To make an acid drop to perfection, the pan must not only be clean but
bright; use best white sugar, and just enough water to melt it, with a
little extra cream of tartar (no glucose); boil on a sharp fire to 305;
after passing through machine, well dust with icing sugar and bottle.
Beginners should not try to work with less water, as the boil is more
liable to grain, which can be seen by an expert and avoided. Before
putting on the boil see that there is sufficient fuel on the furnace to
carry through the operation. To make up a fire during the process spoils
the color and quality. The sharper the sugar is boiled the better the
appearance and durability.
When boiling common sugars have the pan large enough,--some throw up a
good deal of foam when they reach the boiling point and are liable to
flow over--watch closely, and if unable to beat the foam down, lift the
pan on the side of the fire a few minutes until boiled through.
Many weak sugars burn on a clear fire before they come to a degree of
crack. In this case sprinkle a little fresh fuel or ashes over the fire
and replace the pan again. Should it again catch, repeat the operation
nursing it up to the desired degree. Bad boiling sugar is very
troublesome. A good plan is to make a rule of straining the batch just
after it boils, through a very fine copper wire or hair sieve, this
prevents foreign matter such as grit, saw dust or even nails, which is
often mixed with the sugar getting into the goods. Keep thermometer when
not in use in jar of water standing on the furnace plate by the side of
the pan, wash out the jar and fill with cold water every morning; keep
the thermometer clean, especially the top part, as the sugar which
adheres to it becomes grainy, and might spoil a whole boil. After making
many dark candies thoroughly wash the thermometer before putting into a
light boil.
In using colors for drops and clear goods, use them in the form of a
paste where practicable, then you can mix them in when the boil is on
the slab, thus saving your pan; keep the colors damp in jars, look over
them every night, and, where necessary, add a little cold water to keep
them moist, or the top may get dry and hard, which would make the goods
specky. Use a separate piece of stick for each color to rub in with, and
be careful not to use too much color; a very little goes a long way with
clear boiled goods. Goods are more often spoiled by using too much than
too little; more can always be added if the shades are too light, but
there is no remedy if you have added too much. When coloring taffies,
this must be done in the pan; liquid colors are best; trouble will be
saved if used in the following order. Suppose Raspberry, Everton and
Lemon taffies were wanted, make the Lemon taffy first, add saffron just
before the boil is ready, then the lemon, and pour out; make the Everton
taffy next in the same way, add the butter before the lemon; then make
the Raspberry. In this arrangement there is no necessity of steaming out
the pan. Had the Raspberry taffy been made first, the pan would have to
be cleaned out before the Lemon or Everton taffy could have been made,
because it would have been red.
Measure the flavors in a graduated glass; wash out the glass frequently,
or it will get rancid; weigh the acid and see that it is well ground; if
it has become dry and lumpy, rub it down to a powder with a rolling pin
or heavy bottle on a sheet of paper before using. In using fruit
essences a little powdered tartaric acid throws up the flavor, half the
essences will have a better effect. Put the acid on the boil after it
has been poured on the slab in a little heap, and pour the essence over
it, then thoroughly incorporate the whole.
Use the best oil for the slab with a clean flannel cloth; keep the cloth
in a saucer, if it lies about it falls on the floor and picks up dirt
and carries it to the pouring plate. When it gets hard or gritty burn it
at once and get a new one, or it may be used by mistake and make a mess.
We have seen the beauty of a boil spoilt scores of times by using dirty
rags and rancid oil. A sugar boiler cannot be too careful in these
little details, the success of his work largely depends upon it. It is
easy to inaugurate a good system, and much more comfortable to work to
it than a slovenly "what shall I do next" sort of a method. Know where
to find and put your hand on everything; when the boil is hot there is
no time to look for what you require. "A place for everything and
everything in its place" should be a practical feature in every boiling
shop.