Fourth. To butter the hands well when pulling candies.
Fifth. That "soft ball," "hard ball," "thread," and "brittle" mean the different stages sugar reaches while cooking.
When a little syrup dropped in cold water can be easily worked between the thumb and finger, it is a "soft ball;" when it is firm and solid, it is a "hard ball;" when it drops from the spoon into a fine thread, it is called "thread;" and when it becomes so hard it will break, it is called "brittle."
Sixth. Never to stir hard candies (unless told to do so) after ingredients are well mixed and have reached the point where the syrup "threads."
Seventh. That uncooked foundation cream and fondant cream can be made into all sorts of candies.
Eighth. That pretty, harmless colorings may be made from the following: different shades of red and pink from the juice of raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, elderberries and cranberries; yellow from saffron; and green from spinach and beet leaves bruised and boiled in a very little water.
So Betsey followed every instruction carefully and these are the candies "Betsey Bobbitt" learned to make.
Betsey chose to make the hard candies first, and mother told her she had chosen well as the cool fall and cold winter weather were much better for these candies as they did not become so sticky and hard to handle as in warm weather. One thing in particular mother impressed upon Betsey's mind was this: it would be much easier to have all the materials and utensils, used in making the candy, ready, before the cooking began; and another equally important thing was to wash all the dishes and pans and leave everything tidy and in order when finished.