Working with hard candy can lead to potential burns if you are not protected against the heat of molten candy.
Even when working with cooled yet hot hard candy, you’ll need a pair of heat-resistant gloves that will keep your hands safe.
A pair of latex/nitrile disposable food-grade gloves over cotton gloves will provide enough insulation from heat and maintain the tactile “hands-on” feel of working with sugar.
For Hard Candy
Cotton Canvas Gloves
Pulling heated sugar
Molding sugar ribbons
Tight-knit around wrist
For Chocolate
White Cotton Gloves
Cotton is a great thermal insulator
Less smudging on chocolate
Wash before using to remove lint
What to Consider
- Heat-resistant
- Non-slip/non-stick
- Covers wrist
- Food-grade material
For the best results, make sure that you look for gloves that provide good coverage and are non-slip so that you don’t lose grip on hot candy or utensils. With temperatures above the boiling point of water, it is important to be protected against possible burns while working with the candy. You will need gloves that act as a barrier against temperatures as high as 300°F.
For pulling candy (under 200°F), a layer of thick food-grade nitrile gloves personally feels the best. They are heat-resistant enough to work on sugar yet flexible enough to easily grip.
A cheap quick-fix is to wear a couple layers of food-grade latex/nitrile gloves with (optionally) a light oil greasing to reduce stickiness. Oil might not be necessary depending on how much the sugar has hardened and cooled. Instead of using grease, allow the candy to cool on a Silpat mat which is a food-safe workspace for when candy becomes too hot to handle.
Hands-On Handling of Hot Hard Candy?
Cotton Canvas Gloves
While these gloves are not exactly food-grade, they are used for personal projects. Ideally, a layer of latex/nitrile gloves over cotton gloves will take care of most candy-making needs. However, just the cotton glove itself is enough for most home projects.
Pulling heated sugar. These gloves are ideal for pulling molten sugar that is too hot to hold barehanded. Don’t forget that sugar can hold heat for long time even after taken off the heat.
Molding sugar ribbons. The cotton canvas material makes handling heat easy. While manipulating heated candy, having a flexible yet durable layer of cotton makes pulling and molding candies heat-free.
Tight-knit around wrist. This unique feature is a nice quality of life. It prevents heat and potentially moisture from going up the gloves.
Baker’s Must – Cuisinart Heat Resistant
Silicone Gloves
Hard Candy – When it comes to making and handling hard candy, these gloves are a great fit for the job. If the textured grip is a problem, switch to food-safe latex gloves (2-3 layers if needed due to heat).
Baking – Reaching into the hot oven? These are perfect for handling baked goods as well. The textured grip on these gloves makes sure nothing will slip out of your hands.
Not for delicate pieces – These gloves have dents that can leave marks, especially when directly handling certain confections and pastries.
Pros
Cons
Handling Chocolate?
Cotton Gloves
Cotton gloves are just thick enough to keep fingerprints away from chocolate candies. Make sure your hands are completely dry before putting on cotton gloves. Excess moisture can seep through gloves into chocolates, causing them to seize.
Cotton is a great thermal insulator. The heat from bare fingertips (as well as thin latex/vinyl gloves) can smudge some chocolates (especially delicate pieces). The extra padding allows for precise handling of chocolates where visual appearance must be as perfect as possible.
If the cotton gloves are smudging the chocolate, wear a layer of latex/nitrile gloves over the cotton. This provides a bit more insulation and smudge-free handling.
Must-Have Accessory For Using Hot Sugar
Silpat Baking Mat
Latex (non-powdered) gloves are fine for working with hard candy. However, not everybody has a clean marble slab or steel surface to use. Marble is useful when making hard candy because it acts as a heat sink. You could also cool your hands down on the marble when handling hot candy becomes overbearing.
Silpat baking mats are perfect for handling hot pulled sugar as it provides a non-stick greaseless surface. Compared to parchment paper, baking mats are a lot more convenient to work on. Making hard candy on parchment paper is a pain!
When it comes to pulling sugar, it can sometimes become too hot to handle. This surface gives your hands a break in between pulls and twists. After the candy cools a bit, it comes right off the mat’s surface without any sticking.
