Preventing Sugar Crystals

The basic recipe for syrup is just sugar + water, of course. When I first started making lollipops, my first batch or two came out crumbly, like a bunch of crystals that separated relatively easily from each other when eaten.

Then I read that adding a little cream of tartar or corn syrup to the sugar-water solution helps prevent crystallization. I tried it, and indeed, the resulting lollipops had a wonderfully smooth satiny texture. That was one of the first lessons I learned that helped me make better hard candy.

Photo by Kevin Keeker