non-crystalline solid remains. This contains from 72 to 99.4 per cent. of dextrose, and without doubt some caramelization has taken place in those products which are most concentrated. This gives the latter a brownish color, and the product is often used for making "glucose" or "grape" sugar vinegar, which is thus colored to imitate cider vinegar, and yet contains no "added color." Glucose is put on the market in various degrees of concentration known as "A," "B," and "C." Formerly in the process of making glucose and grape sugar sulfuric acid was used to hydrolize the starch, instead of hydrochloric and marble dust was added to produce calcium sulfate, and thus neutralize the free acid. The calcium sulphate was removed by settling and filtration. Among the other products of the glucose factories are “mixing glucose," used in making table sirups (see p. 129) “jelly glucose" and "confectioners" glucose. Glucose as Food Glucose products are considered wholesome. In a report to the National Academy of Science,1 the statement is made that "starch sugar is in no way inferior to cane sugar in healthfulness, there being no evidence before the committee that maize or starch sugar, either in a normal condition or fermented, has any deleterious effect upon the system, even when taken in large quantities." The chief adulteration to which glucose is liable, is that it may contain a considerable quantity of sulfites, which are used in bleaching. If it is absolutely necessary to use sulfur dioxide or sulfites in the process of manufacture, an excess should be very carefully avoided, as this substance is not a wholesome constituent of food. Glucose is very extensively used in the arts. It is a constituent of many table sirups; it is used in the manufacture of "white wine" vinegar; it is used as a sweetening substance in canned goods, jams and jellies; it takes the place of cane sugar in making 1 1 Report to U. S. Government by National Acad. Science, 1884. caramel, and in confectionery; it is used in making artificial honey and as a substitute for malt in brewing. Glucose has not as great sweetening power as cane sugar. Some authors state that the relation is about as 3 to 5. The author found that I pound of cane sugar was equivalent to 1 1/3 pounds of glucose.1 In some states the contention was made that the term corn sirup," was not a proper name to apply to a glucose product. A sirup is made by concentrating a natural juice or sap, but the starch product is entirely artificial. Again, it was said that on account of the prejudice of the public against the term "glucose the word "corn" was used. It was held that the term corn sirup could be properly applied only to a sirup made by concentrating the juice of the corn stalk, and not to an artificial product which may be made, and indeed often is made from potato starch rather than from corn starch. This matter has been in litigation for some time, but by the ruling of the U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, the term "corn sirup" can be used in describing this glucose product. The total amount of glucose and of grape sugar made annually in the United States is 1,000,000,000 pounds, and in this industry no less than 50,000,000 bushels of corn are used. This is nearly all made in a few factories which control the output. The use of glucose sirup is rapidly increasing, especially since cane sugar has been so scarce. MANNA Manna is a saccharine substance exuding from various trees. The substance usually called manna, however, is from the juice of the fraxinus ornus, a species of ash which is grown in Sicily and other parts of southern Europe. The juice which exudes from slits made in the stem of the young tree, when it is dried, is known as "flake" manna. It has a sweetish taste and characteristic odor and contains a crystallizable sugar called "mannite" (C,H,(OH)。), and several uncrystallizable sugars. It is used in medicine as a laxative. 1 First Quar. Rep. 1885, K. St. Bd. Ag. SOURCES AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURE OF MOLASSES AND SIRUPS It is well to distinguish carefully between molasses and sirup. Properly speaking molasses or treacle as it is called in England, is the liquor which remains when a saccharine juice has been concentrated to the point of crystallization, and some of the sugar has been crystallized out. The "mother liquor," as the chemist would call it, from which the sugar has crystallized is the molasses. It contains besides sucrose, some of the uncrystallizable sugar of the original juice, and all the "invert" sugar produced in the process of manufacture; besides this all soluble impurities and the mineral salts of the original juice here present in a somewhat concentrated condition. Sirup, on the other hand, is the product obtained by the simple evaporation of the original juice, from which no sugar has been