Homemade parvarda candy

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make parvarda candy at home? Gather your ingredients. Instead of lemon juice you can use a touch of citric acid or vinegar, but lemon gives a more natural result.

2. Step 2:

   

   Get your equipment ready before you start. The syrup needs your close attention while it cooks, so it's best to have everything ready ahead of time. I used a bowl, but I'd suggest something with a wider bottom, like a shallow dish, so the syrup cools faster. Grease the bottom and sides of the dish with vegetable oil. Keep in mind the syrup is very hot, so the dish has to withstand high temperatures.

3. Step 3:

   

   To cool the syrup faster, you'll need a bowl of ice water. Fill it with cold water and drop in some ice cubes. The bowl should be larger than the dish holding the syrup — keep that in mind.

4. Step 4:

   

   In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar and water and add the lemon juice.

5. Step 5:

   

   Set the saucepan on the stove over medium heat.

6. Step 6:

   

   Bring the syrup to a boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Turn down the heat and cook the syrup without stirring it anymore. The goal is to reduce the syrup by almost half. This takes about 20 to 30 minutes.

7. Step 7:

   

   Toward the end, start checking whether the syrup is ready. Drop a bit of the hot syrup onto a saucer and wait a moment for the drop to cool. With ready syrup, the drop doesn't spread and you can easily roll it into a ball with your fingers. You can also judge by color — the syrup will take on a lovely caramel shade.

8. Step 8:

   

   Set the syrup dish on top of the bowl of water. Pour the hot syrup into it. Wait a couple of minutes. Then use a spatula to fold the edges of the setting syrup in toward the center. It's also a good idea to grease the spatula with oil first. Keep folding the mass until it gathers into a lump.

9. Step 9:

   

   Scatter flour on a board. Set the lump of syrup in the flour and roll it on all sides. Then start the pulling.

10. Step 10:

    

    Stretch the warm mass into a long rope, then fold it and pull it again. Little by little it will cool, firm up, and take on a beautiful pearly sheen.

11. Step 11:

    

    When the caramel is firm enough, shape it into a log. Cut it into small pieces with a knife. Roll the pieces well in flour and leave them to sit for an hour.

12. Step 12:

    

    By then the pieces will have hardened completely. Use a sieve to shake off the excess flour. The candies are ready! Enjoy!