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Find us on snoozecast.com and follow us on social media and wherever you listen to podcasts. This episode is brought to you by our Patreon supporters and by Hobby Enthusias Everywhere. Tonight, we'll read excerpts from Candymaking Revolutionized,

Confectionary from Vegetables. Hobby enthusiasts everywhere. Tonight, Wilred excerpts from Candy Making Revolutionized,

Confectionary from Vegetables by Mary Elizabeth Hall,

printed in 1912.

Hall wrote that her hope was that through this book,

the more vegetable candy is made,

the less unhealthful confectionery it will be consumed. Let's get cozy. Close your eyes. Relax your body into the softness of your bed. Now, take a few deep breaths. Introduction When Mary Elizabeth Hall first brought her discovery to my attention, I thought that it was indeed one that would revolutionize candy-making, both that of the amateur at home and of the manufacturer. And in the months that have followed, to this belief has been added to the conviction that this revolution is one very much worthwhile. Why so simple and obvious a discovery was not made long ago is a mystery to me? Perhaps its very simplicity and obviousness is proof of its importance. of cookery,, Candymaking is a branch which is entitled to more dignity than it ordinarily receives. Negatively and positively, the importance of suites to the child can never be overestimated. If he consumes a quantity of impure confectionery, his digestion will be ruined for life. How much of the confectionery bought is rankly impure. It is well for the mother's peace of mind that she does not know. On the other hand, if the child is not given sweets, He is deprived of a food element of the greatest value to his development. And for the adult, the value of pure candy is too obvious to warrant comment. Vegetable candy, to my mind, is ideal confectionery. Of its purity, there can be no doubt. Moreover, it furnishes the valuable element of sugar so combined with nutritious vegetable bases that, because of the bulk, there is no temptation to overeat. This quality of the new confection would seem insurance against its evil effects of gluttony.

Before an undue amount of sugar is consumed, the very mass of the vegetable base has satisfied the appetite. Many sorts of vegetable candy have unusual keeping qualities.

Indeed, some kinds will retain their flavor and moisture for as long as a year. It is significant to note that almost all non-vegetable confections that can be successfully stored for any length of time contain artificial preservatives. Vegetable candy, however, keeps, not because of the addition of alcohol or even benzoate of soda, but because of the excellence of the processes themselves. Notwithstanding its advantages, vegetable candy is no harder to make than as any other good candy. For success in any sort of cookery, much hard work

is necessary. Slip-shod methods and intuition cannot produce food that is up to standard. Of even greater force is this rule when applied to the most delicate brand of cookery, the making of confectionery.

Miss Hall has supplemented her major discovery

by several other valuable discoveries or adaptations as she modestly styles them. Her use of crystallization, for instance, enables the amateur confectioner to secure results which were previously out of her reach. Aside from its virtues from the hygienic, diatetic, and practical points of view, the new confectionery has much to commend it. By utilizing the common and cheap vegetables of the home garden, it gives to the girls and women of the farm and in the village an opportunity that previously was not theirs. This discovery means that they can now make the finer sorts of candy, the fashioning of which was formerly out of the question to women who did not have at their command the resources of the specialty stores of the large city. And plenty of money to spend in them. This enlargement of the culinary horizon of these countless women is not without broad significance. The removal of their limitations, petty and otherwise, if you will, is necessary before we shall cease to tremble, because they who belong on the farm and in the village refuse to stay there. One Spanish, the discontent of the farm woman, and there is no rural problem of consequence. And vegetable candy-making is not without sociological importance because

it is a step, though perhaps a very short one comparatively, in that direction. More definite, however, is another field for speculation in connection with vegetable candy. It offers to the housewife, house daughter, and to the teacher a new modeling medium.

