Candy Science - FoodCrumbles Courses

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350

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Do you want to:

Submerge yourself in candy making?
Practice making different kinds of candy (such as fudge, caramel & brittle)?
Once and for all know why it is you need a thermometer when making candy?
See what goes wrong when you cook candy to the wrong temperature?
Tweak and develop your own sugar confections?
Have more confidence when making candy?
Geek out about the science behind sugar confectionery (no science background needed!)?

Then this candy science course might be the perfect fit for you!

Join us to experiment and learn the basic concepts behind candy making.

Here’s what a past student had to say

Wonderful course. Annelie explains everything in a very clear way, with a lot of patience. The home experiments are fun, and my first try of fudge was delicious and with the right texture.
Naomi S., student in Dec-2022

Candy isn’t that mysterious

You may think making candy is complicated and scary. You need a thermometer, so it must be hard. Isn’t it?

Well, no! Because of that thermometer, candy making is actually quite easy. It gives you so much control. You can see what’s happening at all times and there are so many ways to fix things that go wrong along the way. Compare that to baking a cake, once it’s in the oven, there’s nothing you can do.

I’ve made candy plenty of times, and had my own set of failures. However, practice & experimentation makes (more) perfect. Using my background in food science and experience in real life, I’ve started to understand candy. And, I want you to do so too, without needing a food science degree 😉. All you need is some interest in science (no experience necessary) and a passion for learning.

Not your typical candy course

Don’t expect a bunch of recipes with a guarantee for success.

Don’t expect a magical formula to make any and all candies either. That formula doesn’t exist…

Instead, I’ll help you develop a research & investigative mindset! I will show you how to experiment and how to analyze recipes. By the end, you’ll have a few recipes ready to go. But, most importantly, you’ll be able to better understand new recipes you encounter!

Yes, you’ll get some recipes, but, these are merely starting points for your experiments. Because I believe that you truly learn by doing (and failing).

By the end of this confectionery course, you will be able to:

Make several types of candy and explain what happened when making them.
List potential failures when making candy.
Experiment with sugar confectionery recipes to develop your own.

Note, this course does NOT (yet) cover using & making chocolate.

Here’s what a past student had to say

I am really appreciating the course so far. I really do enjoy learning about the science of it. It does make me want to experiment with […] candy for my own enjoyment.
Joanne, student in Sep-2023

Whether you make sugar candies as a business, work as an operator in the confectionery industry, or are an enthusiastic home cook/chef, this candy making course will open up a whole new understanding!

What candy science will I learn?

WEEK 1

Almost any candy recipe will at some point call for bringing a pot of sugar + water to a boil. We will discuss why this is such a common (and crucial!) step when making candy.

Never used a thermometer when making candy? Or are you using a thermometer when cooking these syrups, but don’t truly know why? Rest assured, by the end of this week you’ll feel comfortable using a thermometer and you’ll realize it gives you so much creative freedom! Measuring temperature makes making candy so much easier and replicable.

Last but not least, we’ll give you your first trick on how to save failed batches of candy. Overcooked a batch? Worry no longer, after this week you’ll know how to fix it, without having to throw away anything.

We’ll end the week by making candy, just like any other week. This week that’s: lollipops & caramel sauces.

WEEK 2

Want to add some flavor and color to your candy? Why not caramelize some sugar or get the Maillard reaction to work for you?

These two chemical reactions offer a world of possibilities for making tastier candy. But, if you don’t know what’s going on, it’s hard to control them. Which is why we’re digging into them this week.

Have you caramelized sugar before, but only ended up with clumpy grainy sugar instead of a nice brown caramel? We’ll discuss how to fix that as well.

By the end of the week you’ll know how to caramelize sugar and we’ll make another type of candy using your caramelized sugar.

WEEK 3

Notice how so far we’ve only really discussed sugar? Sugar is a crucial ingredient in just about any candy and there are many types of sugars you can use. This week we’ll look at the differences between all those sugars and how they get to work in your candy.

You’ll understand why you can’t just exchange or leave out certain sugars, giving you yet another crucial tool in your candy toolbox.

Of course, we’ll make some more candy, honeycomb will be on the list for sure!

