Thread Stage (2024)

Thread Stage
© Randal Oulton

Thread Stage is a cooking term meaning that a sugar syrup being heated has reached 106 – 112 C (223 – 234 F.)

It is a test of how hot a sugar syrup is, and of how much water is left in it. At this point of heating, the sugar concentration in the syrup is 80%.

You test by drizzling a small amount of the sugar syrup from a spoon into a cup of cold water. If the stage has been reached, the syrup will form fine threads or clump for you at the bottom of the glass instead of merely dissolving away in the water instantly.

The Thread Stage is called for in recipes for syrups, fruit liqueurs and some icings.

The stages of cooking sugar syrup are:

1. Thread Stage (106 – 112 C)
2. Soft-Ball Stage (112 – 116 C)
3. Firm-Ball Stage (118 – 121 C)
4. Hard-Ball Stage (121 – 130 C)
5. Soft-Crack Stage (132 – 143 C)
6. Hard-Crack Stage (149 – 154 C)

Cooking Tips

High altitude: For every 300 metres (1,000 feet ) that you are above sea level, subtract 1 degree C (2 degrees F) from the temperatures given in your candy recipe.