That from a cheap and easily made base attractive objects may be made, and then eaten. Surely is a recommendation of no slight moment. Miss Hall's discovery has placed with an easy reach of persons of moderate means and skill, a medium through which really beautiful objects can be made in candy. For the first time, the amateur candy maker can prove for herself that candy making is not only an art, but that it is one of the fine arts. By Warren Dunham Foster. Potato caramel, number one. Stir well, one pound of sugar, one cup full of milk, one cup full of Irish potato, boiled and sifted as directed before, two tablespoons of butter, and one half teaspoon of salt. Boil until thick. And thin with one half cup full of milk. And again cook until thick. Again thin with one half cup full of milk and cook until the mass is of caramel consistency. Tested in cold water. Stir as little as possible, but be careful that the mass does not stick to the bottom of the kettle. Pour on a well-oiled marble between candy bars. Dry two days, cut in strips, and dry again before finally cutting in squares. Place them in a cold place for several hours, and then wrap them in parchment paper. They keep well. This is the kind of potato caramel that is especially good for chocolate coating, although all of the potato caramels can be chocolate coated. Make the

caramels as above and allow them to dry in the open air for several hours and then cover with chocolate. The process is fully as laborious as it sounds, but the results are more than worth the trouble. The repeated cooking give the characteristic caramel taste and color. The following recipe, however, means less work. Sweet potato. Sweet potatoes used as a basis for candy making should be baked. Boiled sweet potato changes color during the succeeding processes and retains an amount of water that is likely to cause trouble. After baking, the potato should be forced through a fine sieve. Make sure that the sifting process is done so thoroughly that all fibers removed. Sweet potato patties. For the patties, boil until very thick, one pound of granulated sugar, one cup full of sweet potato prepared as above, one half cup full of desiccated coconut, and one half cup full of water. When the mixture has cooked, add one half cup full of bonbon cream, cut into small pieces, stir thoroughly. As the mass begins to set, drop it quickly on wax paper and small drops. Act promptly for the mass sets quickly. The drops will not be smooth. To improve the look of the patties, they may be dipped in a crystal syrup, cooked to 220 degrees, and then dusted with granulated sugar. If they are not wanted immediately, they may be packed for any length of time, not exceeding six weeks, provided they have been finished with the crystal and granulated sugar. Parsnip Crystalization forms the basis of candy making with parsnips. By means of a modification of the old-fashioned French hand method, it's possible to make a confection that is good in itself, useful as the basis for other confections, and of unusually long-keeping qualities. Parsnip candy, though the invention of today, has a pleasing old-fashioned taste in appearance. Candied parsnips. In method of preparation and keeping qualities, they resemble the candied flag root of our grandmother's. They are useful to trim a box of candy. Peel the

