What does it mean to cook the sugar syrup to the "soft crack"?

It is an old term for a sugar-cooking stage: the sugar and water (250 g sugar and 2½ dl water) are reduced until the syrup is so thick that a drop sets and cracks easily when cooled in cold water. Then the syrup has enough concentration for the apples to become glazed.

How are the apples prepared?

The apples are peeled, quartered, and the cores cut away. Then the pieces are cooked soft in the hot sugar syrup.

How is the dish served?

The apple pieces are arranged in a platter or dish, and the remaining sugar syrup is poured over. The recipe is from Henriette Schønberg Erken's "Stor kokebok" (1914), p. 475, and is counted as 6 servings with around 35 minutes of total time.

Apples in Caramel

Name: Apples in Caramel
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Norwegian
Ingredients: 6 pcs apples (firm, tart); 250 g sugar; 2.5 dl water

Apples in caramel from Erken's Stor kokebok 1914: apple wedges are cooked soft in a sugar syrup cooked to the "soft crack" (250 g sugar, 2.5 dl water) and served with the syrup over.

Source: Henriette Schønberg Erken, Stor kokebok, 1914-utg. s. 475 (falt i det fri)

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About the dish

One of several simple apple desserts in the dessert chapter of "Stor kokebok." Here the apple wedges are cooked in a sugar syrup cooked to the "soft crack" – an old term for a particular stage in sugar cooking (about 135–140 °C (285 °F)).

How to make it

1
Cut the apples
Peel the apples, quarter them, and remove the cores.
2
Cook the sugar syrup
Cook the sugar and water until the syrup reaches the "soft crack," about 135–140 °C (285 °F).
3
Cook the apples
Put the apple wedges in the sugar syrup and cook them soft, but so that they hold their shape.
4
Arrange
Arrange the apples in a dish and pour the hot syrup over.

Changes from the original

The quantity of apples is not given in the original; an estimate of 6 apples has been set. Deciliters are used as the unit, and the "soft crack" is explained with a temperature.

Time machine – what changed?

Pick two editions and see what Henriette Schønberg Erken added, removed or changed between them.

From1914 1949 Modernised

To1914 1949 Modernised

1914 (proofread, p. 475) → Modernised~86% of the text changedremovedadded

6 stk epler (faste, syrlige). 250 ~~gr. sukker 2½ del. vand epler. Eplerne skrælles, skjæres~~ g sukker. 2,5 dl vann. Skrell eplene, del dem i fire ~~dele, kjernehuset tages bort. 250 gr.~~ og fjern kjernehuset.. Kok sukker og ~~2½ del. vand koker~~ vann til lakene når «det lille ~~knæk»,~~ knekk», ca. 135–140 °C.. Legg eplebåtene i sukkerlaken og ~~heri kokes eplerne møre. Lægges op,~~ kok dem møre, men slik at de holder formen.. Legg eplene opp i en skål og hell den varme saften ~~heldes~~ over.

Note on Modernised

Mengden epler er ikke oppgitt i originalen; det er satt et anslag på 6 epler. Desiliter er brukt som enhet, og «det lille knæk» er forklart med temperatur.

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Frequently asked questions

What does it mean to cook the sugar syrup to the "soft crack"?: It is an old term for a sugar-cooking stage: the sugar and water (250 g sugar and 2½ dl water) are reduced until the syrup is so thick that a drop sets and cracks easily when cooled in cold water. Then the syrup has enough concentration for the apples to become glazed.
How are the apples prepared?: The apples are peeled, quartered, and the cores cut away. Then the pieces are cooked soft in the hot sugar syrup.
How is the dish served?: The apple pieces are arranged in a platter or dish, and the remaining sugar syrup is poured over. The recipe is from Henriette Schønberg Erken's "Stor kokebok" (1914), p. 475, and is counted as 6 servings with around 35 minutes of total time.

Equipment for this dish

Cooking thermometer →Erken boiled sugar “to the thread” and “to the ball” – a thermometer hits the right temperature.Foodstuff.no

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