The sun is shining (hopefully), temperatures are rising, and the smell of spring is in the air—and certainly in your candy kitchen—as you create your delectable springtime confections. RCI member, LorAnn Oils, shares how you can take your chocolates and confections to the next level of perfection with a favorite secret ingredient—soy lecithin!

What Is Soy Lecithin?
Lecithin is an emulsifier used in foods to stabilize other recipe ingredients that do not inherently mix well. This naturally thick extract comes from soybeans and has super-charged emulsification abilities that produce perfectly blended gravies, dressings and sauces. For candy lovers, it’s the qualities lecithin adds to confections that are the cause for excitement!

Benefits of Using Soy Lecithin in Confections
When it comes to the confectionery world, lecithin is used as a natural emulsifier, preservative, antioxidant and flavor protector in chocolates and candies. Two ingredients we know do not live in perfect harmony: oil and water. The ability to keep oils and fats from separating makes lecithin ideal. Think of lecithin as the requisite sidekick for chocolates and buttery candies. Its emulsifying properties improve mixability, which enhances the texture of buttery candies and chocolates, while protecting the flavor. Lecithin’s emulsification magic also keeps candy from developing an oily residue on the outside, giving confections a beautifully smooth finish customers will appreciate.

The addition of lecithin can also extend shelf life thanks to the presence of antioxidants which help to slow the oxidation of fats and control crystallization. This is great news for professional confectioners, because it reduces the risk of mold developing and keeps chocolates, caramels and other buttery candies fresher longer.

Ask your supplier, as some soy lecithin products may be gluten-free and vegan-friendly, making it a perfect option for customers who have special dietary needs. Keep reading for a variety of ways you can use lecithin in the following candy creations.

Chocolates
Incorporating lecithin into melted chocolate can help it flow more smoothly and consistently. Lecithin acts as a binder in chocolate, helping cocoa solids, sugar and milk better adhere to the cocoa butter. Adding just a small amount of lecithin to melted chocolate keeps the chocolate from spreading too quickly so it doesn’t seize or thicken. Lecithin is also a more cost-effective option than cocoa butter and less is needed. Usage recommendation is 0.25 – 0.50% lecithin per total batch. Too much lecithin can have the reverse effect and cause chocolate to thicken.

Caramels, Toffees and Brittles
A common problem for candy makers is the stickiness of their products, particularly in toffee and brittles where the butter and sugar tend to separate during the cooking process. Luckily, lecithin helps to minimize this issue by allowing the butterfat to mix with the moisture in the batch. Lecithin can also help prevent caramels from sticking to their wrappers or wax papers. Usage should be limited to 0.20-0.40% of the total batch to achieve the best results.

Caramel Popcorn
For caramel popcorn, adding a little lecithin and oil at the very end will help your creamy caramel evenly coat the popcorn and reduce clumping.

Cinnamon Candies
When making hard candy, cinnamon oil is a flavor that may not stay completely mixed into the candy syrup and can float to the top. To help the oil stay mixed, stir a small amount of lecithin into the boiled candy syrup. Since lecithin is an emulsifying agent, it helps keep oils evenly mixed and emulsified throughout the batch. We recommend adding 1/4 teaspoon of lecithin per cup of sugar.

When making hard candy, it can be difficult to keep certain flavors, specifically cinnamon oil, evenly mixed throughout the candy syrup. To prevent cinnamon oil from floating to the top of your hard candy mixture, stir in a small amount of lecithin into the boiled candy syrup. As an emulsifying agent, lecithin helps to keep oils evenly distributed throughout the batch. LorAnn Oils recommends adding 1/4 teaspoon of lecithin per cup of sugar.

Now you can see why soy lecithin is a favorite secret ingredient for many candy makers and chocolatiers. Not only does it provide a range of functional benefits, but it also helps to create a smoother, more consistent product with a longer shelf life. With its natural and clean label ingredients, soy lecithin is an easy and cost-effective solution to improve the texture and flavor of chocolates and other confections.

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1. Not enough fat – Increase the percentage of fat and/or the amount of milk being used in the recipe. A minimum of 8% fat is recommended when making caramels. 

1. Excessive inversion – Inversion occurs when sucrose (a disaccharide) is broken down into glucose and fructose. This can be caused by extended cooking times (especially under acidic conditions) and the use of the enzyme invertase. Increasing reducing sugars will add to the flavor and color of caramel – but too much can cause excessive stickiness.
   
   Check the pH of premix, water and other ingredients, including scrap, to identify excessive inversion as the problem. Caramel premix should have a neutral pH (6.8-7.0). 

1. Not enough milk – A minimum of 3.7% milk protein solids or higher is recommended

1. Low cooking temperature – Increasing the final cooking temperature slightly will produce caramel with a harder texture. Even one or two degrees can make a significant difference. Additionally, do not allow the moisture from the cooking process to drain back into the kettle.

1. Too much corn syrup – Too much corn syrup can create a tender caramel, but also lead to stickiness and lack of body. Adjust the ratio of sugar to corn syrup (reduce the corn syrup or dextrose equivalent of corn syrup)

1. Too much humidity – An overly humid environment can make caramel sticky and create a less than desirable layer of scum on its surface. Too avoid exposure to excessive humidity, pack and store cooked caramel away from steam kettles and in an area with a relative humidity of 40-50%.

1. Lack of emulsifiers – The addition of mono and diglycerides (generally 1-1.25%) will produce caramel that is less sticky.