Apparatus for continuously depositing sorbitol sweetened hard candy

Abstract

A machine for continuously depositing a sorbitol-sweetened hard candy confection which allows the manufacture of such hard candies in a continuous commercial high volume operation. The machine deposits the hard crystalline candies from an aqueous sorbitol solution having a crystalline seeding material therein, such that the sorbitol solution must be maintained in the depositing machine within a relatively narrow temperature range to prevent rapid thickening of the solution at too low temperatures and destruction of the crystalline seeding materials at too high temperatures. The machine includes a heated hopper for the aqueous sorbitol solution and a heated depositing base, through which the aqueous sorbitol solution is deposited through an array of nozzles into candy molds positioned therebeneath. The depositing base is fabricated with heating medium passageways therein, through which a heating medium is circulated. The array of nozzles is secured in a recessed position in the depositing base such that the nozzles are also heated by the circulating heating medium. Moreover, a hot air heat gun also circulates heated air in the head space in the hopper above the aqueous sorbitol solution to maintain the upper surface of the solution in the narrow temperature range, to prevent a premature thickening or crusting of the solution on the upper surface thereof.