart: Candy Stages by °F/°C (2026) The sugar temperature chart maps seven candy stages: thread (230-235°F / 110-113°C), soft ball (235-240°F / 113-116°C), firm ball (245-250°F / 118-121°C), hard ball (250-265°F / 121-129°C), soft crack (270-290°F / 132-143°C), hard crack (300-310°F / 149-154°C), and caramel (320-350°F / 160-177°C). Each stage marks a higher sugar concentration and a firmer final texture, so a 5-10°F difference is what separates fudge from caramel and toffee from burnt sugar. A common early mistake is pulling the pot off the heat at 240°F instead of the 245°F firm-ball target, which sets the whole batch into sauce instead of chewy squares. Losing a few batches this way is what pushes most candy makers toward clipping a $19 digital probe to the pot and treating every 5°F stage window as a hard line. Across all seven stages, from 230°F thread syrup for glazes up to...