1st. I made very good grape syrup, following the process of Mr. Parmentier, which is literally as follows.
Preparation of Grape Syrup.
“You take twenty-four [French] pints of grape juice and put one half of it in a boiler placed on the fire, with the precaution of not suffering it to boil with too much force. You add fresh juice as that in the boiler evaporates; you skim it and stir the surface, to add to the evaporation. When the whole of the juice has been put into the boiler, you skim it, you take the boiler off the fire, and add some lye-ashes tied up in a cloth, or whiting (blanc d’Espagne, Spanish, or Troy-white), or chalk reduced to a powder, and first diluted in a little grape juice, until it no longer effervesces, or, as it were, boils in the liquor which was shaken.
“By these means, the acid contained in the grape, is separated and neutralized. In order to try the liquor, put blue paper into it, and when it does not turn red, then you may be satisfied that the liquor is no longer acid. Replace the boiler on the fire, after having let it settle an instant, and put in two whites of beaten eggs. Strain the liquor through a woollen cloth, fixed on a wooden frame of twelve or fifteen square inches, so that it occupies little room; then boil again, and continue the evaporation.
“In order to know whether the syrup be sufficiently condensed, let some drop from a spoon upon a plate: if the drop falls without spirting or spreading, or if when divided, the halves run into each other again but slowly, then you may infer that it has acquired the proper consistency.
“Pour it into an earthen vessel which is not varnished; and when completely cold, transfer it to vessels of a moderate size, neat, dry, and well corked; and placed it in the cellar. A bottle once opened, should not remain long only half filled; and when you make use of it, take care to hold the neck downwards.
“It is hardly possible to determine precisely, the quantity of chalk or ashes necessary to be used. Less is required in the South than in the North, but at all events, more than is necessary will do no harm, since it remains upon the straining cloth with the other insoluble salts and the skim.