Boiled Sugar Goods

Make a good fire with coke or charcoal, allowing it to burn fairly clear.

Put into a preserving pan as much refined sugar as needed, add not quite half a pint of water per pound of sugar, and a pinch of cream of tartar; stir all together.

If the fire is very hot, pull the pan a little to one side; do not let it boil until the sugar is dissolved, then let it boil rapidly; carefully skim all the dross or scum that rises to the top; let it boil.

Perform the degree tests: dip your finger in cold water, quickly nip a little sugar out; press finger and thumb together, and open them again quickly. If the sugar forms thin threads, that is the first degree (candy). Boil this candied sugar a minute or two longer until the sugar taken in the skimmer and blown forms into bubbles or bladders (blown degree). Boil this another minute; if the sugar flies off in flakes when you jerk the skimmer, it has attained the third degree (feather). Boil the sugar another minute; just enough time to draw some cold water; put a stick in the sugar, then quickly put it into cold water. If it becomes quite hard directly, it is the fourth degree (crack). For barley sugar, add a pinch of citric acid or lemon juice and ensure the water is perfectly cold when you put the sugared stick into it. To reach the caramel degree, boil the sugar a little longer; put a little into cold water, and if it cracks like glass, it is the caramel degree.

For acidulated drops, tablets, coloured or white drops: use 5 lbs sugar, oz cream of tartar, oz tartaric acid, pint water, and desired flavouring and colour. Boil sugar and water as directed, dissolve cream of tartar in a tablespoon of water, throw into pan, and boil to the crack stage (320 °F). Pour onto a well-oiled slab, let cool sufficiently to work in colouring and flavouring, then when firm enough, cut into pieces with a drop machine. Dust with fine white sugar and pack in airtight tins.

For raspberry drops: use 3 lbs sugar, pint water, i oz cream of tartar; boil as preceding to crack; add i lb good sweet butter and a teaspoonful essence of raspberry; as soon as mixed, pour into moulds; when cold, wrap in waxed paper, tinfoil, etc.