http://wenderly.com/2011/12/20/aunt-marceys-old-fashioned-hard-tack-candy/

Old Fashioned Hard Tack Candy

LorAnn Gourmet Flavoring Recipe
(makes one batch)
Here’s what you’ll need:
3 3/4 sugar cups
1 1/2 cups light corn syrup
1 cup water
1 teaspoon food coloring
Don’t forget: There are *oils* and there are *flavorings*. We have found that you’ll need 2 bottles if you’re using the flavorings and 1 bottle if you’re using the oils in each batch.
Here’s what you’ll do:
In a 3 quart non-stick sauce can, pour in sugar, light corn syrup and water. Continuously stir liquid over medium heat until sugar has completely dissolved. Let mixture come to a boil, without stirring, and when candy thermometer reaches 260° add food coloring. Once again don’t stir let food coloring mix itself into the liquid by the boiling motion.Watch the candy thermometer, once it reaches 300° immediately remove from heat and allow the boiling to come to a stop.
Take can outside and add your choice of flavorings (or oil) to the mixture. Stir without inhaling the potent vapors. Quickly pour into 2 greased cake pans, divide liquid equally into the pans. Let cool completely to the touch.
Once candy is cooled, take outside and insert a clean phillips head screw driver into the center of the pan and give a good whack. Continue until all of the candy is broken to your liking.
Next, grab a gallon plastic bag that zips closed. Pour a heaping (no more) tablespoon of powdered sugar into the bag. Pour both cake pans of broken candy into bag and zip closed. Make sure to leave the tiny pieces out. Gently turn and flip the bag until the candy is covered with powdered sugar. Candy will stay nice and crunchy when stored in a container that is airtight.
12/13/2013

 The process of hard candy and the changes was I would say the temperature, the higher the temperature was the faster the ingredients would dissolve. When the candy thermometer read 200 degrees the Sucrose started dissolving. The solution started boiling when it reached 247 degrees. The candy was regularly suppose to go up too 300 degrees but since our candy started burning so we got our candy out and placed it in a wax paper, which we spread powder sugar on so when our hard candy harden we could replace it easily. The large release of steam was when we had let it turn off the gas all the steam stared coming from our pan.