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Pineapple Syrup (II)
American Concentrated Pineapple Syrup, 1 quart; (Plain Syrup, 3 quarts; American Fruit Acid, 1 ounce.
This is a dispensing formula rather than a domestic recipe: three trade preparations blended by volume to make a gallon of finished fountain syrup. Two of the three are proprietary products that no longer exist under those names, so the useful part is the ratio.
- What the proportions meanOne part concentrated pineapple syrup to three parts plain syrup, with acid added at 1 ounce to the finished gallon. That 1:3 dilution is the number worth keeping; everything else is substitution.
- Plain syrupFountain "plain" or "simple" syrup was heavier than modern bar syrup, typically a saturated or near-saturated sugar solution rather than an equal-parts one. A 1:1 syrup will give a thin, undersweet result at this dilution.
- American Concentrated Pineapple SyrupA supply-house product: a sweetened, heat-treated pineapple extract or juice concentrate bought ready-made by the dispenser. Canned pineapple juice reduced with sugar is the nearest modern stand-in, and it will be less intense, so expect to use more than a quarter of the volume.
- American Fruit AcidMost likely a solution of citric or tartaric acid, or a blend of the two, sold as a fountain staple to sharpen sweet syrups. If it was a solution rather than crystals, as the measurement suggests, 1 ounce of it is far less acid than 1 ounce of citric powder. Add acid in small increments and taste.
- Fresh pineappleRaw pineapple juice contains bromelain, a protein-digesting enzyme that can turn dairy drinks bitter. Heating deactivates it, so anything fresh should be brought to a simmer first.
- KeepingThere is no preservative in this formula. Refrigerate and use within a week or two, and discard at the first sign of fermentation or ropiness.
- Yield and serviceAbout one gallon. At something like 1 to 1.5 ounces of syrup per glass, drawn with carbonated water, that is roughly 85 to 128 drinks.
- A note on the textThe stray opening parenthesis before "Plain Syrup" is in the original and closes nothing; it is a typesetting artifact, not a missing instruction.
Formularies of this kind were trade documents, written for dispensers who bought concentrates, acids and extracts from wholesale supply houses and blended them behind the counter, which is why the ingredient list reads like a catalogue order rather than a shopping list. The presence of a second pineapple formula reflects how popular the flavor had become: canned pineapple, much of it from Hawaii, made what had been an expensive novelty fruit widely available. The separate bottle of "fruit acid" is characteristic of the period. Concentrated fruit syrups tasted flat and cloying once cut with plain syrup, and a measured dose of citric or tartaric acid restored the impression of fresh fruit, much as acidulants do in commercial soda today.