The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-04-14
SPLENDID syrup MADE
| FROM SWEET POTATOES
Department Of Agriculture Announces
Completion Of Successful Expert
ments--Method Recommended
for Homo Use.

for Homo Use.
Washington. d. c., Feb. Sex
periments conducted in the bureau OF
. chemistry have produced a palatable
and wholesome strip from sweet potA-
toes, the United States department
Of agriculture announces. The
method. developed by a specialist in
the bureau, is recommended parti-
cularly for home Use where there is
an oversupply of sweet potatoes The
method liz not recommended at pres
ent for commercial use, because 1t is
believed that sweet potato sfrup can
MT compete on a commercial basis
| with grain sirups.
The sweet-potato strip, which shows
yield of from 80 to 35 per cent OF
| the weight of the sweet potatoes,
mas consistency, taste, and color sim
ii-Ar to cane and sorghum sirups. 1t
Is known to contain much sugar.
Il Experiments to determine its exact
food value are being conducted by the
home economics Office Of the depart
ment-
The Method in Brief.
L The sweet potatoes should be wash
Il ed, and decayed portions or other
blemishes removed, and then weigh
L ed They are then placed in a kettle
Il with Ilenty OF water and boiled I'M
Il til thoroughly soft. From one and
one-half to two hours boiling is re-
1 CURED, The potatoes are then mash. i
ed in the kettle in the water in which
L boiled, with sufficient water adding
1 more If necessary to form a thick.
smooth mushy liquid. The tenn pera
ture of the mixture is then brought to
140 degrees F., and a quantity OF
ground malt added equal to Ia per
cent OF the weight of the original
sweet potatoes The mixture is thor
oughly stirred and allowed to stand
for few minutes at a Temperature
OF $40 degree F., and the tenn pera-
ture is then brought with constant
stirring to a temperature Of $50 de-
grees r., tho source of heat removed
and the mass allowed te stand with
occasional stirring for an hour. The
mixture, known technically as the
mash in now pressed in cloths to
separate the liquid and solid portions.
The material Is placed in cloth bags,
/ which are closed. and the bags sub
| jected TO gentle pressure while kneed
ing. The juice flows out readily. leav-
ing the pulp behind. The juice Is now
boiled down to strip in an ordinary
kettle.
| Any of the common varieties oil
sweet potatoes can be used. Freshly
harvested stock will yield sirur
somewhat less sweet than sweet pota,
toes which have been harvested for
som etime.
| The sweet potatoes should be cook
ed with plenty of water. 1t Is neces
sary TO obtain a fluid, mushy mass
which can be mixed readily with this
| malt
| Great caro- must be taken that the
tenn perat ure OF the mass be uniform
throughout during the action of tho
malt
Preparation OF Malt.
| Ordinary hrg.garG Gigtf1Iar-sn n
OF good quality gives excellent results.
or the malt can he made by sproutirg
barley under proper conditions. In
preparing malt from barley the fol-
lowing method will give satisfactory
results: The grain should be soaked
in water for twelve hours. The water
is then drained off and the grain al
lowed to stand for twelve hours. and
the operation of letting soak and
stand repeated during the next
twenty-four hours. At the conclusion
of the sleeping, the interior of the
grain should be soft and chaik-Iike,
The grain Is then spread upon a tray
, in a layer not over six or eight inches
deep The temperature at which the
sprouting grain is kept is of great
importance in the successful manu-
facture OF malt 1t should be kept
as near 60 degrees F. as possible.
After the grain has grown for siA
way out at the end of the grain OPP
posite to the rootlet. and the malt may
be used with excellent results at thR
time. Sprouting, however may be
allowed to continue slowly for an
other six or eight days. or even lon
ger. until the sprout has attained
length from three to four times that
of the grain. The grain must be
kept moist. SO that the rootiets dc
not wither during the sproutina
period and should be turned over and
thoroughly mixed at least once a day
and kept covered with a wet cloth
and in the dark. The product is
/ known as green malt" 1t should
4 have fresh odor. and be free from
any sour smell. and should be free
from mold. Immediately before USE
the green malt should be finely ground
in an ordinary meat chopper or other
suitable machine. When go ground
1t forms a pasty mass and may be
added directly to the boiled mashed
sweet potatoes and the mixture
thoroughly broken up by stirring un.
til the malt is thoroughly disseminat.
ed.
On a small scale this is most readil,
accomplished as described. On q
large scale an ordinary cider press
using racks and cloths. can be sue.
cessfully employed. The liquor oh.
tanned is slightly sweet and rather
turbid. Plenty OF water should be
used in order to produe a mash from
| which the liquor will freely flow and
in which a large proportion Of this
sugars may be easily removed by
single pressing. The total quantity
OF water used should be two or three
times the weight of the potatoes. This
sweet potato strip can be boiled down
to as thick q consistency as desired
The pulp which remains can be dried
and used for feed, or it can be fed
while fresh.
| SUGAR IN FRANCE.
While considerable rain and SNOW
during the past winter have put the