Agriculture of Pennsylvania Volume 6 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1883 Excerpt: ...of bacon. When the kettle was full, it would boil up and touch them, and would sink down again; it would not run over the sides, or the lips of the sides of the kettle. Mr. Musselman. That is pretty much the way we boil sugar. We do not have any trouble, generally, until we come to stir off; then we sometimes have trouble to keep it in the kettle. Sugar makers who understand their business have persons around, so it is kept running in continually. Then there is not that trouble. People who do not go into the business have not the bacon and improvements; and where they have not the improvements--where there is not a stream as thick as my finger continually, when they come to stir off to make the sugar, for instance, they generally have some trouble. Dr. Roland. Is there any possibility of boiling the syrup thicker? Mr. Musselman, Yes, sir; you can boil it as thick as honey. You can boil it so it will become sugar of itself in a few days. Dr. Roland. Why is it, that when it is purchased in stores it is as thin as water? Mr. Musselman. I think you do not get any Somerset county maple syrup as thin as water. We have a great deal of water, but we do not water our syrup; it is simply boiled down. If you want good sugar, get sugar of the "first run "--that is, of the beginning of the season. The best syrup, or sugar, is of the first run--that is, if you want that of peculiarly rich flavor. If you buy the sugar, you can make your molasses or your syrup as you want it. If you make sugar of the first run, it will soon granulate for you; the first run of sap will easily go to sugar. Most of the molasses that is made with us, is generally near the end of the season, when is running what we call " regular sap;" but when you want to get a clear and de...