Confectionery Craftsman flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Water activity (aw)

The ratio of water vapour pressure in a food to that of pure water at the same temperature. It predicts microbial growth and chemical stability better than moisture content does.

Invert sugar

An equimolar mixture of glucose and fructose produced by hydrolysing sucrose. It is more hygroscopic and sweeter than sucrose and helps prevent crystallisation in boiled sweets.

Dextrose equivalent (DE)

A measure of the reducing-sugar content of glucose syrup, expressed as a percentage of dextrose on a dry basis. Low-DE syrups are less hygroscopic and more crystallisation-inhibiting.

Form V cocoa butter

The polymorph of cocoa butter that gives well-tempered chocolate its gloss and snap. It melts near body temperature and slowly converts to the stable Form VI on storage.

Fat bloom

A whitish haze on chocolate caused by cocoa butter recrystallising at the surface, usually from poor tempering or warm storage. The surface melts readily on touch.

Sugar bloom

A rough, grainy surface on chocolate caused by moisture dissolving surface sugar, which then recrystallises as the product dries. It feels gritty and does not melt on touch.

Tempering

Controlled heating and cooling of chocolate that stabilises the correct cocoa butter polymorph so the finished product sets glossy, snaps cleanly, and resists bloom.

Conching

Prolonged mixing and aeration of refined chocolate mass that removes volatile acids, reduces viscosity, and develops flavour. It can take hours to days depending on the equipment.

Ganache

An emulsion of chocolate and cream, sometimes with butter or glucose. Its water activity and storage temperature determine whether it needs refrigeration for shelf stability.

Seeding (tempering)

Adding already tempered chocolate or cocoa butter crystals to melted mass so stable crystals act as nuclei and the correct polymorph forms throughout the batch.

Graining

Undesired crystallisation in a sugar confection, producing a rough, sandy texture. It is caused by exceeding saturation, by seed crystals, or by insufficient crystallisation inhibitor.

Doctoring ratio

The proportion of glucose syrup solids to total sugar solids in a boiled-sweet recipe. It controls crystallisation risk, viscosity, and final moisture.

Fondant

A confection of microcrystalline sucrose in a saturated syrup, made by cooling and working a boiled syrup with seed. Fine crystals give a smooth, short texture.

Caramelisation

Thermal breakdown of sugars without proteins, producing brown colour and caramel flavour. It begins well above the boiling point of water and accelerates at higher temperatures.

Maillard reaction

Browning between reducing sugars and amino acids or proteins, responsible for caramel and toffee colour and flavour. It requires heat and available reducing sugar.

Starch moulding

Depositing gum or jelly mass into impressions in a starch bed, then curing in a conditioned room until the product sets and reaches its target texture.

Bloom strength (gelatin)

A measure of the gel strength of gelatin, determined by the force needed to depress a standard gel under defined conditions. Higher Bloom gives firmer, higher-melting gels.

HM pectin

High-methoxyl pectin, which sets only in the presence of sufficient sugar and acid at low pH. It is the usual gelling agent for traditional fruit jellies.

Brix correction

Adjustment of a refractometer reading to a reference temperature and to the recipe's soluble-solids basis. Uncorrected readings misstate the true solids content.

Batch yield

Finished product mass divided by total input mass, expressed as a percentage. It falls with evaporation, depositing waste, and rejects, which each need separate tracking.

Standard cost

The planned cost per unit based on standard recipe quantities, standard prices, and standard yield. Actual cost is compared against it to calculate variances.

Bottleneck capacity

The throughput of the slowest station in the line, after planned downtime. It limits overall output and should drive production scheduling rather than average line capacity.

HACCP plan

A documented system identifying hazards, critical control points with limits, monitoring, corrective actions, and verification. Records must be kept for each batch produced.

ATP swab testing

A rapid check of residual organic soil on a food-contact surface after cleaning. A result below the set threshold verifies cleaning before production starts.

Allergen cross-contact

Transfer of an allergen into a product that should not contain it, through shared equipment, utensils, or dust. Dedicated tools and validated clean-down are the controls.

Lockout/tagout

A procedure that isolates and locks energy sources before maintenance or cleaning of machinery. Zero energy is verified by attempting a start after isolation.

Combustible dust

Fine organic powder, such as cocoa or flour, that can ignite and explode when dispersed in air. Bonding, grounding, and avoiding compressed-air blowdown are the controls.

Dew point control

Keeping the cooling-tunnel air dew point below the product surface temperature so moisture does not condense and cause sugar bloom or spots on enrobed goods.

Triangle test

A sensory difference test in which panellists receive three coded samples, two identical, and identify the odd one. It detects whether a difference exists, not its size.

Descriptive profiling

A trained-panel method that rates defined sensory attributes against reference standards. It describes the product and tracks changes across batches or formulations.

Cold flow

Slow deformation of hard candy under its own weight during storage, caused by excessive invert sugar or moisture. It shows as distorted, flattened pieces in the pack.

Traceability record

Documentation linking raw-material lots, batch parameters, and finished-goods lots so product can be traced forward to customers and backward to suppliers.