Lollipop

A lollipop is a type of sugar candy usually consisting of hard candy mounted on a stick and intended for sucking or licking.[1] Different informal terms are used in different places, including lolly and sucker.[2][3] Lollipops are available in many flavors and shapes.

Types

Lollipops are available in several colors and flavors, particularly fruit flavors. Numerous companies produce lollipops in dozens of flavors and many different shapes. They can range from very small candies bought in bulk and given away as a courtesy at banks, barbershops, and other locations to very large treats made from candy canes twisted into a spiral shape.

Most lollipops are eaten at room temperature, but "ice lollipops", "ice lollies", or "popsicles" are frozen water-based lollipops. Some lollipops contain fillings, such as bubble gum or soft candy. Some novelty lollipops have more unusual items, such as mealworm

Ingredients

The main ingredients in a standard lollipop are sugar and corn syrup.[13] Sugars are fully hydrated carbon chains, meaning that there is a water molecule attached to each carbon. Sugars come in two forms: straight-chain and ring form. When sugars are in straight-chain form, aldehyde and ketone groups are open, which leaves them very susceptible to reaction. In this state, sugars are unstable. In ring form, sugars are stable and therefore exist in this form in most foods, including lollipops.

Sugar interacts differently depending on the presence of other ingredients and on various treatments. When heated enough to break the molecules apart, sugar generates a complex flavor, changes color, and creates a pleasing aroma.[14] Sugar can form two types of solids in foods: crystalline and glassy amorphous. Glassy amorphous solids can be found in products such as lollipops, marshmallows, and caramels. Glassy amorphous solids result when moderate sugar concentrations (50% solutions) are heated to high temperatures, eliminating nearly all moisture. The final moisture content is around 1–2%, whereas the final moisture content in crystalline candies is 8–12%. The non-crystalline nature of glassy amorphous solids is due to the presence of inhibitors in the solution. Without an inhibitor, crystallization would occur spontaneously and rapidly as the sugar cools due to its high concentration. Some common inhibitors used in lollipop production are corn syrup, cream of tartar, honey, and butter.

In a lollipop, the moisture content falls to less than 2% at the end of the lollipop-making process; water is required at the start of the process. All other ingredients used in the process of lollipop production are optional. The use of inhibitors is dependent on the type of sugar used. The amount of inhibitor in the lollipop is usually small in comparison to the amount of sugar used. Additional flavors, colorings, and inclusions (like bubble gum or a Tootsie Roll) can be added to the final product but are not part of the main structure of a simple lollipop.

alternate name	Lolly, sucker
type	Confectionery
main ingredient	Sucrose, corn syrup, flavoring
variations	Ice pops

Types

Medicinal use

History

Ingredients

Manufacturing

See also

References