1919 Home made beverages

Syrups

be found to be two pounds avoirdupois to every pint of water or thin aqueous fluid. These proportions allow for the water that is lost by evaporation during the process and are those best calculated to produce syrup of proper consistency and possessing good keeping qualities. They closely correspond to those recommended by Guibourt for the production of a perfect syrup, which, he says, consists of 30 parts of sugar to 16 parts of water. In the preparation of syrup it is of great importance to employ as little heat as possible, as a solution of sugar, even when kept at a temperature of boiling water, under- goes slow decomposition. The best plan is to pour the water (cold) over the sugar and to allow the two to he together for a few hours in a covered vessel, occasionally stirring, and to apply a gentle heat, preferably that of steam or of a water bath, to finish the solution. Syrups are sufficiently boiled when some, taken up in a spoon, pours out like oil, or a drop cooled on the thumb nail gives a proper thread when touched. When a thin skin appears on blowing the syrup, it is judged to be completely satu- rated. These rude tests, however, often lead to errors, which might be easily prevented by employing the proper proportions or determining the specific gravity by immer- sing in the syrup one of Baum6's saccharometers or syrup gauges, as indicated in the following table:

Sugar in 100 parts.

Deg.

BaumS.

Sp. Gr.

1.000 1.020 1.040 1.062 1.081 1.104 1.128 1.152 1.177 1.204 1.230 1.257

3 6 8

5

10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 67

11

13.5 16.3 21.6 24.5 19

27

29.5

32 35

284

1 .

1.321

A fluid ounce of saturated syrup weighs 577 J^ grains; a gallon weighs 13 J^ pounds; its specific gravity is 1.319 25