To Ascertain the Degree of the Blow.—Continue the boiling of the sugar, dip a skimmer in it, and shake it over the pan, then blow through the holes, and if small bubbles or air-bladders are seen on the other side, it has acquired this degree.
The Feather.—Dip the skimmer again into the sugar, and blow through the holes as before, and the bubbles will appear larger, and stronger. Or if you give the skimmer a sudden jerk, so as to throw the sugar from you, when it has acquired the degree, it will appear hanging from the skimmer in fine long strings.
CANDY.
Sugar, after it has passed the degree of the feather, is of itself naturally inclined to grain; that is, to candy, and will form a powder, if agitated or stirred; for, as the boiling is continued, so is the water evaporated until there is nothing left to hold it in solution; therefore, that body being destroyed by heat, which first changed its original form to those we have already enumerated, as this no longer exists with it, it naturally returns to the same state as it was before the solvent was added, which is that of minute crystals, or grains, being held together by the attraction of cohesion, unless, as before stated, they are separated by stirring, etc.
The sugar being evaporated by boiling from the last degree, leaves a thin crust of crystals round the sides of the pan, which shows it has attained the candy height; and this crust must be carefully removed (as it forms) with a damp cloth or sponge, or the whole mass will candy if suffered to remain. To prevent this is the chief desideratum, all further proceedings for which specific rules will be given in their proper places.
The remaining degrees can be ascertained after the following manner:
The Ball.—Provide a jug of clean cold water, and a piece of round stick. First dip in the water, then in the sugar, and again in the water,[A] take off the sugar which has adhered to it, and endeavor to roll it into a ball between the finger and thumb, in the water; when this can be done, it has attained the desired degree. If it forms a large, hard ball, which will bite hard, and adhere to the teeth, when eaten, it is then termed the large ball, et contra.
[A] This should be performed as speedily as possible.
The Crack.—Follow the directions given for the ball. Slip the sugar from off the stick, still holding it in the water, then press it between the finger and thumb; if it breaks short and crisp, with a slight noise, it is at the crack.