parsnips and leave them in cold water for two or three hours. Cut crosswise into very thin slices. Drop the slices into boiling water and let them boil five minutes. After they have thoroughly drained, put them into a syrup made by boiling together one part of water and three parts of granulated sugar. Make sure that the syrup really is a syrup that the sugar and water have thoroughly united. Add the parsnips and boil for 10 minutes. Next comes the use of a novel modification of hand crystallization. A process that the amateur candy maker may well afford to make herself master of, because it's useful for many confections. Obtain a pan with sloping sides into which the drying rack will drop halfway. As the pan must be used for candy making and nothing else, and as the greatest strength is not necessary, a suitable dish can probably be obtained from a 10-cent store. Stir carefully with a wooden paddle in order to make sure that all the pieces are separated and that the hot syrup comes into contact with all the surfaces of the confections. Pour the hot mass over the rack in position in the pan and immediately put a board over the pan. Make sure that the vegetable is evenly distributed. The wood absorbs the moisture while a tin cover would make trouble by causing the steam to condense and drop back onto the candy. Leave the pan undisturbed for 24 hours. Then lift the rack out, pour the syrup into the kettle and cook to 225 degrees. Return the vegetable to the syrup and stir carefully. Each piece must be immersed. The small pieces of candy will be heated through in so very short a time that it is necessary only to make sure that each piece has been thoroughly immersed in the hot syrup. Make sure that the rack is clean and free from particles of the syrup. Thereupon, again pour it over the rack, arranged in the pan as before. Repeat the process four times, each time cooking the syrup two degrees hotter. The result is a slow crystallization which covers the candy so that it is perfectly preserved and very good to taste and look upon. Although the work must be distributed over six days, only a very few minutes are required except upon the first day. Carrot. To the of candy-making, the use of carrots has brought a harmless new color. Formerly, the peculiar yellowish orange of the carrot candy was a shade that the confectioner, amateur or otherwise, could not hope to attain without the use of artificial substances. The statement that carrots are valuable in candy making for their color must not be thought to mean that the confections made from them are not very good to eat. Quite the contrary, carrot candies have a very pleasing flavor. Carrot rings. To make them, peel medium-sized carrots and let them stand several hours in cold water. Cut crosswise into slices about 1 quarter of an inch thick and with a small round cutter or sharp knife remove the center path. Drop the rings into boiling water and cook until tender. After they have thoroughly drained, drop them into a syrup made by boiling one part of water and three parts of sugar to 220 degrees. Boil until the rings become translucent, probably about 10 minutes. Dry on a wire rack, taking care that the rings do not touch. The next day, heat the syrup to 225 degrees, and again dip the rings in dry as before. If desired, when they are dry, fill the centers with bonbon cream or marzipan. When this center has become firm, dip the candy into a syrup cooked to 288 degrees. Even if the centers are not filled, it is well to make this third dipping. The thermometer should, however, register 230 degrees instead of merely 228. Bean Taffy Bean Taffy easily takes the first rank among all taffies vegetable or otherwise. The taste is good beyond words, and the consistency is pleasingly chewy without being tenacious to the point of teeth pulling. Lime abines are the best to use as the basis because the skins can easily be removed, but ordinary dried beans may be substituted if carousetaken. Cover the beans with cold water, let them stand overnight, and the next morning boil them until soft and force through a fine sieve to remove all the skins Boil together two cups full of granulated sugar one half cup full of water a Table spoon full of butter and one half cup full of the beans prepared as above After the mixture has boiled thoroughly add one cup full of milk Add the cup prepared as above. After the mixture has boiled thoroughly, add one cup full of milk. Add the cup full of milk one third at a time. Stir the mixture and let it boil a few minutes after each addition of milk. When the thermometer registers 242 degrees, the mass onto an oiled marble between oiled candy bars so that it will set about 1 1 1.4 inch thick. As with ordinary taffy, cut into pieces of the desired size. Beat. To the candy cook, the discovery that beats make good confectionery brings a new flavor and a new color. One is desirable as the other, and that is saying a great deal. In candy made from beats, there are several new shades of red which previously could not be obtained even by the use of artificial coloring matter. In case the beet color is desired for candies made upon other bases, it can be had very easily. The beet should be boiled until the water is colored red. Then this water may be substituted for the water called for by other recipes and vegetable candy making. The beet color will be given, but the beet flavor will not be. The result is a pleasing color without the use of anything that is artificial. Beet puffs. Cut one medium-sized beet into thin slices. Cover with one half cup full of cold water and cook in a double boiler until soft.

Drain into the liquid thus obtained add 1 pound of sugar, boil 2 or 3 minutes. To this mixture add 1 half cup full of the cooked beet cut into fine pieces. Cook this mass to 240 degrees.

