Most people have at least one horror story about a time when they've tried to make candy and it's gone wrong. Whether it's because the recipe was unclear, the temperature was off, or something else entirely, failed candy is a frustrating experience. One of the most common problems is when the candy hardens in the pan before you can even get it out. If this happens to you, don't despair! There are a few ways to salvage your sticky situation.
The first thing you'll need to do is assess how bad the situation is. If there are just a few hard pieces clinging to the sides of the pan, you may be able to simply scrape them out with a spatula. However, if the entire batch has hardened into one big mass, you'll need to take more drastic measures.
If your candy is truly stuck, your best bet is probably going to be boiling water. Carefully pour enough water into the pan so that it covers the candy completely. Then place the pan on the stove over high heat and wait for the water to come to a boil. Once it does, reduce the heat and let simmer for a few minutes until things start loosening up.
After a few minutes, use a spatula or spoon to start breaking up the candy into smaller pieces. Once it's in smaller pieces, it should be much easier to remove from the pan entirely. You may need to add more boiling water if things start getting too thick again; just be careful not overcook your candy!
Once you've finally freed your candy from its imprisonment, there's just one more step left: clean-up! Be sure to wash your pan thoroughly before using it again; no one wants boiled-candy residue ruining their next batch of goodies. And that's all there is to it! With these simple steps, you'll be ableto save any future batches of Candy from disaster - happy cooking!