Can’t I just use regular sugar for making cotton candy?
Well, yes.
While you can use normal table sugar to make cotton candy, it is just missing some fun qualities. Floss sugar adds depth to cotton candy by adding extra layers of flavor and color. It differs from table sugar and hard candies because it’s specifically made for the purpose of making cotton candy. This means more fluff, better taste, and less stickiness!
Floss sugar is also specifically formulated for making the puffiest, tastiest cotton candy. Using certain granulated sugar that is too fine (small) could result in slightly burnt sugar. Sugar that is too coarse could clog the spin head or worse, fling bits of unmelted sugar out.
Reasons to Use Floss Sugar for Making Cotton Candy
1. Limitless flavor and color combinations
From chocolate to lime, to blue raspberry or pink vanilla, the possibilities for flavored cotton candy are endless! You could even mix different flavors of floss sugar together.
Floss sugar is formulated for maximal flavor, puffiness, and vividly bright colors that stand out. When having custom flavors, you want colors that beg the question, “What flavor is that?”
2. Floss sugar has the right “coarseness”
It is not too coarse and not too fine. This results in even heating of the sugar. Too coarse of sugar will result in clogging. Too fine can result in burnt sugar.
What does this mean for cotton candy making? This results in a stable flavor and consistency, 2 key features of a good cotton candy bite. It is ready to use right out of the box!
3. Fluffier cotton candy clouds!
Adding onto the consistent coarseness, floss sugar is specifically formulated with calcium silicate, an anticaking, flowing agent. This helps keeps moisture at bay and prevent lumping commonly found in table sugar.
But don’t you worry, this additive is safe according to the FDA.
Calcium silicate, including synthetic calcium silicate, may be safely used in food in accordance with the following prescribed conditions:
(a) It is used as an anticaking agent in food in an amount not in excess of that reasonably required to produce its intended effect.
(b) It will not exceed 2 percent by weight of the food, except that it may be present up to 5 percent by weight of baking powder.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
How to mix your own floss sugar
If you plan to take this cotton candy venture to the next level, I got a tip on how to cut costs on floss sugar.
It involves taking a concentrated mix of Flossine and mixing it with regular granulated sugar. Cane or beet sugar is best.
- Take 1 tablespoon of Flossine for every 5 pounds of granulated sugar (about 11.25 cups)
- Use 2 5-gallon buckets to move the mixture back and forth
- It is now ready to use!
- Store in an air-tight container in a low-humidity area
Related Questions
What’s the difference between floss sugar and Flossine?
Floss sugar is a type of dyed, flavored granulated sugar designed specifically for cotton candy machines. It has the right coarseness to melt and be spun evenly.
Flossine is a concentrated mix used to mix with sugar to make your own floss sugar. This allows you to control the intensity of the flavor (potentially color as well). Unless you need a huge amount of floss sugar, you won’t need to use Flossine as it is used by bulk users (for businesses or concession stands.
What is the difference between floss sugar and granulated sugar?
Floss sugar is regular sugar with added flavoring and dyes, allowing it to have flavor, color, and smell added.
While most granulated sugars are fine to make cotton candy with, some brands are too coarse or fine. This results in the cotton candy not melting uniformly or potentially burnt sugar.
True high-quality cotton candy comes from using floss sugar as it is specifically formulated for making cotton candy. Fine-grade sugar can end in cotton candy that is not fluffy or is overly sticky.
Can you use regular sugar to make cotton candy?
You can use regular sugar to make cotton candy. However, because of environmental moisture, it is more difficult for the machine to produce fluffy cotton candy. Floss sugar has anticaking additives that help create the fluffiest cotton candy.
Can you use granulated sugar in a cotton candy machine?
Most cotton candy machines – even non-commercial ones – can heat granulated sugar sufficiently to produce some cotton candy. The cheaper, toy versions of cotton candy machines will just require a longer warm-up period or take longer to produce cotton candy.
