Where Tradition Meets Innovation
Creating exceptional candy requires balancing traditional craftsmanship with modern technology. At Aura Candy, we've perfected this balance through years of experience and continuous refinement. Our manufacturing process combines time-honored techniques passed down through generations of confectioners with precision equipment and quality controls that ensure consistency. Every step, from receiving raw ingredients to packaging finished products, is carefully planned and meticulously executed to deliver the premium quality our customers expect.
Quality starts the moment ingredients arrive at our facility. Our receiving team inspects every delivery for proper temperature (for refrigerated items), correct quantities, intact packaging, proper labeling, and acceptable appearance. Ingredients that pass visual inspection are sampled and sent to our laboratory for testing. They're held in quarantine storage until test results confirm they meet our specifications. This systematic approach ensures that only quality ingredients enter our production areas.
Before production begins, our planning team develops detailed schedules considering product demand forecasts, ingredient availability, equipment capacity, allergen management requirements, and efficiency optimization. We schedule production to minimize allergen cross-contamination risks, often producing allergen-free products first, followed by products containing allergens in order of risk level. This strategic sequencing enhances both safety and efficiency.
Our hard candies begin with precise measurement of sugars and other ingredients. These are combined in large copper kettles and heated to exact temperatures, typically 300-310°F (149-154°C), depending on the specific product. We use computerized temperature control combined with experienced confectioner oversight. The cooking process involves careful monitoring to achieve proper moisture content and sugar crystallization. Once cooked, the candy mass is poured onto cooling tables where natural flavors and colors are incorporated. The candy is then shaped using traditional techniques—either pulled for certain textures, rolled and cut for drops and discs, or poured into molds for specific shapes. After cooling, pieces are individually wrapped to preserve freshness.
Caramels and toffees require precise control of temperature and timing to develop proper flavor and texture. We start with premium dairy ingredients—real butter, heavy cream, and milk—combined with sugars and heated gradually. The Maillard reaction during cooking creates the characteristic caramel flavor and color. Cooking temperatures vary from 240°F for soft caramels to 295°F+ for hard toffees. Experienced confectioners monitor color, aroma, and temperature continuously, making subtle adjustments to achieve perfection. After cooking, caramel is poured into frames, cooled, cut, and wrapped. For chocolate-covered varieties, pieces are enrobed in tempered chocolate before packaging.
Working with chocolate demands precision. We use a tempering process that controls chocolate's crystal structure, resulting in proper snap, gloss, and stability. Chocolate is melted, cooled to specific temperatures, reheated slightly, and then used for enrobing, molding, or creating decorative elements. Proper tempering prevents bloom (white discoloration) and ensures chocolate maintains quality throughout shelf life. Our chocolate work includes enrobing caramels and other centers, molding chocolate bars and shapes, creating layered bark products, and crafting truffles with ganache centers.
Our fruit gummies and jellies start with concentrated fruit juices or purees. We use pectin rather than gelatin in many products, creating firmer texture preferred by many customers. The production process involves mixing fruit with pectin or other gelling agents, adding acids and flavors at precise times, cooking to specific temperatures, depositing into molds or starch, allowing proper gelling time, and coating with finishing sugar if appropriate. The timing of acid addition is critical—too early and it prevents proper gelling, too late and distribution is uneven.
Quality monitoring occurs continuously during production. At critical control points, we measure temperature with calibrated thermometers, check pH for products where acidity affects quality, monitor moisture content, verify weights and dimensions, assess color using spectrophotometers, and conduct sensory evaluation of appearance, aroma, and taste. Any deviation from specifications triggers immediate investigation and corrective action.
After initial forming, many products require controlled cooling or conditioning periods. This allows proper crystal formation in hard candies, texture development in caramels, complete gelling in fruit products, and chocolate crystallization in enrobed items. We use climate-controlled rooms where temperature and humidity are precisely maintained. Rushing this stage produces inferior products, so we allow adequate time for proper conditioning regardless of production pressures.
Once products are properly conditioned, they move to finishing operations. Products are cut to final size if necessary, checked for defects with manual inspection, wrapped individually when appropriate, packaged in consumer-ready containers, labeled with all required information, and boxed for shipment. We combine automation for efficiency with human oversight for quality. Metal detectors and other screening equipment provide final safety checks before packaging.
Our facility includes both traditional candy-making equipment and modern technology. We use copper kettles for hard candy production because copper provides superior heat distribution, stainless steel equipment for caramels and other dairy products, depositors and molding systems for consistent shaping, enrobing machines with temperature control for chocolate work, cutting and wrapping equipment for finishing, and computerized monitoring systems tracking critical parameters. We maintain equipment meticulously through preventive maintenance programs, ensuring consistent performance and food safety.
Our facility is designed for both efficiency and food safety. Production flows logically from ingredient receiving through finished product shipment, minimizing backtracking and cross-contamination risks. We maintain different zones with varying cleanliness requirements. Raw material areas are separated from production zones. Allergen-containing production is physically separated when possible. Packaging areas are enclosed to prevent environmental contamination. Employee traffic patterns are controlled to minimize contamination risks.
Temperature and humidity significantly affect candy quality. We maintain precise environmental control throughout our facility. Production areas are climate-controlled to optimal ranges for each product type. Air handling systems include HEPA filtration to remove particulates. Positive air pressure prevents outdoor air infiltration. Regular monitoring ensures conditions remain within specifications. These controls are especially critical for chocolate work and products sensitive to moisture.
Between production runs, equipment undergoes thorough cleaning and sanitization. Our cleaning procedures are validated to ensure effectiveness and include disassembly of equipment as needed, pre-rinsing to remove bulk residue, washing with approved cleaning agents, thorough rinsing, sanitizing, and verification through visual inspection and testing. For allergen changeovers, we conduct additional testing to verify complete removal. This comprehensive approach prevents cross-contamination and maintains product integrity.
Our production team receives extensive training before working independently. Training includes food safety fundamentals, GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices), specific product procedures, quality standards and checks, equipment operation and troubleshooting, and allergen management. Many of our confectioners have decades of experience, bringing invaluable expertise to their work. We value this experience while providing ongoing training on new techniques and equipment.
We regularly review and improve our processes through data analysis of quality metrics and yields, employee suggestions and observations, new technology evaluation, industry best practice adoption, and customer feedback integration. Manufacturing excellence requires constant attention and willingness to evolve. What worked well yesterday might not be optimal tomorrow, so we maintain a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
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