Temperature adjustment for altitude

Notes for using candy thermometer 
and how to make temperature adjustment for your altitude.

Temperature adjustment for altitude

When making certain candies, each degree of heat is crucial, and a thermometer lets you know the exact stage of the heat of the syrup.

Before making your candy, you will want to test your thermometer to determine at which degree the water boils where you live and with which thermometer you’ll be using:

                         

1.  Place the thermometer in a pan of water and bring it up to a boil.

 

2.  Keep the thermometer in the rolling boiling water for 5 minutes.

 

3.  At the end of 5 minutes, read the temperature.

           Be sure to bend down and look at the thermometer at eye level in order to get an accurate reading.

4.  Subtract the reading on your thermometer from 212°
              (212° is the boiling point at sea level).

This will give you the correct temperature that water boils for your altitude; with that thermometer.

( Every thermometer will read differently…so, even if you know at what temperature that the water boils for your altitude, you still need to calibrate each thermometer since not every thermometer will read the same ) 

5.  My thermometer read 202°, which means I’ll need to subtract 202 from 212.  The difference would be 10°. 

6.  Now, I need to subtract the 10° difference from the seal level temperature that is listed in my recipes, when I am using that specific thermometer that I just tested.  ( except when making jams or preserves )

 

7.  If one of my recipes needs to be cooked to 238°, I will use the thermometer that I just tested and subtract 10°.  Meaning, I will be looking for the thermometer to read 228°.

 

 

Example:

At the end of 5 minutes, my thermometer read 202°.

So I went---    212°
      minus    - 202°
     equals        10°

Be sure to test each thermometer you own and any new ones you acquire

 

I own 3 thermometers and one of them read the boiling point at 212°, so I wouldn’t subtract anything from my the sea level temperature listed in my recipes, with this thermometer.

One of them read at 202°,  so I would subtract 10° from the sea level temperature listed in my recipes, with this thermometer.

One thermometer read at 200°, so I would subtract 12° from the sea level temperature listed in my recipes, with this thermometer.

When making Jelly and Jam or Preserves you need to know the gel stage: 

(Gel stage is reached at 220°, at sea level  ( or 8 degrees above boiling point)

                        212° + 8 degrees above boiling point = 220°

 

NOTE: Check the accuracy of your thermometer first. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. At altitudes below 1000 feet, water always boils at 212 degrees F. Insert the thermometer and see if it registers 212 degrees F. If it registers high or low, make that adjustment when testing your jam. For example; your thermometer registered 210 degrees when tested in boiling water. Your jam should be at the jellying point when the temperature reaches 218 degrees, or 8 degrees above the boiling point of water where you live.