Why is my homemade toffee gritty?

by Cheryl
(Waxahachie,Texas USA)

This is my question:

Why is my homemade toffee so gritty?

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Hi Cheryl,

Toffee gets gritty because the sugar has crystallized.


Crystallization usually happens because you either let the temperature get too hot, or sugar crystals formed on the sides of the pan while you were cooking and then spread through the candy mixture like a chain reaction.


There are a couple of things you can do to try to eliminate this problem in the future.


First of all, be sure your candy thermometer is accurate. Test it first by bringing water to boil and then place the end of the thermometer in the boiling water. The temperature should read exactly 212° F.


If the thermometer is off, you need to allow for that by raising or lowing your cooking temperature.


While stirring your toffee mixture, stir steady and gently, trying not to splash the mixture up the sides of the pan. If some does get up there (it usually happens), just take a pastry brush and dip it in hot water, washing the sugar back down into the rest of the mixture.


Don't worry about the water. It will evaporate back out again.


Finally, I see you are in Texas. If it's a humid day, candy making can be really difficult. Humidity has a habit of causing all kinds of candy making problems.


If you are making candy when it's humid, try letting the mixture get 2 degrees hotter than called for to compensate for the humidity. Just be careful not to burn it!


Hope that helps you get some success in making homemade toffee that isn't gritty.

~Angie