Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1894-1895, 1894-11-02
MAKING ROCK CANDY.
An Industry Concerning Which Compare
lively Little Is Known.

lively Little Is kpown.
Rock candy is crystallized sugar
sirup which. after boiling and being
kept at a certain temperature, forms
itself onto strings suspended across
the interior of circular copper pots.
The first process in It's manufacture
Is the boiling OF the sirup. About
four barrels of the finest grade Of
sugar, with about sixteen gallons of
water, is first put into a circular cop
per boil r. about five feet in diam te'
and about three and one half feet ia
height. Enclosed around the sides
and bottom of the boiler are mum
Der or coils Of steam pipe, which,
when turned on, cause the material
TO boil and form itself into strip.
Water is also applied TO the sides of
the boiler TO prevent the strip from
sticking.
After the material has boiled for
about onchalf hour, it is run off
through number or fine sleeves at
the bottom, and passes down through
al fOur-inch hose to the copper candy
pots below. These pots are circular
in form. being about two feet in di-
ameter across the top. and tapering
down to one foot at the bottom. The
sides OF each pot are perforated with
small hoes, rang NJ from one half
inch to one inch apart: through these
holes a p zee OF cotton c1d is run,
the ends of which are fastened to the
outside by Il small piec OF p aster Of
Paris. The pots are then file UP to
the top with the boi ing Sirun which
holds about five gallons and Of forty
pounds weight, and carried away by
two attendants 10 what is called the
dollhouse
This hOt-housc is made entirely or
brick. and IS about fourteen feet
square and about one foot in thick
ness, each side being fitted VI with
shelves, made Of heavy planking.
| nd meath these shelves, attached
TO the side walls, are number o.
lin h steam pipes, which. when
turned on, furnish the re iured heat
The attendants plac tic heated pots
side by side on these shelTCs, where
they are left for two or three DAYS in
temperature of atOIt 100 degrees.
the heat Of which causes the best
part of the sugar to crystallle onto
the strings
After the expiration Of three days
crust Of crystallized sugar is formed
on the top Of each pot Of about one
eighth inch in thickness The in
terror sides and bottom also have a
crystallized coating of about one
inch, while the inferior part remains
in liquid form.
The pots are then taken out of the
hOt-hUuSe, the plaster Scraped OF,
and the uncrystallized l9uid pou ed
of into into tub. where it is re.
melted and filtered and run into bar
re!s. to be sold to ii uor and soda
water dealers. The pots are then
taken and rinSed out with water to
take tn sirup off the candy and
then taken to the draining room,
where thew are placed bottom up in
an inclined position, one against an
other. in a trough. and left to drain
about one day in a temperature or
about 40 degrees, which drles and al
SO gives the candy "a glossy appear
ance
For yellow Ock candy the liquid is
colored with burned sugar. About
eighty pounds Of sugar aad three
gallons OF water is mixed together
and pla cd in Il shallow Giro mar cop
per pan, aboat tn. &c feet in diama-
ter and placed over hot fire where
10y boiling and constant stirring. st
is allowed to get thick !la k and
burned When properly burn 1t is
taken out and placed ia 4 tub and
Gilut d with water. 1T is then run
through fine brass s.cveS. and is ready
TO- use.
An inteuse smoke issues from the
burning sugar causing the attendants
&c wear reSpiratOrS Yne red rock
candy is colcrcd with No 20 carmine;
after draining, hccCntcDts OF the pots
are knocked uut onto boards about two
feet .ua?e. This IS done by an at
tendant turning the pot upside d0wu
and whack .ng the sides wit il wooden
mallets, causing the candy to fall
down into heap The strings are
then separated fr0il each other and
weighed ont and packed into from
five to forty pound 10 seS. Twenty-
one hands turn out about l>2, 32i
pounds Of rock candy and l0e, 800 gal
Ions of rock candy sIrup yearly. The !
material is sold principally TO confec-
TONERS, liquor dealers and gsocerS = !
Scientific American.