162 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



partially prepared and finished articles, will, I hope, give you some idea 

 how fruit ought to be treated for glace and crystallising purposes. 



The process of candying or crystallising fruits and flowers is not un- 

 like that of making sugar candy, which is produced by pouring a rather 

 highly concentrated syrup, or solution of sugar, into a large wooden pail, 

 which is fitted up with trays provided with horizontally stretched cotton 

 threads or very thin string. By allowing the syrup to stand undisturbed 

 and covered in this condition for some hours, the strings and sides of the 

 pail or tub will be covered with large crystals, which are sold in this state as 

 sugar candy. The same occurs with fruits, bonbons, or flowers which are 

 to be crystallised, the only difference being that the crystals formed on 

 these goods must be very much smaller and finer : indeed, the formation 

 of large crystals must be avoided as much as possible in these cases ; the 

 best crystals are those when the sugar is deposited in minute crystals 

 which sparkle like diamonds. 



As it is hardly possible to crystallise fruit before it is preserved, I will 

 make some remarks on this subject of preserving. 



The fruit must be firm but not over-ripe, the utensils must be per- 

 fectly clean, and the sugar of best quality. 



As to the selection of fruit, too much attention cannot be paid to 

 this point, because different degrees of ripeness bring about variation in 

 results. Much of the success in preserving fruit depends on the blanching 

 process, which should be continued till the fruit is three parts cooked. 

 By shortening this boiling, the fruit invariably becomes tough and 

 shrivels up in the syrup. 



Fruit, when properly ripened, should be preserved without altering its 

 shape, and should retain its natural size afterwards. The kinds best 

 adapted for crystallising are Pears, Apricots, Greengages, Mirabelles, 

 Chinois, Cherries, Pineapples, and Angelica (which, of course, is not 

 a fruit). Many other kinds of fruit are suitable, but are not so popular 

 as the above. 



The syrup is the all-important factor in preserving as well as in 

 crystallising fruits, and unless it be properly prepared and used no satis- 

 factory result can be hoped for. To make a syrup for crystallising take 

 14 lbs. cane sugar (Tate's No. 1 loaf sugar), put it in a large copper pan 

 with 2 quarts of water, 10 drops of acetic acid, and 1 gill of rectified 

 spirit of wine. Place the pan on the fire, and allow the sugar to dissolve 

 before the mixture boils. During the process of boiling, carefully remove 

 all the scum which rises to the surface by means of a skimmer, and see 

 that the edge and side of the pan are kept perfectly clean. This is best 

 done by the help of a brush dipped in water. Having thus clarified the 

 sugar, boil it to the required thickness to form a syrup. 



To test the syrup put in the saccharometer, or what is known as " pese- 

 sirop " in France. This instrument will enable you to ascertain the exact 

 degree or stage of cooking. It is also called a syrup gauge ; it registers 

 the heat of the sugar from 5-40° of Centig., and the saccharometer registers 

 from 10-400° Fahr. 



Anyone accustomed to boiling sugar can judge the point which the 

 cooking has reached by merely touching it with the fingers, but to those 

 who have not attained this proficiency the use of a saccharometer is 



