SC - Re: comfits

[Cindy Renfrow]

Hello!  There are several illustrations of a confectioner's shop in
Diderot's Encyclopedia (ISBN 0-486-27429-2).  They apply a coating of gum
arabic & then successive coats of sugar syrup & gum arabic.  The coating is
done on a large flat pan hung by chains from the ceiling so it can be moved
back & forth freely (over a pot of coals).  A cone/funnel full of sugar
syrup hangs above the pan & drips into the pan.  Each coating is allowed to
harden before the next is applied.

Yours in haste
Cindy/Sincgiefu

>At 09
>>Date: Fri, 7 Nov 1997 18:19:25 -0500 (EST)
>>From: DianaFiona at aol.com
>>Subject: Re: SC - Re: candied ginger)
>>
>>In a message dated 97-11-07 04:14:21 EST, you write:
>>
>><<
>> I don't know specifically about comfits, but the recipe for candied peel
>> says spread them out to dry. Also, rolling them in sugar keeps them from
>> sticking, not make them stick together. I always roll my peel in sugar if
>> I'm in a hurry or it's really humid. I would imagine it would work the
>> same way for candied seeds. Roll them in sugar, spread them on cookie
>> sheets and let them dry, turning with a spatula occassionally to keep
>> them from sticking to the pan. Try putting them in the oven after you
>> turn it off from baking something. You don't want to bake them, but the
>> residual heat will help them dry out.
>>
>>  >>
>>     Sure, that's fine for something as large as citrus peels, but the seeds
>>are relatively tiny, so separating them one by one would be a major task! I'm
>>afraid of ending up with the "seed brittle" someone mentioned........ ;-)
>>
>
>It seems to me that what is needed here is a tool to help you keep the seeds
>seperate while handling them. What I have in mind is a piece of pierced tin
>or aluminum, (pierced with a tiny nail, a great many times, with the holes
>very close together). Use it with the prongs facing up. Syrup will drain out
>the holes, the seeds will stay seperated by the prongs, and you can
>repeatedly ladel the suckers with syrup without losing all of them through
>the holes. You'd end up with "bundles" of comfits, but that may be easier
>when doing things in bulk.
>
>Alternatively (and this was my first idea), a clean board hammered through
>with hundreds of non-galvanized nails set very close together might work.
>Sift the seeds over the nails, and then ladle on the syrup. Drain. Dump out
>to let dry. Sift over again, ladle syrup......
>
>Just a thought. The brain is in overdrive this a.m.
>
>
>Aoife
>
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