suo
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( 346 )
the moift granular fugar, fnnilar to that calledin this country Lijhon fugar, which is highlyagreeable and ufeful, though it is far fliort ofthe purity of the loaf fugar. The clayed orLifbon fugar is made in the following way: Aquantity of fugar from the cooler, inlfead ofgoing to the common curing houfe, is put intoconical earthen pots with the points (perfo-rated with a fmall hole) fet downwards andimmeried a little way in other earthen jars toreceive the drippings. This hole is at firftclofed with a plug, till the warm thick fugarliquor has becoine folid by cooling, which isknown by the cruft at top falling in. The plugis then drawn, and the fyrup allowed to draininto the pots below for ten or twelve hours.After this, fome clay mixed with water to thethicknefs of cream is poured on the top of thecongealed fugar, and the water from the clayoozing down through the fugar, carries outwith it. at the plug hole, molt of the melaffesthat the mere draining would not feparate.The claying is repeated a fecond or third time,by which the fugar remaining beneath it ismade very white and pure.. The'pots remainfor twenty days in this fituatipn, after, whichthe fugar is taken out, driest in the fun forfome hours, and then takeft to a large ftove-room, where it is kept in a pretty ftrong heatfor three weeks. b
The Cochin Ghinefe prepare a very excellentmoift fugar remarkably cheap, by a very Ampleprocefs which afts fimilar to the claying. 0 Thegrained fugar after the grofs fyrup has drainedoff from it, and it has become eonfiderablyfolid, is placed in layers of about an inch thick,under layers of equal dimenfions of the herba-ceous trunk of' the plantain tree, the watery-iuices exfuding from which, aft-like claying,and leave the fugar very white, and porous-like a honeycomb. It is fufficiently pure todiffolve in water without-leaving' any fediment.
All thefe methods however will-not producea hard white-grained full-bodied fugar com pa-rable to the fineft loaf-fugar as is made-in thiscountry, for the moift fugars are ftill confider-ab-ly loaded with melaffes,.- and are particularlyinferior to the loaf in preferving all- kinds offruits, and vegetables.
The following is the general method ofmaking loaf-fugar in England, which is on- thewhole extremely Ample in theory, though a-good deal of fkill is required in the manage-ment .
The raw fugar is firft coarfe'y ground, and* Did. d’Hift. Nat. Aiticle Camn.
about three hoglheads of it are put into a cop*-per pan and diffolved in lime-water. Somecoagulable fubftance is then ufed to clarify it.The whites of eggs are on the whole the beftfor this purpofe, and large quantities of fea-birds’ eggs ufed to be imported into London for the purpofe, but being expenfive, bullocks’ -blood is now almoft univerfally fubftituted to'eggs which is mixed thoroughly with the dif-folved fugar. It is then brought nearly to-boiling, during which the blood coagulates andcarries Jup with it, in the form-of a tough fcum rmolt of the impurities cf the fugar. This*feum is feparated by draining the whole through-a blanket, and the clear liquid is now fit to beboiled down. This evaporation is performed-in the copper pans at a boiling heat, a neceffary-inconvenience of which, however, is that the-heat required gives a dark colour to the mafs,which mull eonfiderably lengthen the futureoperations. The fugar-boiler judges by the'appearanc# and thread of the fyrup when it isboiled enough, at which time it is very thickand rich, and its boiling temperature is about232°. It is then let off into a large cooler, and;when it is judged to be fufficiently cooled, it isftirred for a confiderable time with wooden-paddles fixed to long poles till, the fugar begins-to granulate, and- the whole mixture to become*thick and opake. This occurs when the tem-perature has fallen to about 190°,. and it is then*-fit to be poured into the moulds. Thefe arelarge conical earthen pots with a hole through'the clofed or fmaller end, and of different fizes,thofe intended for the fine loaf fugar holding"about iq, or 12 lbs. of fyrup, and about twice*as much for the inferior lump fugar. Each of'thefe has its earthen jar beneath, into which it *defeends low enough to be firmly fupported, and-which is intended to receive the drainings* of:the fyrup or treacle. The-moulds with thefe pots-'are ranged in clofe rows in all the ftories offthe building above the ground floor (where the-pans and furnaces are fixed) and the wholehoufe is heated by iron flues, to keep up a 1pretty warm temperature during the whole-time that the fugar is preparing.
The fyrup, thickened-by ftirring, and cooled'down to about 19oV is then p&ured into themoulds, the bottom hole being firft pluggedup, and in about four hours the contents havehardened into a folid mafs of fugar, except aportion of uncongealable fyrup which remains-at the bottom. I he plug is then withdrawn,and the fugar in the mould is allowed to drain