Sugar, to Boil (for Glacé Fruit)

The "Queen" cookery books. No.2. ICES · Beaty-Pownall, S · 1902

Source: The "Queen" cookery books. No.2. ICES
Status: success · extracted 4 days ago
Not a recipe: No

Ingredients (4)

for Glacé Fruit

half a pound of cane loaf sugar ↝ Syrup, Cane [Sweets]
a gill of water ↝ Water, tap [Tap water]

2lb. of best cane loaf sugar ↝ Sugar cane beverage [Fruit drinks]
a pint of water ↝ Water, tap [Tap water]

Instructions (12)

Boil half a pound of cane loaf sugar with a gill of water, to the crack, and use.
Dissolve 2lb. of best cane loaf sugar in a pint of water.
Allow it to boil for a minute after it is dissolved, then lift the pan aside and remove all scum.
Again boil up the syrup for a few minutes, then dip your forefinger and thumb first into cold water, and then into the boiling syrup, and press your finger and thumb lightly together; now draw them apart, when a small, fine thread will form between them, snapping off however, as you open them, and leaving two tiny drops on finger and thumb.
The next stage is reached when the thread will draw out a little longer; the third, when on again dipping in the finger and thumb, the thread does not break when the finger and thumb open naturally; whilst the fourth stage is attained when you can spread finger and thumb to the uttermost without the thread breaking.
Remember, the sugar must be boiled a few minutes longer between each stage; and whatever you do, do not forget to dip your fingers into the cold water first, or you may have a very nasty burn.
The fifth stage is reached when on re-boiling the syrup and dipping the skimmer into it you can, after shaking it over the pan and blowing through the holes, see little bubbles on the other side of the skimmer; whilst when, on blowing through the skimmer, the sugar flies off in feathery sparks, it has reached the feather stage.
No. VII. is known when, on dipping your finger and thumb into cold water again, and then into the sugar, the latter allows itself to be rolled up into a little ball which toughens and becomes elastic when cold.
When it forms a larger and harder ball, it has come to the eighth stage.
When, on again wetting your fingers and picking up some of the sugar, it breaks with a little crack, and on being bitten sticks to the teeth, it has come to the crack, which becomes in a minute or two more the great crack, when the sugar will be crisp and brittle, and will break between the teeth with a clean crack like glass; or if flung into cold water it will fall with a distinct tinkle into the basin.
Lastly, it will be caramel when it begins to turn colour; first a faint yellow, when it should be lifted from the fire and a little water.
On re-boiling this will darken, first to a rich golden brown, and then to the black, or burnt stage.

Original Text · last edited 4 days ago

Sugar, to Boil (for Glacé Fruit).—Boil half a pound of cane loaf sugar with a gill of water, to the crack, and use.
Sugar, to Boil.—There are one or two points to be observed with regard to sugar boiling. First of all, it should be cane sugar; secondly, it must be of the best quality, for this does not need clarifying, a troublesome proceeding which modern manufacture renders unnecessary. Choose sugar highly crystal- lized, perfectly dry, and difficult to break.
With regard to boiling sugar, there are eleven degrees, known respectively as:
I. The small thread, or petit lissé;
II. The great thread, or le grand lissé;
III. The small pearl, or le petit perlé;
IV. The great pearl, or le grand perlé;
V. The small spark, or le petit soufflé, or la plume;
VI. The great spark, or le grand soufflé, or la grande plume;
VII. The ball, or le petit boulet;
VIII. The great ball, or le grand boulet;
IX. The crack, or le petit cassé;
X. The great crack, or le grand cassé;
XI. The burnt, or caramel stage.
The first stage of this boiling is arrived at thus: dissolve 2lb. of best cane loaf sugar in a pint of water, allow it to boil for a minute after it is dissolved, then lift the pan aside and remove all scum. Again boil up the syrup for a few minutes, then dip your forefinger and thumb first into cold water, and then into the boiling syrup, and press your finger and thumb lightly together; now draw them apart, when a small, fine thread will form between them, snapping off however, as you open them, and leaving two tiny drops on finger and thumb. The next stage is reached when the thread will draw out a little longer; the third, when on again dipping in the finger and thumb, the thread does not break when the finger and thumb open naturally; whilst the fourth stage is attained when you can spread finger and thumb to the uttermost without the thread breaking. Remember, the sugar must be boiled a few minutes longer between each stage; and whatever you do, do not forget to dip your fingers into the cold water first, or you may have a very nasty burn. The fifth stage is reached when on re-boiling the syrup and dipping the skimmer into it you can, after shaking it over the pan and blowing through the holes, see little bubbles on the other side of the skimmer; whilst when, on blowing through the skimmer, the sugar flies off in feathery sparks, it has reached the feather stage. No. VII. is known when, on dipping your finger and thumb into cold water again, and then into the sugar, the latter allows itself to be rolled up into a little ball which toughens and becomes elastic when cold. When it forms a larger and harder ball, it has come to the eighth stage. When, on again wetting your fingers and picking up some of the sugar, it breaks with a little crack, and on being bitten sticks to the teeth, it has come to the crack, which becomes in a minute or two more the great crack, when the sugar will be crisp and brittle, and will break between the teeth with a clean crack like glass; or if flung into cold water it will fall with a distinct tinkle into the basin. Lastly, it will be caramel when it begins to turn colour; first a faint yellow, when it should be lifted from the fire and a little water. On re-boiling this will darken, first to a rich golden brown, and then to the black, or burnt stage.

Notes

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