CANNING AND PRESERVING FRUIT IN THE HOME 
the water small the syrup is said to be 
heavy. When the water predominates the 
syrup is light. 
There are several methods of measus- 
ing the proportion of sugar in a syrup. 
The most scientific and accurate is with 
the syrup gauge. Careful measurement or 
weighing is, however, quite satisfactory 
for all ordinary work if the syrup need 
not be boiled a long time. In boiling the 
water evaporates and the syrup grows 
thicker and richer. The amount of evapo- 
ration depends upon the surface exposed 
and the pressure of the atmosphere. For 
example, if a large quantity of syrup is 
boiled in a deep kettle the evaporation 
will not be rapid. If the same quantity 
of syrup were boiled the same length of 
time in a high altitude, Colorado for ex- ° 
ample, and at the sea level, it would be 
found that the syrup boiled at the sea 
level would be thicker and less in volume 
than that boiled in Colorado. From this 
it will be seen that it is difficult to say 
what proportion of sugar a syrup will 
contain after it has been boiling 10 or 
more minutes. Of course by the use of 
the syrup gauge the proportion of sugar 
in a syrup may be ascertained at any 
stage of the boiling. After all, however, 
it is possible to measure sugar and water 
so that you can know the percentage of 
sugar when the syrup begins to boil. The 
following statement gives the percentage 
of sugar at the time when the syrup has 
been boiling one minute and also what 
kind of syrup is suitable for the various 
kinds of fruit: 
One pint sugar and one gill of water 
gives syrup of 40 degrees density: Use for 
preserved strawberries and cherries. 
One pint sugar and one-half pint water 
gives syrup of 32 degrees density. 
One pint sugar and three gills water 
gives syrup of 28 degrees density: Use 
either this or the preceding for preserved 
peaches, plums, quinces, currants, etc. 
One pint sugar and one pint water 
gives syrup of 24 degrees density: Use 
for canned acid fruits. 
One pint sugar and one and one-half 
pints water gives syrup of 17 degrees 
density. 
2—5 
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One pint sugar and two pints water 
gives syrup of 14 degrees density: Use 
either of these two light syrups for 
canned pears, peaches, sweet plums, and 
cherries, raspberries, blueberries, and 
blackberries. 
The lightest syrups may be used for 
filling up the jars after they are taken 
from the oven or boiler. The process of 
making syrup is very simple, but there 
are a few points that must be observed if 
syrup and fruit are to be perfect. Put 
the sugar and water in the saucepan and 
stir on the stove until all the sugar is 
dissolved. Heat slowly to the boiling 
point and boil gently without stirring. 
The length of time that the syrup should 
boil will depend upon how rich it is to 
be. All syrups are better for boiling from 
10 to 30 minutes. If rich syrups are 
boiled hard, jarred, or stirred, they are 
apt to crystallize. The syrup may be 
made a day or two in advance of canning 
time. The light syrups will not keep 
long unless sealed, the heavy syrups 
keep well if covered well. 
Use of Syrup Gauge 
The syrup gauge is a graduated glass 
tube, with a weighted bulb, that registers 
from no degrees to 50 degrees, and that 
is employed to determine the quantity of 
sugar contained in a syrup. 
If this gauge is placed in pure water 
the bulb will rest on the bottom of the 
cylinder or other container. If sugar be 
dissolved in the water the gauge will be- 
gin to float. The more sugar there is 
dissolved in the water the higher the 
gauge will rise. In making tests it is 
essential that the syrup should be deep 
enough to reach the zero point of the 
gauge. If a glass cylinder holding about 
half a gill is filled to about two-thirds its 
height, and the gauge is then placed in 
the cylinder, the quantity of sugar in the 
syrup will be registered on the gauge. 
Experiments have demonstrated that. 
when sugar is dissolved and heated in 
fruit juice, if the syrup gauge registers. 
25 degrees, the proportion of sugar is 
exactly right for combining with the 
pectin bodies to make jelly. The syrup 
