Or the sweetmeats may be placed in a small basket strainer and put in the sirup, which may be placed in an earthenware or other round bottomed vessel slightly larger in size than the strainer. The whole should be covered tightly and placed in a refrigerator, cellar, or the cold est place attainable. A temperature below the freezing point is desirable.
After standing over night, or about eighteen hours in this temperature, the strainer containing sweetmeats should be lifted from the sirup (which should be drained off), and without being removed from the strainer should be placed in a clean vessel and allowed to dry and com plete the crystallization.
Sirup for Nolds.To prepare 11 sirup for lead molds or starch prints, boil together to the soft ball 2 cup fuls of sugar, 1 large tablespoonful of glucose, cupful of water.
Or test by tangling a yard or more of fine wire in a mass of loops, dip this in the sirup, lift and blow through them, when, if the sirup is done, bubbles will be formed and the sirup will be feathery and fly off in flakes. Now pour on a moistened molding board or on a marble slab to cool. When lukewarm, cream with a wooden paddle and set away in an earthenware bowl covered with sev eral folds of wet cloth. Let stand twenty-four hours or more before using. To use this fondant set the required quantity in an earthenware bowl in a double boiler over Y1, dying fire and stir constantly until melted.
But do not let the fire burn up or the sirup approach the boiling point, as if it simmers or boils it will grain. At this stage add any desired flavor ing or coloring matter.
Sirup for Crystals. Boil 14 pounds of sugar with pint of water to the fine thread, for small crystals, or to the great thread for larger crystals. Remove from the fire and let stand until nearly cold. Sprinkle over the top a little water to dissolve the film which gathers on it. Lay the sweetmeats to be crystallized in shal low pie tins inclined at a slight an gle, and pour over them sirup from a ladle until they are covered. Lay on the top of the sweetmeats two or three folds of damp cloth, to pre vent a crust from forming, and let stand until the sirup crystallizes, which may require several hours. Drain off the sirup, which may be done by laying on top of the cloth another pan of similar size to keep the candies in place, and tilting the vessel to let the sirup escape at the edge. Lay away the candies to dry, leaving the cloth over them, and sprinkling it with water until it is quite damp. The remaining sirup may be preserved and used again for other sweetmeats.
When the candies are dry, hold a cloth tightly to the edges of the pan, turn it upside down on a smooth sur face, and the candies will drop out on the cloth. They may then be sepa rated and wrapped in paper or boxed. They must be kept in a cool, dry place.