How to use candy pots for candy making is a question that started to trend together with the rise of the Netflix show ‘Squid Game’. The popular Korean show featured a game that involved making the traditional ppopgi dalgona treat. Since then, more and more fans all over the world have searched for how to best make the confectionary at home!
That's right! You can play and invent new flavours of confectionary as you wish at home. However, as easy as it sounds; making sugary treats is not everyone's forte. It takes a lot of practice and the perfect recipe to make delicious sweet bars. Other than that one also requires appliances like spatulas, knives, and most importantly, the best candy-making pots to make some scrumptious candies.
You cannot make sugar confectionery in any cookware you desire; there are specific candy-making pots and you need to choose the perfect one.
However, for those of you who don't know which one to choose or how to use candy pots for candy making then this article is definitely for you.
How to Pick the Perfect Candy Pots
Size
They come in various sizes and you should decide which saucepan you need depending on the quantity of the sweeties you wish to make. The main ingredient and recipe for preparing dalgona-like sweets are caramelizing sugar.
If you use a small-sized one while using a large quantity of sugar then the sugar at the bottom would burn. On the other hand, the sugar at the top would not melt at all as hardly any heat would reach it.
Similarly, if you use a small amount of sugar in a relatively larger sized one then the cookware would take longer to heat up.
Hence the rule of choosing the perfect sized candy pot is that once you have chosen the recipe to make the confectionary, the pot should be 3 to 4 times larger than the ingredients being used.
Shape
Just like several sizes, these pots come in many shapes. However, we suggest that you use ones that have straight sides rather than round or angled edges.
Straight side candy pots are the best to make sweeties in as the heat distribution is even. This means the chocolate or sugar which you use would melt at the same time.
Moreover, the confectionary is cooked at a specific temperature. So, when you use a thermometer, the reading it would give will be accurate due to equal heat distribution.
Surface
A lot of the cookware' surfaces are textured; that's the one in which you should avoid making confectionary! Textured surface pots have uneven heat distribution which can ruin the consistency of the sweet treat. Furthermore, they give inaccurate thermometer readings.
Thus, we suggest that you always use flat-bottomed ones.
Non-Stick or Copper Candy Pots?
Several individuals may recommend that you use a non-stick version. This is mainly because sugar and chocolate doesn't stick on the non-stick surface and cleaning them is much easier.
However, we recommend that you steer clear of non-stick versions. They cannot withstand high temperatures and are ideal for cooking items that require medium or low heat.
On the other hand, sugary confectionary is cooked on high heat. That is why you should always try to use copper cookware. They are perfect for cooking candy at high temperatures and they cool down quickly as well.
As much fun as making confectionary sounds; preparing candies is a messy task. Sweet sauces like caramel or butterscotch can stick to the surface of the candy pots. As such, you might have to do some extra hard scrubbing to remove the sauce residue.
How to Clean
Now that you have decided which to use, we'll discuss the tedious task of getting rid of the gooey, hard glass-like sugar from the surface of the cookware.
Never Scrub
This is one rule which you should definitely follow if you want your dessert pans to last for many years to come. Scrub them and you'll ruin the surface and the candies won't have the same taste or texture.
Another piece of advice which we would suggest is that do not put the candy pots in the dishwasher. Yes, it might seem easier to have them rinsed automatically but you’ll damage the surface in the process. This is something that you definitely want to avoid, so always hand wash them.
Add Boiled Water
After cooking fudge, caramel or peanut brittle candies, fill the candy pot with water and put it on the stove. Let it boil for some time, next take a spatula and remove the hardened sugar. Take a soft sponge and lightly rub the pot, rinse it with some lukewarm water.
However, at times the hardened sweets become stubborn and just won't go away. Regardless, we will provide you with a tip that would remove all scrapes of the sweet treat.
Use Liquids
Confused? Well, you'll be surprised to see the results of using cream, milk, coffee or even ice cream to make your candy pots spotless.
The logic behind using these liquids is that the confectionary (which is mainly made up of sugar) dissolves in them and forms a syrup that can be later scraped off.
Add whichever liquid you have in your pantry into the cookware. Let it simmer for a few seconds. Then, once again using a back of a spoon or spatula, scrape off the sweet treat. Rinse the inside surface and voilà, you have a shiny one; new as ever!
Get Your Favourite Candy Pot
Making candy from scratch at home might seem like a hectic task. However, once you get the hang of it, it would be as easy as taking a stroll down the park. So get going and purchase a fabulous one for your home pantry!
If you're looking a cookware set specifically for making the famous Squid Game dalgona candy, we recommend getting this one from Amazon!
Looking for some sweet treat recipes to try at home? Check out our Tanghulu candied fruit recipe that combines fresh fruits with caramelised sugar!
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