Candy Temperature Stage Calculator
Identify the sugar cooking stage and adjust the target for altitude.
About Candy Temperature Stage Calculator
Sugar stages correspond to water concentration, so the target temperature must fall by the same amount the local boiling point does. At 1,500 metres every stage is about five degrees lower. Cooking to the sea level temperature at altitude overshoots the intended concentration, which turns fudge into brittle.
Formula
Candy Temperature Stage
Subtract the local boiling point depression, about one degree per 285 metres of altitude
- soft ball
- 115 Celsius at sea level, used for fudge and fondant
- hard crack
- 149 Celsius, used for brittle and hard candy
Worked example
With the default values below, Candy Temperature Stage Calculator returns Adjusted Target Temperature of 118.95. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.
Inputs used
- Target stageone of Thread, Soft ball, Firm ball, Hard ball, Soft crack, Hard crack, Caramel
- Firm ball
- Altitudeaccepts 0–4,000 m
- 300 m
Results
- Adjusted Target Temperature
- 118.95 C
- Sea Level Target Temperature
- 120.0 C
- Adjusted Target Temperature
- 246.1 F
- Local Water Boiling Point
- 98.95 C
- Approximate Sugar Concentration
- 83.5%
Step by step
- 1Values used
- 2Candy Temperature Stage
- 3Adjusted Target Temperature= 118.95 C
- 4Sea Level Target Temperature= 120.0 C
- 5Adjusted Target Temperature= 246.1 F
- 6Local Water Boiling Point= 98.95 C
- 7Approximate Sugar Concentration= 83.5
Assumptions and limits
- The result is derived only from the 2 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
- In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
- Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Candy Temperature Stage calculated?
Subtract the local boiling point depression, about one degree per 285 metres of altitude Sugar stages correspond to water concentration, so the target temperature must fall by the same amount the local boiling point does. At 1,500 metres every stage is about five degrees lower.
Why does Candy Temperature Stage matter?
Cooking to the sea level temperature at altitude overshoots the intended concentration, which turns fudge into brittle.
What values do I need to enter?
This calculator takes 2 inputs: Target stage, Altitude. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.