Sugar panning facts for kids

A single M&M candy showing its layers

Sugar panning is a cool way to put a sugary "shell" on candies or nuts. Think of your favorite M&M's or jelly beans – they get their crunchy or chewy coating thanks to this method! It's like giving them a sweet, protective jacket.

This process makes many popular treats, including:

• Dragées: These are often nuts or seeds covered in a hard sugar shell.
• Chocolate buttons: Like M&M's, with a colorful candy coating.
• Gobstoppers: Candies with many layers that slowly dissolve.
• Konpeitō: A type of Japanese sugar candy.
• Jelly beans: These use a soft panning method, making their shell chewy.

The idea of sugar panning started a long time ago in 17th-century France. It was first used to make "jordan almonds," which are almonds covered in a hard sugar shell.

How Do Candies Get Their Sugar Shell?

A special spinning pan used for panning

Whether a candy gets a hard or soft shell, the basic process is similar. However, the ingredients and how fast things spin make a big difference!

The Panning Machine

A special machine called a "dragée pan" is used. It looks like a big, round or oval bowl that spins at an angle. This pan is open at the top, so workers can add ingredients and let the sugar syrup dry.

Adding the Layers

First, the centers of the candies (like chocolate, nuts, or jelly bean insides) are put into the spinning pan. Then, a sweet syrup is slowly added. As the pan turns, the syrup spreads evenly over all the centers. It dries in thin layers, one after another.

• Soft Panning: For candies like jelly beans, the layers can be quite thick. This makes the candy softer and chewier, and the original shape of the center might change a bit.
• Hard Panning: For candies like M&M's, the layers are very thin, sometimes as thin as a tiny speck of dust! These layers take longer to dry, making the shell hard and crisp.

Choosing the Right Center

Not all centers can be panned easily. They need to be strong enough not to break while tumbling around in the pan.

• Nuts: If using nuts, they are usually dried first. Then, they might be sealed with things like gum arabic (a natural gum) and flour. This stops their oils from leaking out and changing the color of the candy shell.
• Other Centers: Some centers might get a special coating before panning. This helps the syrup stick better or seals the center. For example, it's hard to pan chewing gum without a pre-coating.

What Ingredients Are Used?

The type of sugar syrup used depends on whether the candy will be soft or hard panned.

• Soft Panning: This uses a syrup that won't turn into crystals easily, like glucose syrup. To help it dry, powdered sugar is often added while the process is happening.