Q: What stage is sugar in at 270–290 degrees Fahrenheit with a relative sugar content of 95%?
A: Soft-crack stage
+ Soft-ball stage: 235–240 degrees Fahrenheit. Forms a soft & pliable ball. For making fondant, fudge, pralines, and Italian meringue.
+ Firm-ball stage: 245–250 degrees Fahrenheit. Forms a firm ball in cold water. For making caramel.
+ Hard-ball stage: 240–265 degrees Fahrenheit. Forms a hard ball in water. For making nougat and cotton candy.
+ Soft-crack stage: 270–290 degrees Fahrenheit. Soft cracking noise & forms pliable threads in cold water. For making taffy and butterscotch.
+ Hard-crack stage 300 –330 degrees Fahrenheit. Loud cracking noise & forms brittle threads in cold water. For hard candy.
Above 330 degrees Fahrenheit, the sugar begins to caramelize and brown. If you’ve worked with sugar before, you know that at this point, it can turn into a burnt bubbling mess in what seems like a nanosecond.