The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-08-10
MAKING OF BONBONS.
PROGRESS OF THEIR MANUFACTURE
IN THIS COUNTRY.
Various DeIicacies That Delight the Pal
ates of Youthful a New York
Candy FactOry-Fancy Sweets
Works Of Art.
brooklyn EasLs.l

Formerly the making of bonbons was a
tedious affair, and the chief manufacturers
we're In the habit of beginning the prepara-
tions for the great consumption on Chsist-
mas and New Years as early as the month
Of August Now, however, when the pro-
cess Is far more delicate and complex, and
the demand has more than doubled, they
commence preparing only some few weeks
In advance. One grand reason for this is
because bonbons belong to the category of
perishable merchandise. If one were only
to forget to eat them for sufficient length
of time they would devour themselves To
preserve them they have to be shut up in air
tight cases with a layer of chloride Of cal
cium, which absorbs all moisture at one end
and by this means they may be kept for sew
eraI years.
A large New York establishment, which
ordinarily employs some ninety persons,
about the commencement of December re-
Quires the services of almost double that
number, the majority Of whom are engaged
In making bonbons by the million until the
turn of the new year. The entire under
ground portion of the premises is devoted to
the manufacture of sweetmeats. On de-
scending the stone staircase one finds ones
self in a sitting atmosphere, too heavily
laden with the aroma of vanilla and other
essences. Around are scores Of workmen,
their faces lighted by the red glare of num-
erous furnaces, busily engaged in
plunging particular fruits into large
caldrons filed with boiling syrups.
More in the shade are other stall
wart looking men, their countenances made
pallid by the intensely heated atmosphere,
piling up almonds etc., on huge copper YES
s0ls, and so constant is the sound of metal
that the visitor might imagine himself in an
armor smithy instead of a sweetmeat fac
tory, among workmen making bonbons for
women and children to crunch. On all sides
are piles of sugar barrels, gallons of liquors,
sirups and essences-kirsch wine, aniseed,
maraschino, curacao, pineapple, apricot,
strawberry, cherry, vanilla, chocolate, cot
fee and tea-with sacks of almonds and
baskets Of chestnuts, pistachio nuts and fill
berts being emptied into machines which
bruiss their husks, fay them and blanch
them all ready to receive their saccharine
coating.
Most bonbons are made by hand; only
those which are fat at the bottom are cast
In monlds In the handmade bonbons the
sugar paste is rolled into shape by the aid
OF an instrument formed of stout piece of
wire, one end of which is twisted and the
other fixed into a wooden handle. With
this the paste Is taken out Of the cauldron
and worked into the desired form by a
rapid stroke Of the hand. For bonbons of q
particular form, such as those in imitation
1t various fruits, etc, models are carved in
rood. A certain number Of these, say
from fifty to sixty, are fixed on narrow
strip Of wood, and the confectioner takes
Enolds Of them in starch, contained in a
cries Of large, shallow drawers. As soon
$ the molds become dry they are filed with
liquid sugar, already colored and favored,
after which the drawer is put on one side
Zcg twenty-four hours, when the bonbons
are ready for sale.
The delicate sweets, containing some ss-
seuces, such as pineapple, etc., are always
east In starch molds. It puzzles older heads
chan those Of children to know how this
drop Of delicious liquid gets into the center
u the sweet Like many other puzzling
matters, it is very easily explained The
6avoTing essence is mixed with the LIQUID
sugar, and when poured into the mold the
latter crystalizes Immediately over the for
mer. These essences, SO nice to the taste,
are the most remarkable examples of the ]
power Of che mistry to transform very re- |
2ugnant materials into delicacies. Fusel |
osl ts the base of the pear essence, and pine |
apple essence Is obtained by diluting ether /
With alcohol. The chemist in his laboratory, /
With great cunning, manufactures scores of |
bess essences which are supposed to be the
1aritable product Of delicate fruits. Some
& the pretty forms that are made to take
he fancy of the little ones are simply
I1nched out OF the fiat films of sugar rolled;
ONE are cast, some are pressed into shape
Vhen soft between engraved rollers.
The drops and sweets that are quite clear
re boiled so long that all She water has
out Of them. Such sweets must
70 Immediately bottled up, or preserved
rom the air, otherwise they absorb water
nd become semi-iquid Barley sugar is
n example in point. If it is not hermet-
cally sealed down in time, it deliquesces,
nd loses all its criSpneSs. 1t is as well to
now that this is the purest of all sweets
eng absolutely clarified sugar, and there
pre- the most wholesome for children,
h the other hand, peppermint drops are the
lost open TO sophlstlcaton. They should be
lade Of crushed white sugar, mixed into q
aSte with gum. But the temptation to
dulterate is too great for the dishonest
'ader to resist; consequently, in order to
apply the cheap market one-half plaster of
arts Is mixed with inferior sugar. One
M quite understand the sickness that over
Ikes children sometimes after sucking those |
1mhts; the wonder Is that such mass of
lsstsr does not interfere more signally with
lsiF digestion. Jujubes, those flexible
,Zenges which stick so in the teeth, contain
large portion of gum. They are poured |
Ito tins to cool, standing for several hours,
iced into sheets and then cut by scissors
ITO the well known diamond shapes.
The Veritable sugar plum, or almond
rop, IS made In a very interesting manner |
number OF almonds, after being coated
|
re thrown into deep pan surrounded with
cam. This pan reyolyes sideways at an |
ngle Of IS degrees. As it rsvolves the
Imonds, of course, tumble over one an
her, and while they are doing so the !
orkman pours over them from time to
me liquid white sugar allowing sufficient
me to elapSe between each supply for the !
Igar to harden upon the comfit In this |
ay it grows by the imposition of layer
pom layer until it is the proper size. By
lis simple motion the sugar IS deposited in {
le smoothest and most regular manner. [
iris are largely employed in the sugar
um trade. They are quick and stick well
their work, but they have a sweet tooth
Id help themselves to the lozenges pretty
oePally. AS it is impossible to Stop petty
1fering they are given liberty to eat as
UGH as they like t
But if the bonbons themselves are in some
gree works of art, the bags, baskets and I
,xes made to contain them are still more I
Some Of them are reproductions of an :
aue masterpieces. Others Of modern in ! )
ntions are models Of taste and elegance
: Easter, when sweetmeats are almost as $
UGH in request for presents as they are at J .
Q New Year, the windows Of the bonbon |
Establishments are filed with Easter eggs OF | 9
Q gayest colors, and made, Of course, of