APPLICATION
Panning of a confectionery center with a soft sugar coating
Soft-coated dragee results form the coating of a center with successive layers of a sugar syrup and sugar powder. Ingredients and methods vary depending on the capacity and purpose.
BASE
Core products
Cores are typically hard or soft, chewy centers.
RECIPE
Ingredients
A coating syrup is prepared with:
- Sugar
- Glucose syrup
- Water
- Colours and flavours
Fine powder sugar is added to form the bulk of the shell.
The glucose percentage is critical to provide the sticking and binding layer for the the solid sugar particles.
PROCESS
How does it work?
The process is a batch operation with successive additions of syrup and powder sugar addition. The syrup is added to provide a fine sticking film on which the powder sugar will adhere, melt partially and form a cohesive layer. The dry sugar absorbs the moisture. No dyring air is used.
The total process time is quick – 1 to 2 hours
After coating, the product must be stored in a stove at a regulated temperature and moisture during 12 – 24 hours to finalyze the crystalization.
The sequences run as follows
1.
Wetting of the center with the syrup, dispersion
2.
Application of
sugar powder
3.
Dispersion
crystallization
4.
Repeat sugar addition to absorb the moisture
5.
Repeat operations 1 to 4
PROCESS
Coating system
The operation occurs in a coating pan.
The revolution of the pan causes a smooth tumbling effect. Mixing can be enhanced by baffles.
Coating pans have ball or cylinder shapes, offering respectively small 50 – 250 kg, to large 250 – 3000 kg capacities.
The syrup application occurs by dribbling or spraying.
PROCESS
Coating system
Systems of various shapes – ball, cylinder – and sizes are used. The process can even be made continuous in a large tumbler where the product progession is controlled and where it is successively coated with the syrup and the powder sugar
PRODUCT EVALUATION
How do you measure your success?
Key quality features
The check is essentially visual
Surface aspect
Even and smooth aspect, showing no cracks, bumps or missing coating, a bit rougher than hard panned dragee
Product integrity
In the early process stage, the core should be broken, deformed, sheared. The core and shell stay softer to the bite than hard panning dragee
Stability
The residual moisture is higher but the product must not show stickiness (vitrous transition), spots (fat) …
Key quality parameters
The key features to take into consideration
Core product
Core type, shape and dimensions
Sugar
Sugar syrup, concentration, temperature, crystallization speed
Design and operation
Pan type, shape and dimensions. Air conditions, temperature, RH, velocity. Time sequences