WEEK 4

Ever had a caramel turn grainy? Or fudge remain soft? If so, you’ve noticed how important the crystallization of sugar is to making candy. Sometimes you want sugar to crystallize, other times, not so much.

And at the end of the week, you get to bring it into practice again. This time by making fudge and fondant.

BONUS

After these 4 weeks you’ve gained a solid foundation in making candy. But, we’ve still got a few bonus sections up our sleeves!

Here’s what a past student had to say

I think it´s fantastic to have information for people like me, I am not a food technologist, I am a chef, and I work in food production plant and I am in charge of the development of new products, so having some science in hand is very helpful.
[…] I have done these recipes before, […] but the science behind them is what I need to understand more, so I can take better decisions!
Diana, student in Sep-2023

Did you know that the boiling point of a sugar solution is directly related to the concentration of sugar within?

This is one of the most important concepts to understand when making sugar confectionery. A very hot sugar syrup, will contain a high percentage of sugar.

We’ll cover this extensively in the course!

What are the requirements for this confectionery course?

Aside from a good understanding of the English language, there are no technical requirements to start this course. Do keep in mind that this course focuses heavily on the science behind sugar confectionery. An interest in candy AND science is expected :-). A basic understanding of chemistry can be helpful but is not necessary.

We highly recommend you get a good thermometer (this simple, cheap one from IKEA is great). You will also need access to basic kitchen equipment such as a stove to complete the lab exercises. Other than that, you do not need access to special equipment to take this candy making course.

When can I take it?

You can take the candy science course at any time. It is fully self-paced. But, during your cohort’s month, you get extra support!

This December’s we offer:

Live chat Q&A sessions during the 4 weeks to ask all your questions and get answers in real-time
A BONUS 1:1 online consultation session to discuss your specific challenge(s)

Fudge gets its grainy, crumbly texture from tiny crystallized sugar crystals.

Controlling crystallization is key, or you’d end up with a large chunk of sugar within.

We’ll cover this extensively in the candy science course!

A flexible, but shared learning environment

The online candy making course, consists of 4 modules.
- We recommend you complete 1 module per week.
You will have access to the self-paced lessons for at least 3 months.
Reserve at least 4 hours per week to complete the course. This includes lab exercises. If you do all the optional exercises, you can easily spend a few days per week, though that’s completely optional.

Did you know that honey burns more easily than regular white sugar?

It’s because of the types of sugar present in honey! Honey contains a lot of fructose, which caramelizes more easily than sucrose (regular sugar).

We’ll cover this extensively in the course!

You’ve always been curious about how candy works.
You have been daunted by the science and complexity behind candy.
You are ready to develop a research mindset.
You want to dive deeper than most online candy resources will offer.

FAQ – Anything else you’d like to know?

For who is this confectionery course?

For anyone who wants to learn how candy works and what’s the science behind it. If you’re just looking for recipes or basic instructions, this is not the place to be. We like to take a deep dive into the science of it all!

I am a professional candy maker, will this training teach me something new?

You can probably make better candies than we can ;-). However, if you’ve learned solely based on intuition and experience, knowing and understanding some of the underlying scientific concepts will definitely help you!

I don’t eat sugar, can I still join?

You sure can, but this course is all about sugar, so it may not be the best fit for you!

I’m on a dairy-free/gluten-free/vegan/paleo, etc. diet, can I still join?

You are definitely welcome to join us! However, keep in mind that we aren’t keeping your specific diet in mind. That said, if you’d like to make candy that fits your specific diet it can be very helpful to understand how candy works in general. You’ll be well equipped to then make your own style using ingredients you prfer.

Do you offer a refund policy?

Yes, we do! If the course is not what you expected, please reach out within 14 days after purchase OR within 7 days after accessing the course. All we ask is to provide us some feedback as to why the course didn’t meet your expectations so we can continue to improve!
Please refer to our General Terms & Conditions for more details.

How long will I have access to this candy making course?

We guarantee access to the non-live components for at least 12 months after purchase. However, you will continue to have access for as long as this course exists, including any future updates.

Why don’t you offer lifetime access?

Because we don’t believe there’s such as thing as lifetime businesses or access. We don’t know how the world will look in 2, 5 or 10 years from now. So won’t guarantee that this course will be up forever and ever.

What’s the price of the course?

$350,- Note, all pricing is in USD.