[Illustration: Thermometer]
The first thing necessary for you to do is to test your thermometer.
They are supposed to register exactly 212 degrees in boiling water,
as this is the standard they are made by; but in =different altitudes,
water boils at different degrees=, so they are very liable to vary
somewhat. The different degrees given in this book, to which it is
necessary to cook the candies to, are based on the supposition that
your thermometer registers =exactly 212 in boiling water=; so that if
it registers either =higher or lower= than that, you must allow for the
=difference=.
Learn to read it accurately the first thing you do. Put some water
in a kettle on the fire, and as soon it comes to a boil, set your
thermometer down in it with the bottom of the thermometer as near the
center of the pan as possible, and let it lean over against the side.
Let it remain there for a few moments and then look and see what it
registers, and if it is exactly 212, always cook every recipe in this
book to just the degree called for. It does not matter how long you let
it remain in the boiling water, it will never go any higher after it
comes to a good boil. The reason is this, that the water will evaporate
if you allow it to boil long enough, and consequently it can never get
any hotter. In candy there are other substances which, as the water
evaporates, keep getting hotter and retain the heat, and for that
reason the mercury in the thermometer will naturally rise higher than
212.
If your thermometer registers lower than 212 degrees in boiling water,
notice very carefully just how many degrees it is off, and simply
deduct that many degrees from the number given, to which each recipe
must be cooked.
If it registers higher than 212, add the number of degrees it registers
over 212, to the amount given for each recipe. For example: Supposing
your thermometer should register =209 in boiling water=. It would
consequently be =three degrees too low=, and in cooking your candy,
simply =deduct three degrees= from the number called for in the recipe.
That is, if you are making fondant, which called for 240 degrees, only
cook to 237, and it will be exactly the same as it would be, if you
cooked it to 240 with a thermometer registering 212 in boiling water.
In case your thermometer registers over 212, simply add the difference
in the same manner as we have directed you to deduct, in case it was
too low.
To avoid mistakes and spoiled candy, we would advise you to =mark each
recipe as soon as you have tested your thermometer=.
In using it in candy, put it in the kettle just the same as directed
for testing in boiling water, and it is always necessary to have enough
candy in your kettle to come up over the bulb, or it will not register
accurately. We mean by this, that if you cook only a small amount of
candy, you must put it in a small kettle, so it will be deep enough to
cover the bulb of the thermometer.
If the candy should cook up on the thermometer so it would cover the
degree to which you intend it, just raise the thermometer a little,
being very careful not to lift the bulb out of the syrup, wet your
finger, pass it over the glass tube, and you will have no trouble in
reading it.
In cooking fudge and such candies in which you use milk or cream, they
will always boil up high on your thermometer at first, but by the time
it is cooked enough to register the right degree, you will find it has
boiled down enough, so the degree mark will be above the syrup, but you
must wet your finger and wipe off the glass before you can read it.
When cooking candies that require stirring, occasionally slide the
thermometer around the kettle and stir where it stood, to prevent
scorching, being very careful not to lift the bulb out of the syrup.
While the thermometer is tested, and is subject to sudden changes of
heat, it is always advisable to warm it slightly before putting it into
the boiling syrup. The thermometer is too expensive to take any risks.
There is no danger of its breaking when put into the boiling syrup, for
that is the use for which it is intended.
Always remember when making candy, that as soon as the thermometer
registers the right degree, lift it out of the syrup very quickly, and
set it in a pan of water and get your batch off the fire as soon as
possible. You must move quickly, or the candy is liable to go up one or
two degrees and that is sufficient to spoil your batch.
Never put it in cold water after taking it out of the batch, but have a
pan of warm water ready so you can set it in as soon as your batch is
done. This will keep your stove from getting smeared and also protect
your thermometer. The thermometer will never make a mistake if =you
read it correctly=.
Few people are aware that =professional candy-makers use a
thermometer=, and are under the impression, that all candies are
tested in cold water, better known as the hand test. Until a few
years ago, the candy thermometer was almost unknown and candy makers
everywhere used the hand test; but when the thermometer was introduced
for candy-making, they were quick to see the possibilities of such
an invention and abandoned the water test, because by cooking with a
thermometer, the candy was always the same, no batches too hard or too
soft, as was the case with the old way.
We will give you the different hand test degrees as compared with the
degrees on a thermometer:
=Hand Test.= =Thermometer.=
Pearl 220°
Small Thread 228°
Large Thread 236°
Blow 240°
Feather 242°
Small or Soft Ball 244°
Large or Hard Ball 250°
Small or Light Crack 254°
Hard Crack 284°