How to Make Lemon Drops
Gather your ingredients and supplies., Heat the sugar, water, and cream of tartar., Bring the mixture to the hard crack stage., Remove from the heat and add the remaining ingredients., Roll the candy into a rope., Cut the rope into individual...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Gather your ingredients and supplies.
The main ingredients in lemon drop candies are sugar and lemon flavors.
To make these little treats, you have to bring the sugar to a boil to get it to a specific temperature so it becomes hard candy.
To do this, you'll need:
Medium heavy-bottomed saucepan Wooden spoon Candy thermometer Heat-proof mat Oiled spoon Oiled counter or marble slab Oiled kitchen shears Parchment-lined baking sheet Large bowl -
Step 2: Heat the sugar
Combine the three ingredients in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
Heat the pan over medium-high heat.
Stir regularly until the sugar melts and the three ingredients are fully combined.
The cream of tartar in this recipe isn't necessary, but it will help prevent the sugar from crystalizing.
If the sugar crystallizes, it won’t become hard candy.
It’s important to use a heavy-bottomed saucepan, because this will prevent the sugar from burning. , Once the sugar melts and everything is fully incorporated, stop stirring the mixture.
Use the candy thermometer to measure the temperature as the mixture heats up.
You must bring the sugar to 300 F (149 C), which is the hard crack stage.The hard crack stage means that the sugar will become hard and brittle when it cools. , As soon as the mixture reaches the hard crack stage, remove the pan from the heat and transfer it to a heat-proof mat.
Wait for the mixture to cool for about 30 seconds, and then add in the extract, citric acid, and five drops of the yellow food coloring.
Stir with an oiled spoon to prevent sticking.Stir the mixture until all the ingredients are fully combined.
Add another five drops of food coloring if necessary to achieve the desired shade of yellow. , Wait about five minutes to give the candy time to cool.
When it’s cool enough to handle, turn the candy out onto an oiled surface.
With your hands, roll the candy into a long, thin rope.
Continue rolling the candy on the counter until the rope is about one inch (2.5 cm) thick.
Alternatively, you can also pour the entire candy mixture into a parchment-lined baking sheet as soon as all the ingredients are combined.
That way, you can cut the candy into any shape you like.
After you pour the candy, let it cool for about five minutes before cutting it., When you’ve rolled the candy out into the rope, use the oiled kitchen shears to cut the candy into half-inch to inch-long (1.3 to
2.5 cm) individual pieces.
Add more oil or grease to the shears as necessary to prevent sticking.If you poured the candy into the baking sheet, use an oiled knife to cut the candy sheet into individual pieces.
You can cut the candies into squares, circles, strips, or any other shape you like. , Fill the bottom of a large bowl with castor sugar.
Transfer the individual candies to the bowl and toss to coat them in the sugar.
When the candies are fully coated, transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet to cool and harden for about an hour.Castor sugar is finely ground white sugar.
You can coat the candies in regular granulated sugar or powdered sugar in case you can't find castor sugar.
Store any leftover candies in an air-tight container.
If the candies are exposed to air, they will become sticky and soft. -
Step 3: and cream of tartar.
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Step 4: Bring the mixture to the hard crack stage.
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Step 5: Remove from the heat and add the remaining ingredients.
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Step 6: Roll the candy into a rope.
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Step 7: Cut the rope into individual candies.
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Step 8: Coat the candies with sugar before cooling.
Detailed Guide
The main ingredients in lemon drop candies are sugar and lemon flavors.
To make these little treats, you have to bring the sugar to a boil to get it to a specific temperature so it becomes hard candy.
To do this, you'll need:
Medium heavy-bottomed saucepan Wooden spoon Candy thermometer Heat-proof mat Oiled spoon Oiled counter or marble slab Oiled kitchen shears Parchment-lined baking sheet Large bowl
Combine the three ingredients in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
Heat the pan over medium-high heat.
Stir regularly until the sugar melts and the three ingredients are fully combined.
The cream of tartar in this recipe isn't necessary, but it will help prevent the sugar from crystalizing.
If the sugar crystallizes, it won’t become hard candy.
It’s important to use a heavy-bottomed saucepan, because this will prevent the sugar from burning. , Once the sugar melts and everything is fully incorporated, stop stirring the mixture.
Use the candy thermometer to measure the temperature as the mixture heats up.
You must bring the sugar to 300 F (149 C), which is the hard crack stage.The hard crack stage means that the sugar will become hard and brittle when it cools. , As soon as the mixture reaches the hard crack stage, remove the pan from the heat and transfer it to a heat-proof mat.
Wait for the mixture to cool for about 30 seconds, and then add in the extract, citric acid, and five drops of the yellow food coloring.
Stir with an oiled spoon to prevent sticking.Stir the mixture until all the ingredients are fully combined.
Add another five drops of food coloring if necessary to achieve the desired shade of yellow. , Wait about five minutes to give the candy time to cool.
When it’s cool enough to handle, turn the candy out onto an oiled surface.
With your hands, roll the candy into a long, thin rope.
Continue rolling the candy on the counter until the rope is about one inch (2.5 cm) thick.
Alternatively, you can also pour the entire candy mixture into a parchment-lined baking sheet as soon as all the ingredients are combined.
That way, you can cut the candy into any shape you like.
After you pour the candy, let it cool for about five minutes before cutting it., When you’ve rolled the candy out into the rope, use the oiled kitchen shears to cut the candy into half-inch to inch-long (1.3 to
2.5 cm) individual pieces.
Add more oil or grease to the shears as necessary to prevent sticking.If you poured the candy into the baking sheet, use an oiled knife to cut the candy sheet into individual pieces.
You can cut the candies into squares, circles, strips, or any other shape you like. , Fill the bottom of a large bowl with castor sugar.
Transfer the individual candies to the bowl and toss to coat them in the sugar.
When the candies are fully coated, transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet to cool and harden for about an hour.Castor sugar is finely ground white sugar.
You can coat the candies in regular granulated sugar or powdered sugar in case you can't find castor sugar.
Store any leftover candies in an air-tight container.
If the candies are exposed to air, they will become sticky and soft.
About the Author
Virginia Mitchell
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow creative arts tutorials.
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