SC - The truth about Green Beans Savory

[Philip & Susan Troy]

In a message dated 6/23/00 11:40:27 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
piglet006 at globalfreeway.com.au writes:

<< Honeycomb is not whipped anything (as far as I am aware, at any rate).  It
 is the added bicarbonate of soda which causes the honeycomb effect.  Here is
 a recipe (which I have not tried) for:  >>
  
..Okay.  first..it's 4:30am..and I couldn't sleep!  Great time to try out a 
recipe..right?  It's very hot and humid during the day here...not good 
conditions for making a hard candy, so....this is a good time.  
  I made the first recipe (no butter) twice.  The first time..I went by the 
times..and didn't watch it...at the halfway point...I noticed that it was 
beginning to caramelize...tested it immediately (no..I don't have a 
thermometer...I do it the "old fashioned way")..and it was more than ready!
..Let me preface this with why I chose this recipe...I wondered if the baking 
soda would react without adding extra acid (vinegar) to the candy.  Well...it 
did.  Mistake #1 was cooking at too high a temperature for too long.  Mistake 
#2 was not preparing a large enough pan!  It foamed all over the place!  out 
the top of the pan, down over the counter!  What a mess!  I had sense enough 
to clean it up quickly before it "set".   The mass left in the pan was 
overcooked (we decided that it tasted like burnt marshmallows).  So...I tried 
it again!
   The second time..I cooked it at a very low temperature.  It still only 
took about 5 minutes of boiling to hit "hard crack".  I had prepared a large 
lasagne pan for this batch!  Well..either the lower heat...or not cooking it 
as long..it didn't "fizz" nearly as much!  I got a very nice honey flavored, 
"honeycombed" layer.  It didn't harden to a "crunch"..but it was hard enough 
to break into pieces.  
   That was the experiment for today, boys and girls!  Comments?  
Suggestions?  chocolate? 8)

Etain