the neck; cork them lightly, and set them in a copper,
with water nearly up to their mouths. Heat the water
until it is nearly scalding hot, but does not boil.
Keep it at this heat for half an hour, or until you con-
sider that the fruist is sufficiently done; then take out
the bottles, and till them with water nearly boiling: hard
spring water is the best to use for this purpose, as it
serves to strengthen or harden the skin of the fruit,
thereby rendering it not so easily spoiled. When cold,
cork them, as before directed, and set them in a cool
place. At first, let them be often turned, and see if
any of the bottles are cracked, if so, remove them, and
use those first, as the fruit will soon spoil.
This method is preferable to that of heating the fruit
in an oven, as the heat cannot be so well regulated.
Fruits should be bottled on the same day that they are
gathered, or they will be apt to ferment.
SUGAR BOILING.
TO CLARIFY SUGAR.
Put the white of an egg into a preserving pan, with
a quart of water, beat it up to a froth with a whisk,
add, six pounds of loaf sugar, mix them all well toge-
ther, and set it over a very slow fire, so that it gradu-
ally comes to a boil. When your sugar boils, put in a
little cold water, and when it boils again, put in a little
more water, and so on, till you have used half a pint✪ Clarifying Sugar.
When the scum is thick on the top, take it from the
fire, remove some of the scum gently with a spoon or
skimmer, (the scum may be taken off as it rises), and
MADE EASY.
73
see if it is fine and clear underneath; if it does not
appear so, give it another boil up, and then look again ,
proceed in this manner till it is quite clear, and then
pass it through a straining bag, or fine lawn sieve- . u
may now proceed to clarify it to any ol the following
degrees.
SMOOTH, OR CANDY, OR THREAD, SMALL AND LARGE.
Take what quantity of the above you have occasion
for, and put it over the fire, let it boil gently till it is
smooth: this you may know by dipping your skimmer
into the sugar, and then drawing it through your finger
and thumb ; immediately on opening them, you will
observe a small thread drawn between, which will
quickly break, and remain in a drop on your thumb.
This shows that it has acquired a degree of smooth-
ness, or the small thread ; let it boil a little more, and
it will draw into a larger string, when it will have ac-
quired the second degree, of candy, or large thread. If it
is likely to boil over into the fire, add a bit of butter,
which will prevent it. Then proceed to
BLOWN.
In this degree, you must boil clarified sugar for a
longer time than for smooth, or candy ; then dip your
skimmer in, shaking off what sugar you can into the
pan ; then blow with your mouth strongly through the
holes, and if bladders or bubbles go through, then it
has acquired the third degree.
FEATHERED.
To prove this degree, dip the skimmer into the sugar,
when it has boiled longer than in the former degrees ;
after you have done so, first give it a shake over the
pan, and then a sudden flirt behind you, and if it is
boiled enough, it will fly off like feathers or mo us
properly in fine strings.
74
CONFECTIONARY
CRACKLED.
Page 37 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1890. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
the neck; cork them lightly, and set them in a copper, with water nearly up to their mouths. Heat the water untill they are nearly scalding hot, but does not boil. Keep it at this heat for half an hour, or until you consider that the fruit is sufficiently done;n take out the bottles, and till them with water nearly boiling: hard spring water is the best to use for this purpose, as it serves to strengthen or harden the skin of the fruit, thereby rendering it not so easily spoiled. When cold, cork them, as before directed, and set them in a cool place. At first, let them be often turned, and see if any of the bottles are cracked, if so, remove them, and use those first, as the fruit will soon spoil.
This method is preferable to that of heating the fruit in an oven, as the heat cannot be so well regulated.
Fruits should be bottled on the same day that they are gathered, or they will be apt to ferment.
SUGAR BOILING.
TO CLARIFY SUGAR.
Put the white of an egg into a preserving pan, with a quart of water, beat it up to a froth with a whisk, add, six pounds of loaf sugar, mix them all well together, and set it over a very slow fire, so that it gradually comes to a boil. When your sugar boils, put in a little cold water, and when it boils again, put in a little more water, and so on, till you have used half a pint. When the scum is thick on the top, take it from the fire, remove some of the scum gently with a spoon or skimmer, (the scum may be taken off as it rises), and
see if it is fine and clear underneath; if it does not appear so, give it another boil up, and then look again , proceed in this manner till it is quite clear, and then pass it through a straining bag, or fine lawn sieve- . You may now proceed to clarify it to any of the following
degrees.
SMOOTH, OR CANDY, OR THREAD, SMALL AND LARGE.
Take what quantity of the above you have occasion for, and put it over the fire, let it boil gently till it is smooth: this you may know by dipping your skimmer into the sugar, and then drawing it through your finger and thumb ; immediately on opening them, you will observe a small thread drawn between, which will quickly break, and remain in a drop on your thumb. This shows that it has acquired a degree of smoothness, or the small thread ; let it boil a little more, and it will draw into a larger string, when it will have acquired the second degree, of candy, or large thread. If it is likely to boil over into the fire, add a bit of butter, which will prevent it. Then proceed to
BLOWN.
In this degree, you must boil clarified sugar for a longer time than for smooth, or candy ; then dip your skimmer in, shaking off what sugar you can into the pan ; then blow with your mouth strongly through the holes, and if bladders or bubbles go through, then it has acquired the third degree.
FEATHERED.
To prove this degree, dip the skimmer into the sugar, when it has boiled longer than in the former degrees ; after you have done so, first give it a shake over the pan, and then a sudden flirt behind you, and if it is boiled enough, it will fly off like feathers or mo us properly in fine strings.
CRACKLED.
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Clarifying Sugar