Have ready the whites of two eggs, salted and beat into a stiff froth. Remove from the fire and after the steam has ceased to rise, beat the mixture into the whites of the two eggs. Using a pecan meat to push with, drop this mixture from a teaspoon and small puffs on wax paper, leaving the pecan embedded. This mixture is very foamy and adhesive, sets very quickly and must be handled rapidly. These directions will yield about 5 dozen puffs. A few drops of rose water may be added if a more delicate flavor is desired. Tomato Tomato marshmallow Very often marshmallows. Even the sort sold in candy stores of the better class, contain gums and glucose which the amateur would find difficult to handle even if she felt no scruple in their use. Tomato marshmallows, however, are pleasing in consistency and more attractive in flavor than the old-fashioned kind. Moreover they're easy to make, although it is necessary to give more detailed directions than would be required in the description of the process with which the home candy maker is more familiar. Dissolve three tablespoons full of granulated gelatin in one cup full of hot water. Cook in strain ripe tomatoes. To one half cup full of the strain tomato, add one cup full of sugar and cook the mixture to 230 degrees. Have ready in a deep saucepan, 3 cups full of sugar, moistened with 1 ¼ of a cup full of water. Upon it, strain the tomato syrup, stir well, thin with a cup full of water, and cook to 240 degrees. Set the mass off the fire. Add the gelatin water previously prepared, mix thoroughly and strain into a fresh bowl. Have ready the whites of two eggs beat into a stiff froth. With a French egg whip or a common wooden paddle, beat the cooked mass hard until it is white and does not separate. When it becomes foamy and spongy, gradually add the beaten egg whites and keep beating until the whole mass is very stringy and will almost set on the paddle. Sift upon the mass one tablespoonful of cornstarch, stir well. Pour the candy between candy bars on a marble well-dusted with sugar. Leave 10 or 12 hours, cut into squares, roll well in the sugar, spread the other side up and dry off. Instead of pouring marshmallows between candy bars, they may be molded in cornstarch, store in a tight box. The recipe sounds more laborious than is the process. The repeated boilings are necessary to perfect the product. The acid of the tomato destroys the granularity of the sugar. Straining the mixture eliminates the particles of tomato which, not having blended thoroughly into the syrup, would cause trouble by sticking to the bottom of the saucepan in the later high cooking. Onion-cold tablets By supplying a more wholesome sort of confectionery, vegetable candy, at least in the eyes of its friends, has decreased the need of household remedies for ingestion and similar ailments. On the other hand, the newly discovered candy-making brings a definite contribution to the family medicine chest. From onion can be made tablets that have the virtues assigned to our foremother's cough serups and even are good to eat, according to those who like the flavor of onion. Onion-cold tablets, then, are offered both as a confectionary and as a household remedy. It should be born in mind, however, that no household remedy, however good or tried, takes a place of a physician. The family health is too precious, a commodity to be entrusted to unprofessional hands.

To make the tablets, cut into thin slices, two ounces of raw onion about half of a good sized onion. Work the onion into two cups full of sugar and let the mixture stand for two hours. Add 2 thirds of a cup full of water. Place the mass on the fire and let it come just to a boil. Strain the syrup, so made into a granite saucepan and add one teaspoon full of vinegar and the amount of red pepper that the point of a knife will hold. Place the mixture on the fire, and when the mass begins to boil, put a wooden cover over the pan. Continue the boiling for several minutes, thoroughly steam down the side of the pan. By steaming down the side of the pan, it is meant confining the steam, which rises from cooking so that it will free the sides of the pan from the accumulation of the mass that is cooking. Remove the cover, insert a thermometer, and cook the mass to 335 degrees. Prepare a pondster in one tablespoon of butter, remove the mass from the fire, add one teaspoon full of salt, and baking soda the size of a large pea. For preserving, pack the tablets in tin boxes. For those who do not like so much red pepper, the quantity may be regulated to suit. The amount of onion used may also be decreased or diminished as the taste of the candy maker dictates. Decorative candies. 1. From potato paste. Now that they use a vegetable basis is reduced to principles, the amateur confectioner need have no difficulty in working out in candy, attractive and novel design suitable to all special days and uses. And the best of it is, thanks to such a humble vegetable as a potato, she can follow her own ideas and fashion in confectionery a pattern that is all her own. Moreover, she can take comfort in the thought that in her product there is none of the highly injurious ingredients., unfortunately all too common in some decorative candies. As the foundation for one sort of decorative confectionery, potato paste must be made. Steam or boil Irish potatoes, drain them, and force them through a fine sieve, the finer the better. With one half cup full of Irish potato, so prepared, mix one tablespoonful of cornstarch. Gradually and carefully, work in enough confectioner sugar so that the mixture can be rolled. The imagination of the candy maker will suggest special designs for special occasions. The fancy of the confectioner will suggest many attractive original forms. Besides the traditional red and white hearts for St. Valentine's Day, the green shamrock for March 17th and the hatchet for Washington's birthday, Christmas, New Year's, Easter, Memorial day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Halloween, and innumerable local holidays like Bunker Hill Day and Patriots Day of Massachusetts. All of these special occasions offer abundant opportunity to the candy maker who realizes that from the past can be made representations of anything from a firecracker to a regiment of soldiers. Cookie cutters may also be used indefinitely. What child would not like candy in the form of stars, dogs, horses, and trees? you you you