SC - Julleran's Sugar/Candy Glass

[Kathleen M Everitt]

On Sat, 13 Sep 1997 07:34:42 -0500 (CDT) alysk at ix.netcom.com (Elise
Fleming ) writes:
>Julleran wrote:
>
>> I saw a science program for kids called Beakman's World and he gave 
>a 
>>recipe for making sugar "glass" like they use in movies. It used Karo 
>
>>syrup. How did they make it in period? I saw a documentary on Lorenzo 
>
>>Medici and they said that he had a lot of things made from candy 
>glass 
>>at his wedding. I've always wondered how it was done.
>
>The Manuscrito Anonimo in Cariadoc's Collection tells about melting 
>sugar and making all things with which to furnish a castle (also made 
>of sugar).  I can print out the reference if it's wanted.


Yes, please. My collection of period cookbooks is expanding, but so far,
I only have the most accessible of reprints!  


>
>Curye on Inglysch, Book V: Goud Kokery, #13, has "To make suger 
>plate." 
> Sugar is melted to a specific temperature and removed from the fire 
>and stirred until it turns from its brown color to yellow. (The sugar 
>must not have been pure white to start with...probably "cooking" sugar 
>
>would have been of a less-fine quality than what would have been 
>served 
>"upstairs".  It is then turned out onto a marble stone with rice flour 
>
>shaken on it.  You pour the sugar out as thin as you want, the thinner 
>
>the better for plates.  In traditional after-the-fact style it is 
>noted 
>that you can add any kinds of leaves (petals) cut small when you first 
>
>remove the syrup from the fire and begin to stir it.  Presumably this 
>will color the syrup somewhat and may also add a slight flavor.  It is 
>
>also noted that you can add rosewater.  If you want it red you can use 
>
>clean, washed turnsole at the first boiling.
>
>I have discovered that working with sugar syrup takes a lot of 
>practice.  One might "luck out" the first time trying this but 
>subsequent repetitions might lead to "failures."  I would be extremely 
>
>supportive of anyone who would like to go into sugar sculpture and 
>cookery as a specialty!  FYI, recipe 15 tells about making "images in 
>sugar" and gives colors to _paint_ on.
>
>A good place to start playing with melted sugar is to get a good candy 
>
>book from the library.  I found an excellent one in a used book store, 
>
>put out by Time-Life books.  It has detailed instructions, 
>step-by-step 
>pictures, and information on why or how something might go wrong.  (I 
>can't tell you how many batches of fruit pastes have refused to set 
>until I "messed" with them!)
>
>Someone from Ansteorra taught a class at Pennsic around Pennsic 17, 
>18, 
>or 19 on making stained glass from melted sugar.  While a stained 
>glass 
>window wouldn't be "period", the melting of the sugar, pouring it into 
>
>a mold to make an image, or pouring it into a square shape to make a 
>trencher, would.
>
>I saw a reference to one of the English coronations (Henry V or VI? 
>The 
>child one, I believe) where there were crowns with jewels that shone 
>like enamels.  My guess is that these might have been poured from 
>melted sugar (the jewels, at least).  Can we get some tinsmiths to 
>make 
>some simple molds that sugarworkers can use for flat forms??

Would candy molds that you can buy at art stores work, or are they just
for chocolates which I imagine would have lower temperatures than melted
sugar? 

Most of my experience with candy is with fudge, but several of us have
been talking about trying some of the fancier period confections. We had
a long discussion at our Michaelmas event yesterday about doing an above
the salt/below the salt feast next year and we came up with a lot of
ideas for subtleties and deserts, but no know-how.


>Alys Katharine
>

Julleran
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