removed. So we may have " sugar-cane" sirup, "sorghum" sirup and "maple" sirup. Open Pan Molasses In the primitive process of sugar making the defecated juice was boiled down in open pans or kettles, and passing from one to another as it reached a certain degree of concentration, was finally run into shallow tanks and stirred until it became a crystalline mass of sugar and molasses. This was put into hogsheads provided with holes in the bottom, and allowed to drain for some time. The resulting product, called "muscavado" or "raw sugar" was put upon the market, and the molasses which ran into cisterns beneath the hogsheads was shipped as "New Orleans" molasses. This process has now been practically abandoned, as not enough sugar was obtained to make it profitable. Sugar Cane Molasses In the manufacture of sugar by the vacuum process, as the drippings and workings of the first masse cuite are boiled down to make a second sugar, and often the drippings from this are boiled to make a third masse cuite-the third molasses necessarily contains all the impurities of a considerable amount of juice. There are present also, besides uncrystallizable sugar, mineral salts and 'organic matter. The last molasses on the plantation, is called "black strap" and is fermented to make alcohol, or used in the manufacture of mule feed by mixing it with ground grains and alfalfa, in such proportions as to form a "balanced" ration. On account of the large amount of impurities contained it is not fit for human food. Sugar Cane Sirup An "open pan sirup," or "sugar cane sirup" which is very satisfactory, and should take the place of the molasses described in the previous paragraph is now made in many of the Southern States, especially Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Texas. This sirup is made by simply clarifying and evaporating the sugar cane juice to a consistency where 25 or 30 per cent. of water remains, and a product is obtained that keeps reasonably well. During the process the scum is carefully removed, and the final sirup is strained. No lime or sulfur is used in the process and, in fact, these chemicals are not necessary. Sulfur fumes are often used in products of this kind to bleach the material, but there is really no reason why a lighter colored product should be preferred, and the sulfuring certainly injures the flavor. Many southern manufacturers still contend that the use of sulfur and lime are essential to produce a product that keeps well and does not crystallize.2 Sugar House Molasses (Refined Molasses) In the process of sugar refining, which has already been referred to, a molasses remains after the crystallization of the third sugar, which is extensively used in making commercial sirups, 1U. S. Dept. of Agri., Bur. of Chem. Bull. No. 70, 103. 2 La. Bull. No. 129. as a flavor, or to disguise the glucose taste. This molasses is of a much lighter color than the product from the sugar factory (black strap), but contains a very large amount of soluble organic substances not sugar, and considerable mineral impurity. It is not a suitable food, unless used in the small quantities previously stated. Sorghum Sirup One of the common sirups in use is that made from the sorghum (Sorghum saccharatum) or Chinese cane. It appears that the sorghum plant originally grew wild throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the Old World. Although very extensive experiments have been made under the direction of the U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, especially in Kansas, in the "eighties" it has not been found practical to use this juice for the manufacture of sugar. In some of the states of the Middle West, Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Kansas and Texas, sorghum is grown extensively for the manufacture of sirup for local use. During and soon after the Civil War this industry was also carried on through the Eastern and Middle Atlantic States, on account of the high price of sugar, but more recently it has greatly declined. In 1879 more sorghum sirup was made in the United States, viz.: 28,500,ooo gallons, than ever before, but in 1919 33,315,800 gallons was made. It is evident that on account of the cane sugar shortage, sorghum sirup is again coming into the market. Sorghum sirup is easily made on a small scale, as the cane can be grown as readily as corn and is easily crushed in a small mill run by horse power. The juice is evaporated in a series of shallow pans which allow skimming in the earlier stages of boiling. The addition of a little lime to the juice, and filtering of the decanted semi-sirup are recommended. Although this sirup is wholesome and nutritious, on account of its peculiar flavor it is not considered palatable by those unaccustomed to its use. It contains 1U. S. Dept. Agri. Farmers' Bull. No. 477. U. S. Dept. of Agri., Farmers' Bull. No. 90, No. 135. |