Sweets are confectionery products obtained from a mass that is made on the basis of sugar, with various additives. They vary in shape, taste, aroma and processing method.
Technological stages
The production of sweets is divided into several stages.
- The very first is the preparation of a mass of sugar, molasses, agar, water, butter, milk and flavors. Depending on the type, its composition and temperature are determined at which the ingredients are mixed and acquire the desired consistency.
- The next step is the formation of candy. The most common method of casting the mass into starch. It allows you to make many types of sweets. When casting fudge, you need 70 degrees; milk and fruit filling - 100; jelly on agar - 75, on pectin - 95, on karaginan - 80. Production of sweets with liquor filling is possible at 95 degrees. Sifted and dried corn starch is used to form. In addition to the formation of the body of sweets, it is involved in the removal of excess moisture from the surface by its absorption.
- The third stage is glazing. The production of sweets may include this process or do without it. Glaze is needed so that the products stay fresh longer, not hard and not dry. Chocolate can also act in its quality. Confectionery glaze is not covered with a whitish coating, since it does not have fat sagging. But real chocolate is not safe from this. Although such a plaque is harmless, the appearance may be spoiled.
- Completes the production of candy drying. It is carried out in special chambers with the possibility of cooling for the fastest structuring of the body and hardening of the glaze or chocolate. Then it remains only to pack delicious products in a wrapper or boxes.
Candy Making Ingredients
This type of sweets consists mostly of sugar. Sweets can also contain molasses, berries and fruits, honey, nuts, sunflowers, sesame seeds. In addition, grated cocoa, cocoa butter, cocoa powder, dairy products, wine, coffee and vanilla. Such components as fats of animal origin, less often vegetable, and eggs are also part of the candy mass, which is very different.
- For example, syrup consisting of sugar is used for fudge. Sweets are prepared by boiling it with molasses.
- If you add milk, you get milk fudge, and if baked milk, then creme brulee.
- Milk fillings differ from fondant in the high content of this product. Fruit mass is obtained by boiling fruits and berries with the addition of flavors and flavors.
- Jelly fillings consist of sugar, molasses, gelatin or agar. Often added fruit and berry raw materials.
- Pralines and nutty fillings consist of roasted nuts, sugar and fats. The whipped mass is similar to gelatinous foam and is prepared from sugar and syrup, egg whites, agar and flavors.
- The roasting filling includes fruit pulp or sugar and crushed nut. Marzipan sweets are prepared by grinding almonds with molasses and powdered sugar.
- Cream fillings consist of mixed and whipped chocolate, fondant and praline with fats. Liqueur supplements are made from sugar, alcohol, and flavors.
Equipment
Candy mass in starch is casted on a special candy machine. Piston pumps feed the mixture through a heating funnel. Candy manufacturing equipment from fondant, fruit, jelly and milk mass is equipped with a gear pump. With it, the mass is pumped into the funnels of the casting machine.
The liqueur and whipped mixture is loaded manually. Special equipment for the production of sweets stamps cells of various shapes and sizes. It is used so that the structure of products in trays is not destroyed.
For storage of products, a warehouse with a temperature regime of 20 degrees and humidity up to 75% is used.
Caramel Manufacturing Technology
The process consists in preparing the mass, cooling it, dosing, rolling and molding, dividing the layer into sweets, serving on the package. Initially, the moisture content in sugar-syrup caramel syrup is about 15%. In the process of boiling, it decreases tenfold.
Then the resulting mass is molded and cooled to 45 degrees, wrapped in a wrapper, packaged in packs and packaged in boxes. The technology for the production of caramel sweets involves the presence of a digester with an agitator, an intermediate tank, a temperature table, forming rollers, a conveyor-type cooling machine, a vibrating tray and packing tables. Such a line has a capacity of 150 kg of caramel per hour and costs about 1.3 million rubles.
Truffle Technology
A similar amount will be needed to purchase equipment for the production of truffle sweets. They are made from cocoa, iris essence, coconut oil. The process of creating truffles consists of the following operations: preparation of candy mass, tempering (production of chocolates is impossible without it), body formation, cooling, sprinkling with cocoa powder, finishing and packaging.
The production line is made of a digester, tempering machine, whipping, depositing, cooling conveyor equipment, glazing machines, a steam generator, a conveyor belt for supplying products for installation. It has a capacity of 150 kg per hour and costs from one to one and a half million rubles. Equipment pays off, as a rule, in 6-8 months.
Dragee technology
The cheapest line for making small round sweets in a sugar shell. The dragee is a body with an external coating rolled on it. This is done in a special rotating boiler, installed at an angle. First, a base is prepared, which is then dragee-coated and glossy.
Finished products are packed and packaged. This is the simplest and cheapest production, including a micro mill, a digester, a pan, a sugar sifter, and a packaging machine. Such a line costs 200 thousand rubles and produces 100 kg of products per hour. To install it, you need a room of 30 m2and only three people can serve.
Candy business
Entrepreneurs who do not have a large start-up capital, you can first choose one direction. For example, to organize a business - the production of caramel candies and dragees or chocolate products and truffles. Subsequently, as profit grows, you can add one or more lines to expand the range.
Large factories use production capacities from 1000 kg of sweets per hour. But you can start with equipment that produces from 150 kg / h. Mini-lines of Russian and foreign production are quite popular with entrepreneurs. Compact placement and reasonable prices allow their purchase from the first profits.
Where to begin
To open your own confectionery factory, you need to choose a room that is in good condition according to sanitary standards or do it yourself. Then equipment is acquired, workers are hired. Among them must be a qualified pastry chef and technologist. The quality of products, respectively, and the success of the business, largely depend on these personnel.
Implementation
Selling sweets as a business depends on the season.Sets of sweets are sold in maximum quantities during various holidays - for the New Year, March 8, etc. Weight products are well bought in the fall, winter and spring. In the summer months, sales are plummeting. The general decline practically does not affect the sale of caramel and dragees.
When opening a store, you must first draw up the necessary documentation, get permission to trade. Then rent a room and equip it with refrigerators, shelving and display cases. Finally, hire staff and purchase raw materials.
In order to get a steady income, a store must take into account the consumer ability of all segments of the population and present products of different price categories.
Successful sales are facilitated by the correct location of the outlet. Namely, where there are most potential buyers. For example, near a flower or souvenir shop, at the intersection of large streets, next to a public transport stop. Also, one should not forget that “advertising is the engine of trade” and focus on gift sets and presents.
