Hand-pulled sugar demo blends the art and science of candy making

Chef Jacquy Pfeiffer, cofounder of the French Pastry School in Chicago, demonstrated sugar pulling for sculptures used for competition. Among them were a pulled sugar bird and multicolored ribbons. During the demo, Bethany Hall, senior Culinologist at Ingredion, explained the science behind candy manufacturing.

“Pulled sugar in a manufacturing setting will be a candy cane, candy stick, or twirled lollipop, for example.​ It’s sugar that’s been pulled and aerated. You’re extending crystalline structure and building a matrix. So you’re changing the nature of sugar a little bit,” ​she said. She noted that additives like polyglycitol syrup and isomalt help stabilize the sugar and give it higher viscosity, though customers continue to raise concerns about the use of artificial food additives, even in products that aren't inherently healthful, like candy.

As Pfeiffer began stretching and folding various strands of colored sugar to create ribbons, Hall explained that in order to achieve the shiniest finished pulled sugar, the crystal structure should be elongated as possible, which helps it reflect light better in the end product. “Yes, something like that,”​ Pfeiffer quipped.