When Is It Done?

A candy thermometer takes the guess work out of making jam and candy. In the absence of thermometer, use a clean metal spoon to pour the mixture back into the pan or to drop a small bit into ice cold water.

Sheets and Drops: Testing Jam and Jelly

If you use a candy thermometer, cook jams and marmalades to 220°F.

Test jam by pouring some out the side of a metal tablespoon.

• At first, the last bit comes out in single drops. Keep cooking.
• When the last bit forms 2 drops, you have a soft jell, suitable for ice cream topping and English muffins.
• When the last bit makes a thin sheet (at 220°F), it's a thicker jell, suitable for toast and sandwiches.

Source: University of Minnesota Extension Service

Don't overcook marmalade; it gets a little thicker as it cools.

Threads, Balls, and Cracks: Testing Candy

Testing balls is fun (directions below), but a candy thermometer is more accurate. Here is a chart of thread and ball stages, based on the one in Joy of Cooking.

If you aren't using a thermometer, drop a tiny bit of syrup into ice water. Take the pan off the heat while you do.

• First you get threads that quickly dissolve.
• Then balls of increasing firmness.
• After that, you get threads again, but they hold together when you take them out. Soft crack is flexible; hard crack is brittle.
• Caramelized sugar is a dark golden syrup. I used to buy it in cans in Toronto; it's lovely on English muffins. It is easier to find in the States now than it used to be, but you may need to try an upscale grocery store or specialty shop.
• Black Ruin comes only a few seconds after the caramelized stage, and it is why you buy golden syrup. Cheaper than a new pan.