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CookingTemps

Candy Stages Temperature Chart

230–310°F

thread to hard crack, at sea level

Subtract 1°F per 500 ft of altitude

As sugar syrup boils, water leaves and the temperature climbs. Each stage is a sugar concentration, and the cold-water test tells you which one you have, at any altitude.

Source: Exploratorium: Science of Cooking — sugar stages. Checked Oct 13, 2026.

Sugar stages

Thread230–235°FSyrup for pouring over ice creamSoft ball235–240°FFudge, pralines, fondantFirm ball245–250°FCaramelsHard ball250–265°FNougat, marshmallows, gummies, divinity, rock candySoft crack270–290°FSaltwater taffy, butterscotchHard crack300–310°FToffee, nut brittles, lollipopsCaramel (brown liquid)338°FDessert decorations, candy coating for nuts; bitter above about 350°F

At higher elevations, lower every stage by about 1°F per 500 ft, or by the gap between your boiling point and 212°F. Find yours in the boiling point by altitude chart.