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Candy Sugar Stages

Soft ball, hard ball, soft crack, hard crack - sugar concentration by temperature.

A free, animated candy sugar stages you can read here or embed on any website, from Scrollchart.

Candy Sugar Stages

Candy Sugar Stages by TemperatureWater evaporates as syrup heats; concentration determines texture when cooledThread17% waterSoft Ball13% waterFirm Ball10% waterHard Ball8% waterSoft Crack4% waterHard Crack1% waterCaramel0% water110–113C113–117C118–121C122–129C132–143C149–154C160–182CSyrupsFudge, fondantCaramel chewsNougat, marshmallowButterscotch, toffeeLollipops, glass candyCaramel sauce, praline

Sugar syrup temperature and the corresponding stage: thread (110C), soft ball (115C), firm ball (118C), hard ball (122C), soft crack (135C), hard crack (150C), caramel (170C+). Each stage annotated with water content (%), typical confection application, and the physical behavior of a cooled drop in cold water.

Good for

  • Candy and confectionery tutorials explaining stage temperatures
  • Pastry school reference charts for sugar work
  • Food science articles on sucrose concentration and texture

Source & accuracy

This candy sugar stages is an editorial illustration built to represent the concept accurately. Where it shows figures, they are typical or representative values chosen to make the relationship clear, not a single underlying dataset. The diagram and its explainer are reviewed and maintained centrally, and updated over time as understanding improves.

Temperature determines sugar structure from liquid to glass

As sugar syrups heat, water evaporates and sugar concentration rises. At low temperatures (110-113C), dissolved sugar remains pliable after cooling, forming the soft ball stage. Higher heat (121-130C) creates the hard ball, which cracks under your teeth. Beyond 149C, sugar enters the hard crack stage, forming brittle shards. Above 160C, sugar caramelizes, developing brown color and bitter-sweet flavor.

The stages represent different crystal structures and water content. Soft ball still contains enough water to form a soft solid at room temperature. Hard ball has less water and cannot fold or bend. Hard crack has almost no water, becoming glassy and snap-brittle.

Each stage suits different candy applications

Soft ball stage is used for fudge, caramels, and fondant fillings because it remains pliable enough to work with. Hard ball is the target for lollipops and brittles that should hold their shape rigidly. Hard crack creates boiled sweets, rock candy, and pralines. Caramel takes the sugar past the color thresholds into deeper flavor territory, used for sauces, dessert glazes, and decorative poured sugar.

Embed this diagram

Add this animated candy sugar stages to your own site. Copy one line of HTML, or use the embed builder for theme and sizing options.

Reference

What this is
A free, embeddable, animated candy sugar stages for any website.
Who uses it
Cooking blogs.
How to embed
Copy one line of HTML. No signup. No watermark. Works in WordPress, Webflow, Ghost, Substack, plain HTML.
File size
iframe embed, ~80 KB gzipped (loads on demand, does not block your page paint).
License
Free forever. Editorial explainer text included; updated centrally over time.
URL
scrollchart.com/diagram/sugar-stages-temperature

Embed format options

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Frequently asked questions

Where can I get a free animated "Candy Sugar Stages" for my website?
Scrollchart provides "Candy Sugar Stages" as a free, embeddable animated diagram you can add to any website with one line of HTML. No signup is required and there is no watermark. The diagram and its explainer text are served from scrollchart.com, so the embed stays current without any maintenance on your end.
How do I embed a candy sugar stages in WordPress or a static site?
Paste the HTML snippet from the Scrollchart diagram page into your WordPress post (in HTML/code view), your Webflow embed block, or directly into a static HTML file. No plugin is needed. The diagram loads from scrollchart.com and paints in as the reader scrolls.
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