Acid Drops

Name: Acid Drops
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 2 cups (480 mL) white granulated sugar; 1 cup (240 mL) water; ½ tsp (2.5 mL) cream of tartar; 1 Tbsp (15 mL) citric acid; Powdered sugar

Acid drops are a hard candy or confection made very sour through the addition of acid. Citric acid and tartaric acid are commonly used.

45 min

Ingredients

2 cups (480 mL) white granulated sugar
1 cup (240 mL) water
½ tsp (2.5 mL) cream of tartar
1 Tbsp (15 mL) citric acid
Powdered sugar

Steps

Bring the sugar, water and cream of tartar to boil over medium-low heat. Stir gently until syrup reaches 310°F (155°C/hard crack stage) or is pale brown. Syrup should harden completely when dropped on to a cold plate and snap between the teeth when cold.
Pour the mixture onto an oiled heatproof work surface, and sprinkle with the citric acid.
Use a greased spatula to fold in the sides and thoroughly work the acid in.
When the candy is cool enough to touch but still pliable, roll it into sticks and snip off drop-sized bits.
Sift powdered sugar onto the candies, and shake to coat.
Allow to cool and harden completely. Store in an air-tight container.

More recipes with cream of tartar or powdered sugar

Adapted from “Acid Drops” in the Wikibooks Cookbook by its contributors, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Reformatted for this site; this page's recipe text is shared under the same license.