Food & Cooking
Candy Temperature Stages
Sugar-cook stages from thread to hard crack — with altitude adjustment.
Candy Temperature Stages
Inputs
Drag to match your candy thermometer reading.
Subtract 2°F from every target per 1,000 ft elevation.
Results
Stage
Fudge, fondant, pralines
Soft ball
Range
235–240°F
Altitude adjust
Water boils at 212.0°F here.
− 0.0°F from target
How to use this
Candy stages are just sugar concentration by temperature — the hotter the syrup, the less water, the firmer the finished candy. A digital thermometer beats the cold-water test every time.
At altitude, water boils below 212°F, so every target on a recipe needs to drop with it. The 2°F-per-1000-ft rule is close enough for home candy work.
Formula
altitude_adjust = (altitude_ft ÷ 1000) × 2°F
boiling_point = 212°F − altitude_adjust
target_at_altitude = sea_level_target − altitude_adjust
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Formula
target_at_altitude = sea_level − (altitude_ft ÷ 1000) × 2°F