Course in Confectionery Technology

Course Offering

See our Course Schedule for dates and pricing.

Course Overview

The object of this course is to give a basic understanding of the theoretical principles of confectionery technology. We will do this by practical demonstrations, showing the relationship between some basic confectionery systems, the techniques involved in their preparation and the properties of the principle ingredients.

Course Materials

Text: Sugar Confectionery and Chocolate Manufacture by Lees and Jackson

Once the full course fee has been paid, pre-notes and the textbook will be sent for the purpose of home study. Since a lot of information will be covered during the course, we recommend that the students study the material before the beginning of the course.

Course Agenda

First Day: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

• Properties of the Principle Carbohydrates used in Confectionery
• Processing:
  • Solubility and Supersaturation of Sucrose
  • Crystallization and the Control of Size
  • Effects of: Agitation, Viscosity, Boiling Time and Temperatures, Effect of Vacuum, pH
  • Methods of Controlling Processes: Thermometric, Boiling Point Elevation, Refractometric - Total Dissolved Solids, Hardness Test
  • Glass Transition
• Throughout the course, the following will also be shown or discussed:
  Presence of "Other" Sugars, Water Activity, Colloidal Materials, Syrup-Phase Concentration, Methods of "seeding", Effect of Enzymes, Two-Phase Systems, and Shelf-Life Problems

Practical Work:

• For the first day's work, the above principles will be illustrated by making pulled and clear Hard Candy and deposited and extruded Fondant Creams.
• Texture and taste differences are illustrated when different ratios of carbohydrates are used in hard candies.

Second Day: 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

• Review of previous day's work and discussion of main faults.
• Jellies, Gums:
  • Additional Raw Materials: Gelatin, Agar, Pectin, Starch, Gellan

Practical Work:

• Preparation of Starch Jelly
  The effects of different cooking times, levels of starches, and atmospheric conditions.
• Preparation of a Pectin Jelly
  The effects of buffer/acid and pectin in different amounts.
• Preparation of an Agar Jelly
• Preparation of Gellan Jellies
• Preparation of a Gumi-type Jelly will be demonstrated.

Third Day: 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

• Review of previous day's work and discussion of main faults.
• Manufacture of Caramels, Fudges and Toffee:
  • Additional Raw Materials: Milk Products, Evaporated Milk, Sweet Condensed Milk, Milk Powder (including Reconstitution)

Practical Work:

• Preparation of various caramel and fudge formulas.
  The effect of raw material and process variations. These variations include:
  Different sources and levels of milk, Pre-mixing, End cooking temperatures and processing time, Different seeding agents, Use of a Sequestrant

Fourth Day: 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

• Review of previous day's work and discussion of main faults.
• Aerated Confections - Marshmallows and Nougat:
  • Additional Raw Materials: Aerating Agents, Egg Albumen, Modified Soya Proteins, Gelatin

Practical Work:

• Preparation of Grained and Ungrained Marshmallows.
• Preparation of Grained and Ungrained Nougat
  The effect on texture when different levels of aerating agents, carbohydrates and boiling points are used.

Fifth Day: 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

• Review of previous day's work and discussion of main faults.
• Lab Demonstration of:
  • Soft Panned Coating
  • Hard Panned Coating
• Final examination

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