How to Get Hard Candy Out of Pan

If you have ever tried to get hard candy out of a pan, you know it can be a frustrating experience. The candy sticks to the pan, and it seems like no matter what you do, you can’t get them loose. This article will discuss how to get hard candy out of pan quickly and easily. Read on to learn more!

Candy can be very sticky, and once it gets stuck in a pan, it is usually challenging to get the candy out of the pan. If you do not take action right away with the hard candy stuck in your pan, there is a good chance that it will stick further and make removing it even more difficult.

How to Get Hard Candy Out of Pan

Things You’ll Need

  • Baking sheet
  • Collecting containers, such as a jar or cup
  • Water
  • Spoon
  • Rubbing alcohol
  • Dish soap
  • Scissors
  • Small fine-toothed comb or toothbrush
  • Clean cloths or paper towels

A Detailed Guide on How to Get Hard Candy Out of Pan

Method 1: Using a Spoon or Knife

  1. Put your pan into the freezer for about 15 minutes or until you can see the candy has become difficult to move around in the pan.
  2. When it’s cold enough, start cutting around the edges with a knife. It’s easier to keep your pan steady if you have another person holding onto one of the handles while you cut around it.  Wait until your knife is scorching (from all that cutting) before dipping it into some warm water and wiping it clean on a kitchen towel–otherwise, you’ll be dragging sugar crystals all over your countertops.
  3. Once most of the hard candy is out of your pan, grab yourself an oiled spatula (or spoon that’s what you’ve got in your kitchen)  and run it across the bottom of the pan.  This way, you’ll get every last bit out, even between those pesky crevices.
  4. When all of the candy is finally out, you’ve still got one more problem to handle: that gooey sweetness stuck in the pan.  Fill your small saucepan with water and place your dirty pan in there for about five minutes–the water should come up just above halfway on the side of your pan.
  5. Once you take your dish out of its bath, pour some dish soap into it, cover it with warm water again, then put it back into the cold oven (make sure not to heat it at this point) for another 15 minutes.
  6. Scrub the pan with your soap-filled brush–and if your candy’s got any sugar stuck on it, some boiling hot water should dissolve it right off.
Using Spoon to Get Hard Candy

Method 2: Using Boiling Water and an Oiled Spoon

  1. Fill a small saucepan with water and bring it to a boil.  Pour some dish soap into the pan and let the warm, soapy water cover half of your candy-coated baking sheet.
  2. Take out the baking sheet from the pan, then cover it with hot water again without any dish soap.  Put the pan into your cold oven (make sure not to heat it) for about 15 minutes.
  3. Go back to your baking sheet and scrub off all of the sugar crystals with a spoon oiled with some vegetable or canola oil.  Most, if not all, of the candy should now be loosened, and the rest is easy as pie (well, more accessible than cake anyway).
  4. When all of the sugar has been grazed away, pour some boiling hot water over your pan and scrub it with a soapy dish brush.  If you’ve got any stuck-on candy after this, add boiling hot water with a small splash of dish soap.

Method 3: Using Hair Dryer and a Spoon

  1. You don’t have any oil in your kitchen, or even if you do, but it’s way too much of a hassle to let the pan soak for 15 minutes in hot water and dish soap.  There is a solution: an old-fashioned hairdryer with a heating element instead of a motorized fan.
  2. Turn on your hairdryer and aim it at the cold hard candy right over your baking sheet.  Keep moving back and forth from different spots around the baking sheet until you see that the candy has become loose enough to scrape off the pan quickly with a spoon (or knife).
  3. When most of the sugar crystals are gone, you need to grab your oiled spoon and scrape the rest off–a piece of cake (or hard candy, that is).
Using Hair Dryer and a Spoon

Method 4: Vinegar Solution

  1. This method works the same way as the dish soap and boiling water one, plus it’s a lot cheaper–it has a strong smell, so be prepared for that (if you don’t like vinegar or bleach smells, then this method isn’t for you).
  2. Pour some white vinegar into your saucepan and set it to boil on your stovetop.  When it starts bubbling and turning colors, bring out your cold baking sheet and scrub off most of the candy with your oiled spoon or knife until most of it is gone.   
  3. Pour in some more white vinegar over your baking sheet–always make sure to do this while the pan is cooling down!  Keep scrubbing with oils and vinegar until you get the desired results–be careful not to burn yourself with boiling liquids.
  4. When all of the sugar is gone, add a little more white vinegar into your saucepan and bring that to a boil.  Turn off your stove, then dip in your baking sheet again for five minutes, just like before.
  5. This time, scrub with lots of dish soap and rinse with warm water until no more bubbling comes from the pan (you don’t want any water getting inside the candy).  Voila!

