“seeds,” and the growth of those seeds into
mature, full-sized crystals. Seed formation
determines how many crystals will form, and
crystal growth determines how large they get.
Both steps affect the final texture of a candy.
The growth of sugar crystals as a hot syrup
cools. Left: Crystals are tightly organized,
solid clusters of molecules. Center: When
conditions favor the formation of crystal
seeds, the dissolved sugar molecules can join
many seeds, the resulting crystals are small,
and the candy texture is fine. Right: When
conditions limit the formation of crystal seeds,
the dissolved sugar molecules can join only a
few seeds, the resulting crystals are large, and
the candy texture is coarse.