IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING AND UTILISING RESIDUAL LIQUIDS OBTAINED IN MANUFACTURING OR REFINING SUGAR
Year: 1878

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Alexander Scott, junior, and Andrew
McDonald at the Office of the Commisioners of Patents on the 30th October
1878.
ALEXANDER SCOTT, junior, of Greenock, in the County of Renfrew, North
Britain, Sugar Refiner, and ANDREW MCDONALD, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Mauufacturing Chemist. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING
AND UTILISING RESIDUAL LIQUIDS OBTAINED IN MANUFACTURING OR REFINING
SUGAR."
This Invention has for its object the utilising of the residual liquids obtained in
manufacturing or refining sugar, and which are ordinarily of small value and
difficult to dispose of, and it consists generally in treating them so as to form
various wholesome and palatable compounds resembling or analogous to fruit jellies,
dessert jellies, and dry sweetmeats.
In carrying out the Invention the residual saccharine liquid is purified, and if
wished decolorised by well-known means, and if necessary concentrated by
evaporation to a syrup-like consistency. The syrup is combined with gelatin or
with the purified extract of caragheen, or with pectin obtained from fruits or
vegetables, and with any suitable fruit essence or essential oil either obtained from
fruit or made artificially, or with a fruit extract such as lemon juice, or lime juice,
or that obtainable from bitter oranges or spices. Or any combination of such
flavor imparting substances may be used; or along with or instead of one or more
of them a suitable organic acid, such as citric, malic, tartaric or acetic, or a salt of
any such acid.
When gelatin is used it is brought to a semi-fluid or fluid condition in the
ordinary way by means of water and heat prior to its being mixed with the syrup
and flavoring or other ingredients.
When caragheen is used it is stoeped for a day or two in a cold very dilute
solution of caustic potash or caustic soda, and is then thoroughly washed with cold
water, and is allowed to steep for some days in cold water which is repeatedly
changed. This process removes objectionable taste. The caragheen is next boiled
...91

page_text: in water and the resulting fluid or semi-fluid is strained through a bag or filter of
any suitable kind, and can then be combined with the syrup and other ingredients.
When pectin is used it may be treated like gelatin preparatory to combining it
with the syrup and other ingredients.
It will be obvious that the gelatin or caragheen or pectin and the syrup may be
combined in various proportions, but it may be stated by way of example that a
wholesome and palatable dessert jelly may be made by combining with every
100 parts by weight of syrup 2 to 6 parts (dry) gelatin, 10 to 50 parts water, and
to 1 parts (dry) citric acid. When caragheen is substituted for gelatin a volume
of the gelatinous extract about equal to that of the syrup may be employed, but it
will be desirable to concentrate the mixture by evaporation so as to bring the
compound to the desired jelly-like consistency when cold. Pectin must be used in
proportions depending on its gelatinising strength, which will vary according to its
source and mode of preparation, but which can be easily ascertained by trial in
each case.
By using larger proportions of gelatin, caragheen, or pectin, or by sufficiently
concentrating the mixtures by evaporation, compounds are formed which when cold
are dry and of a stiff consistency, and which may be inoulded or, cut into various
forms and be coated with sugar in a powdered or other form.
An important and advantageous application of the compound of syrup and
gelatin, or caragheen, or pectin, is for preserving fruits, the compound being substi-
tuted for the sugar ordinarily employed or for part of it, and the fruit being treated
as in making preserves, or jam, or jelly, or fruit cheese.