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proportions of sugar and water must still be the same. 

 Instead of loaf-sugar, some have used only brown sugar, 

 which they have clarified to do as well as refined sugar, 

 by mixing with the solution some pounded charcoal, which 

 is boiled with the sugar : by straining repeatedly tnis 

 black mixture, the charcoal is kept back, and the sugar 

 becomes colorless. 



In the confectioner's art there is a great nicety in pro- 

 portioning the degree of concentration of the syrup very 

 exactly to each particular case ; and they know this by 

 signs, and express it by certain technical terms. But to 

 distinguish these properly, requires very great attention 

 and considerable experience. 



The principal thing to be acquainted with is the fact, 

 that in proportion as the syrup is longer boiled, its water 

 will become evaporated, and its consistence will be thicker. 

 Great care must be taken in the management of the fire, 

 that the syrup does not boil over, and that the boiling is 

 not carried to such an extent as to burn the sugar. 



We give the following degrees of boiling the syrup, as 

 distinguished by the professed confectioner ; though, per- 

 haps, such nicety is seldom attained in domestic practice. 

 The first degree is called the thread, which is subdivided 

 into the little and great thread. If you dip the finger into 

 the syrup, and apply it to the thumb, the tenacity of the 

 syrup will, on separating the finger and thumb, afford a 

 thread which shortly breaks ; this is the little thread. If 

 the thread, from the greater tenacity, and consequently, 

 greater strength of the syrup, admits of a greater exten- 

 sion of the finger and thumb, it is then called the great 

 thread. 2nd. By longer boiling you obtain the pearl, which 

 is denoted by the thread admitting of being drawn without 

 breaking, by the utmost separation of the thumb and 

 finger ; this makes candied sugar. 3rd. By further boil- 

 ing, you obtain the lhw t which is known by dipping a 



