High Altitude Candy Cooking Recipes

Steps:

• Stir sugar, corn syrup, and water over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Cook, without stirring, to 245 degrees on a candy thermometer or until small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water forms a hard ball.
• In mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Continue beating while pouring hot syrup in a very thin stream into egg whites. Add vanilla and beat until mixture holds its shape and becomes slightly dull. Mixture may become too stiff for mixer.
• Fold in nuts. (Note: divinity will not set up if nuts are added before candy is stiff.) Drop mixture from tip of buttered spoon onto waxed paper.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Liquids evaporate more rapidly at high altitudes, so candies and syrups should be cooked for a shorter amount of time. Syrup will become too concentrated, and candy too hard, by the time prescribed sea level temperatures are reached.To prevent excessive evaporation of liquid, decrease the final cooking temperature by 1°F. for each 500 feet in elevation (or 2°F. for each 1000 feet) above sea level. The cold water test is the surest way to determine the correct amount of cooking for candies. (See "Candy-Cooking Stages")