James Silverton wrote:
>
> Giusi wrote on Wed, 12 Mar 2008 21:37:32 +0100:
>
> G> "Pringles CheezUms" > ha scritto nel
> G> messaggio ...
> ??>> We have a bag of sugar that has turned into a solid block.
> ??>> How do you recover it? (i.e. turn it back into usable
> ??>> granules)
> ??>>
> ??>> Thanks!
> G> Grate it, just as your great great grandmother did.
> G> All sugar came in big paper wrapped cones in the old days.
> G> If the grating is not uniform enough for you, use a mortar
> G> and pestle or a food processor to make it more uniform.
> G> m.
>
> Is that the origin of the numerous hills called "Sugar Loaf"?
> The shape must have been very familiar to our ancestors tho'
> I've never seen one.
>
> James Silverton
> Potomac, Maryland


Yes. Sugar came in cone/rounded cone shapes, typically wrapped in blue
paper (in England anyway) to make it look whiter. One cut it with sugar
cutters, grated it with sugar graters or pounded the heck out of it.
That sort of paper is still called sugar paper in the UK although sugar
no longer comes wrapped in it.