Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1895-12-21
CHRISTMAS CANDIES.
A Sa.em Woman Contributes Some
Thoroughly Tested Recipes.

n od.eu WomAn contributes Some
thoroughly Tested Recipes.
The art Of candy making has in times gen c
by been considered secret science, but the
mode OF making the ordinary candies Of the
present is very much simpli6ed, and most
any one using little judgement and some
practice can make the ordinary cream candy,
while those boiled to the higher degrees re.
quire more familiarity and cannot be sue
cessfully made by one trial.
Sume OF the following rules must be thor.
oughly understood and Il the learner will
study and comprehend them, he or she may
IN short time understand the att Of sugar.
boiling, but this cannot be without persis-
tent effort ON the part Of the student. While
II is almost impossible for the learner to
determine when sugar Is boiled to the proper
jegtee without a thorough knowledge Of the
different degrees the various kinds should be-
boiled to. You can never boil sugar by min
ute rule, as II depends entirely on the amount
DIVA ter contained in the sugar and the heat
with which you boil the batch.
Put the sugar in the boiling pan, then add
enough water to thoroughly saturatc the
sugar, or about one cup OF water to three
sugar. After it has been well stirred up
with paddle, add to It while cold, one.haf
Ieaspooniul Of pure cream tartar. for hard
candy, and less lor cream The first step in
getting the boil ready is always the same no
matter what kind you may want to make
The experienced candy maker uses the fol.
lowing five degrees In sugar boilingi FIRST
The smooth degree or ais to 22o degrees iarrn-
heit; second. the thread degree or ago to 23S
legrees; third the feather degree, or a4o to
a4S degrees; fourth, the ball degree. or 2So
To ass degrees; fifth the crack or $40 to 3IS
degrees.
The degrees may be known by the follow.
ing methods without the aid Of lhermom
eIer; Dip the iore6nger and thumb into a
basin Of cold water. Immediately dip them
into the boiling sugar, catch some Of the
molten sugar between them and return to the
cold water quickly, and IL will not burn you !;
The tests for the various degrees are as fol-
lows; Take some Of the syrup between the
hinger AMI thnmb, and When it has a velyety
feeling and not sticky Il has reached the
smooth degree. The thread degree may be
known by taking some Of the sugar between
he finger and thumb aud when drawing them
apart, thread Of the syrup Can be drawn, But
a hort period elapses between these degree
depending entirely upon the rapidity Of the
lire The feather degree. which is used in
making all fine cream candies, and Is the
hardest degree to tell without the thermom.
ter, il is told as follows; Take some Of the
,ugar out with the fngeis. and IL will appear
,tnngy and cannot be made into ball. but
still thick enough te retain with the fingers.
The ball degree is told by taking some Of the
sugar out and when II can be made into a
ball, like sof, putty II has then attained the
pmper consistency. The 4 hh or crack de.
gree is tested by dipping into cold water and
when quite crisp and does not adhere to the
teeth. II is ready to pour on pouring plate.
When IL has attained this degree take Of the
stove Immediately OF II will burn.
POINTERS.
SugoT will burn Immediately after It has
reached gao degiees Farenheit
II you are where y.u can get eoniectioner's
glucose you can get along without cream Of
irtar Use about IS percent.
In boiling candy always put a cover on
the pan for few minutes The object in
Ibis is to let the steam convert all the sugar
that may cling to the sides Of the pan.
Never re work candy; iIs beauty is always
gone when Te.worked; unless IL be TO make
some dark kind to save the batch from TO.
tai loss
Never boil batch over a slow FIRE. as il
will interfere with the beautiful lusue IL
would Otherwise have, and il will have a
yellowish cast instead.
Ifersam Of tartar Is not used the batch will
grain and when poured upon the pouring
pouring plates Il become a solid masI Of
sugar. The grain being neulTaliled by iiS
use, certain amount Of sugar is inverted in
to syrup and the candy will be smooth and
perfect. Several other acids have been sue
cessiully used but none are as reliable and
and harmless as cream Of tartar.
A marble slab is the best for a pouring
plaue.
Use boiler large enough TO allow for ex-
Pansion.
The heat should never be applied to the
sides Of the boiling pan. therefore you should
use a round boilomed pan when convenient.
Never serape out the sugar that may cling
to the sides Of the pan, as it will grain
your batch.