by weight. Sweet fruits require less added
sugar to reach this proportion, and purees rich
in pectins and other plant debris (pineapple,
raspberry) require less total sugar for
softening. Many cooks replace a quarter to a
third of the added table sugar (sucrose) with
corn syrup or glucose, which helps soften
without adding as much perceptible
sweetness. The size of the ice crystals, and so
the ice’s coarseness or creaminess, is
determined by the content of sugar and plant
solids, and by agitation during freezing. Sugar
and solids encourage the formation of many
small crystals rather than a few large ones,
and so do stirring and churning (p. 44). Ices
served right from the freezer are relatively
hard and crystalline; allowing them to warm
and thus partly melt produces a softer,
smoother consistency.
Vegetable Stocks A vegetable stock is a water
extract of several vegetables and herbs that