Flavorings. — These should be selected with care. Flavorings for fondant should be as strong as possible and then use but little, be- cause fondant liquifies so easily. Many of the flavorings given in our article on flavorings in the introduction to the chapter on " Cake " can be used. The tea, Bedford, laurel and citronelle, will be found excellent. If chocolate is used it will be an advan- tage to add a little vanilla. For ordinary candies 5 cents worth of oil of cloves, cinnamon, wintergreen, lemon or peppermint will flavor 50 lbs. of candy. Add flavors the last thing, or when the candy is nearly cold, as their strength is wasted if added while it is hot. BOILING SUGAR — In boiling sugar it is well to understand the different " degrees," as the confectioners call them, through which the sugar passes. There are 12 of these degrees called small ihread, large thread, little pearl, large pearl, the blow, the feather, the soft ball, the hard ball, the soft crack, the crack, the hard crack, and the caramel. Let us examine this a little, but remember that HOME CANDY MAKING 449 in nandling sugar skilfully much judgment is needed. Suppose we put on the stove 3 lbs. of sugar and 2 cups of water and stir till it dissolves. After boiling a few minutes it will approach the first de- gree called tlwead, and as it passes from 1 degree to another quite rapidly it must be watched closely and tested often but without stir- ring it. The thread degree is known by dipping the forefinger into the syrup, or touching it to the syrup adhering to a small stick which has been dipped in; then touch the forefinger with the thumb, and draw the fingers apart; if a fine thread is formed which breaks at a short distance, and remains on the finger and thumb as a drop, it has reached the small thread. Boil a little longer, repeat the test, and a longer thread will be drawn known as the large thread. This is the finger test. A thermometer will show about 220°. The pearl degree is tested the same way. When the thread reaches from the thumb to the finger, without breaking, as they are drawn apart, it has reached the small pearl, and when it will spin across as far as the thumb and finger can be separated, it has reached the large pearl. Another sign is that the syrup shows bubbles on the surface, but this is more of a hint than a test. The thermometer will show 226°. The b!ow degree is tested by dipping a skimmer into the syrup, shaking it a little, and blowing through the holes; if small bubbles or air bladders appear on the other side the blow is reached. It will be 230° by the thermometer. .The feather degree is tested in the same way, but more bubbles are produced; another test is to dip in the skimmer, shake it over the pan, and then give it a sudden flirt away from you, and the syrup will fly off like feathers, or n.ore properly in threads. At this stage there is not enough water left to hold the sugar in solution, and it will manifest a tendency to crystallize or grain. The thermometer will show 236°.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Flavorings. — These should be selected with care. Flavorings for fondant should be as strong as possible and then use but little, because fondant liquifies so easily. Many of the flavorings given in our article on flavorings in the introduction to the chapter on " Cake " can be used. The tea, Bedford, laurel and citronelle, will be found excellent. If chocolate is used it will be an advantage to add a little vanilla. For ordinary candies 5 cents worth of oil of cloves, cinnamon, wintergreen, lemon or peppermint will flavor 50 lbs. of candy. Add flavors the last thing, or when the candy is nearly cold, as their strength is wasted if added while it is hot. BOILING SUGAR — In boiling sugar it is well to understand the different " degrees," as the confectioners call them, through which the sugar passes. There are 12 of these degrees called small thread, large thread, little pearl, large pearl, the blow, the feather, the soft ball, the hard ball, the soft crack, the crack, the hard crack, and the caramel. Let us examine this a little, but remember that in handling sugar skilfully much judgment is needed. Suppose we put on the stove 3 lbs. of sugar and 2 cups of water and stir till it dissolves. After boiling a few minutes it will approach the first degree called thread, and as it passes from 1 degree to another quite rapidly it must be watched closely and tested often but without stirring it. The thread degree is known by dipping the forefinger into the syrup, or touching it to the syrup adhering to a small stick which has been dipped in; then touch the forefinger with the thumb, and draw the fingers apart; if a fine thread is formed which breaks at a short distance, and remains on the finger and thumb as a drop, it has reached the small thread. Boil a little longer, repeat the test, and a longer thread will be drawn known as the large thread. This is the finger test. A thermometer will show about 220°. The pearl degree is tested the same way. When the thread reaches from the thumb to the finger, without breaking, as they are drawn apart, it has reached the small pearl, and when it will spin across as far as the thumb and finger can be separated, it has reached the large pearl. Another sign is that the syrup shows bubbles on the surface, but this is more of a hint than a test. The thermometer will show 226°. The blow degree is tested by dipping a skimmer into the syrup, shaking it a little, and blowing through the holes; if small bubbles or air bladders appear on the other side the blow is reached. It will be 230° by the thermometer. .The feather degree is tested in the same way, but more bubbles are produced; another test is to dip in the skimmer, shake it over the pan, and then give it a sudden flirt away from you, and the syrup will fly off like feathers, or more properly in threads. At this stage there is not enough water left to hold the sugar in solution, and it will manifest a tendency to crystallize or grain. The thermometer will show 236°.

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