794 Reading-Course for Farmers' Wives. 



crystals will begin to form in the mixture and finally the whole mass 

 will crystallize. We frequently find that this same process of crystal- 

 lization has occurred in the bottom of last year's can of maple-sugar. 

 Crystals do not form so readily in the maple-syrup as in the plain sugar- 

 syrup, however. What causes this difference and how may crystalliza- 

 tion be retarded or prevented? 



If cane-sugar is cooked with an acid, such as vinegar or cream of 

 tartar, a part of it is changed to a form of sugar known as glucose. Glu- 

 cose is much less sweet than cane-sugar and does not crystallize easily. 

 The presence of glucose in a cane-sugar solution retards crystallization, 

 and hence is useful in much of our sugar cookery. It may be purchased 

 as commercial glucose and added directly to the syrup, or it may be 

 produced in the syrup by adding a little vinegar or cream of tartar 

 during the time of cooking. 



The underlying principles of sugar cookery, as we have seen above, 

 are to attain the right degree of concentration for the use to which the 

 syrup is to be put, and to prevent or retard crystallization. Crystalliza- 

 tion of a sugar solution is retarded by the presence of caramel as well 

 as of glucose. If crystals are allowed to collect on the sides of the pan 

 while a syrup is cooking, they may cause recrystallization of the whole 

 mass. These should be kept washed down with wet fingers or a wet 

 cloth. 



Maple sugar is one form of so-called cane-sugar. In the manufacture 

 of maple-syrup, acid, present as impurities, produces a small amount 

 of glucose and this aids in preventing crystallization. 



The corn-syrup on the market is made by cooking starch with an 

 acid. The starch is changed to glucose. Such a syrup, composed as 

 it is largely of glucose, is noticeably less sweet than sugar and crystallizes 

 much less readily than a syrup made from either ordinary sugar or 

 maple-sugar. 



When an acid fruit is cooked with sugar, the product is less sweet 



than if the fruit is cooked first and the sugar added last. This is 



because of the glucose produced by the action of heat and acid upon the 



cane-sugar. 



Fondant. 



2^ lbs sugar, i J cups water, ^ teaspoon cream of tartar. 



A mixture called fondant is made by cooking together sugar and 

 water and an acid. If this mixture is removed from the fire when the 

 temperature registers 238 to 242°?, the soft ball stage will have been 

 reached. After it cools, it is beaten until creamy and forms a basis 

 for many kinds of confectionery. 



