HOW TO USE THE THERMOMETER.

Thermometer

The first thing necessary for you to do is to test your thermometer. They are supposed to register exactly 212 degrees in boiling water, as this is the standard they are made by; but in different altitudes, water boils at different degrees, so they are very liable to vary somewhat. The different degrees given in this book, to which it is necessary to cook the candies to, are based on the supposition that your thermometer registers exactly 212 in boiling water; so that if it registers either higher or lower than that, you must allow for the difference.

Learn to read it accurately the first thing you do. Put some water in a kettle on the fire, and as soon it comes to a boil, set your thermometer down in it with the bottom of the thermometer as near the center of the pan as possible, and let it lean over against the side. Let it remain there for a few moments and then look and see what it registers, and if it is exactly 212, always cook every recipe in this book to just the degree called for. It does not matter how long you let it remain in the boiling water, it will never go any higher after it comes to a good boil. The reason is this, that the water will evaporate if you allow it to boil long enough, and consequently it can never get any hotter. In candy there are other substances which, as the water evaporates, keep getting hotter and retain the heat, and for that reason the mercury in the thermometer will naturally rise higher than 212.

If your thermometer registers lower than 212 degrees in boiling water, notice very carefully just how many degrees it is off, and simply deduct that many degrees from the number given, to which each recipe must be cooked.

If it registers higher than 212, add the number of degrees it registers over 212, to the amount given for each recipe. For example: Supposing your thermometer should register 209 in boiling water. It would consequently be three degrees too low, and in cooking your candy, simply deduct three degrees from the number called for in the recipe. That is, if you are making fondant, which called for 240 degrees, only cook to 237, and it will be exactly the same as it would be, if you cooked it to 240 with a thermometer registering 212 in boiling water. In case your thermometer registers over 212, simply add the difference in the same manner as we have directed you to deduct, in case it was too low.

To avoid mistakes and spoiled candy, we would advise you to mark each recipe as soon as you have tested your thermometer.

In using it in candy, put it in the kettle just the same as directed for testing in boiling water, and it is always necessary to have enough candy in your kettle to come up over the bulb, or it will not register accurately. We mean by this, that if you cook only a small amount of candy, you must put it in a small kettle, so it will be deep enough to cover the bulb of the thermometer.

If the candy should cook up on the thermometer so it would cover the degree to which you intend it, just raise the thermometer a little, being very careful not to lift the bulb out of the syrup, wet your finger, pass it over the glass tube, and you will have no trouble in reading it.

In cooking fudge and such candies in which you use milk or cream, they will always boil up high on your thermometer at first, but by the time it is cooked enough to register the right degree, you will find it has boiled down enough, so the degree mark will be above the syrup, but you must wet your finger and wipe off the glass before you can read it.

When cooking candies that require stirring, occasionally slide the thermometer around the kettle and stir where it stood, to prevent scorching, being very careful not to lift the bulb out of the syrup.

While the thermometer is tested, and is subject to sudden changes of heat, it is always advisable to warm it slightly before putting it into the boiling syrup. The thermometer is too expensive to take any risks. There is no danger of its breaking when put into the boiling syrup, for that is the use for which it is intended.

Always remember when making candy, that as soon as the thermometer registers the right degree, lift it out of the syrup very quickly, and set it in a pan of water and get your batch off the fire as soon as possible. You must move quickly, or the candy is liable to go up one or two degrees and that is sufficient to spoil your batch.

Never put it in cold water after taking it out of the batch, but have a pan of warm water ready so you can set it in as soon as your batch is done. This will keep your stove from getting smeared and also protect your thermometer. The thermometer will never make a mistake if you read it correctly.

Few people are aware that professional candy-makers use a thermometer, and are under the impression, that all candies are tested in cold water, better known as the hand test. Until a few years ago, the candy thermometer was almost unknown and candy makers everywhere used the hand test; but when the thermometer was introduced for candy-making, they were quick to see the possibilities of such an invention and abandoned the water test, because by cooking with a thermometer, the candy was always the same, no batches too hard or too soft, as was the case with the old way.

We will give you the different hand test degrees as compared with the degrees on a thermometer:

Hand Test.Thermometer.
Pearl220°
Small Thread228°
Large Thread236°
Blow240°
Feather242°
Small or Soft Ball244°
Large or Hard Ball250°
Small or Light Crack254°
Hard Crack284°