Method 5: Using Rubbing Alcohol

  1. You’ll probably need to buy rubbing alcohol (sometimes called isopropyl alcohol) for this method. Still, it’s worth it–and flammable stuff like that should be kept away from children anyway, so don’t try doing this with your little ones around.
  2. First, you must make sure your cold baking sheet can take the heat of boiling rubbing alcohol without cracking (it shouldn’t if you got the right kind).  If not, then use a different one–you do not want any accidents on your hands!
  3. Take out your bottle of rubbing alcohol and pour it all over the pan just like before, then set it in the oven for another five minutes while still hot.
  4. After five minutes of this, scrub with a clean, dry cloth soaked in warm water and dish soap.  The sugar crystals stuck to the pan should now be loosened enough for you to get them off with your oiled spoon or knife (okay, so it’s not really “oiled,” but greased would work too).
  5. Pour out the rubbing alcohol when you’re done and add some more boiling hot water and dish soap to rinse off what leftovers may remain on the pan, then wipe it down with a clean cloth again.
Heat of Boiling Rubbing Alcohol

Method 6: Using Boiling Water and Dish Soap

  1. Let’s say that none of these methods worked for you–or perhaps all of your cold baking sheets are in the dishwasher.  Guess you’ll have to resort to some old-fashioned boiling hot water and dish soap for this one, won’t you?
  2. Pour water into a saucepan or pot–just enough so that it can fit your cold pan with room to spare without spilling over the sides while you boil the water on top of your stove.  Do not cover it!
  3. Bring the water on your stove to a rolling boil, then turn off the burner (if there’s no knob on yours, push down lightly on one of its metal coils).
  4. Place your cold baking sheet on top of the pot and let it sit there for 5 minutes before removing it.  However, you will want to let it cool a bit before doing this, so don’t get impatient and try to yank the pan off of there, or it may crack from the heat.
  5. Once cooled enough to touch after being outside on your counter for a couple of minutes, set your cold baking sheet back down on the pot and add dish soap.  Let it sit in there for another five minutes–again, you may have to wait until it’s no longer too hot to handle.
  6. Use an oiled spoon or knife (or any tool that can scrape through sugar with ease) while gently smearing around some dish soap again if needed before pulling out your pan drying it off with a clean dishtowel.
  7. If the other side of your pan is dirty to boot, you can do this procedure again–and try going through all six of these methods if you don’t see results after a couple of tries! These methods will help in how to get hard candy out of pan.
Using Boiling Water and Dish Soap

You Can Check It Out to Get Brownies Out of Pan Without Breaking

Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Pour Melted Sugar Down the Drain?

It is generally advised not to pour melted sugar down the drain – it can lead to clogs and other issues in your sewer system. Sometimes, this sugar may even end up in your water supply. Instead, you should try to dispose of it in another way, such as by throwing it away or recycling it.

Can You Put Poop Down the Sink?

The best way to deal with poop depends on your personal circumstances and preferences. However, some people choose to flush their waste down the toilet while others prefer to dispose of it more naturally, such as composting or burying it underground. What’s most important is that you are comfortable with how you want to handle your poop and make sure that everyone in your household knows about your chosen method of disposal.

What Should You Never Pour Down the Drain?

There are a few things you should never pour down the drain, no matter how gross they may seem at first. Here are a few of the most common offenders:

1. Grease – Grease is a dangerous substance that can cause fires when it drips or splashes onto any combustible material. It’s best to remove grease from surfaces before it accumulates and causes problems.

2. Blood – Blood is one of the most disgusting things you can think of, and it shouldn’t be allowed to pollute waterways or end up in your drain. If there’s blood on the floor or in the drains, do what you can to clean it up as soon as possible.

3. Urine and Feces – Urine and feces are both incredibly smelly substances, and they should never be allowed to pile up in drains or waterways. If these fluids start to accumulate, you’ll need to take action immediately.

4. Chemicals – Many chemicals can be harmful if they’re poured down the drain without being properly disposed of. These substances can contaminate water supplies and hurt aquatic life, so be sure to avoid them if possible.

What Shouldn’t You Put Down the Sink?

Some of the things you should never put down in the sink include grease, crumbs, food residue, soap scum, hair gel, and shampoo residue. These contaminants can lead to clogs in your drains and create problems with your water system. In addition to this inconvenience, these substances are also unhealthy for you and your family. Grease, for example, contains harmful toxins that can cause heart disease or stroke.

Conclusion

So there you have it – six foolproof methods how to get hard candy out of pan. Whether your go-to strategy is using butter, oil, or boiling water, we hope one of these tricks will do the trick and save your holiday dessert from disaster. And if all else fails, remember that a bit of elbow grease (and maybe some hot sauce) can go a long way.

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