Studying the label of a confectionery product, you can find such a component as glucose syrup in the list of ingredients. This product is a natural sweetener and prevents the crystallization of sugar. If earlier glucose syrup was used only on an industrial scale, recently, many recipes can be found for the reproduction of which this ingredient is required.

What is glucose syrup

Glucose syrup is obtained from the factory processing of corn and potato starch. The saccharification process is carried out under pressure, due to which glucose is fermented.

The finished product is a viscous semi-liquid mass. Most often it is transparent or painted in a pale yellow color.

The taste of the syrup is intensely sweet, it does not have any impurities or smell. This product is used in the manufacture of confectionery products with the aim of improving the taste and extending their shelf life. But recently, more and more often glucose syrup is used for making desserts at home. You can buy it in a specialized store or order in the online market.

The chemical composition and calorie content of the product

When saccharification of the feedstock through the use of acids and changes in temperature conditions, glucose is released.

Some of it is converted to fructose, and the final product contains the following components:

  • glucose
  • fructose;
  • oligosaccharide impurities.

The predominant component of the syrup is glucose, and fructose and impurities make up a small part of it.

The nutritional value of the product is as follows:

  • 0 g of protein;
  • 0 g of fat;
  • 80 g of carbohydrates.

100 g of glucose syrup contains from 315 to 330 kcal.

The use of syrup in cooking

Glucose syrup is used in the production of desserts everywhere.

In various quantities it contains such products:

  • caramel;
  • glaze;
  • marshmallows;
  • paste;
  • ice cream;
  • desserts intended for storage at low temperatures.

This component allows you to improve the quality of finished products according to the following criteria:

  • gives shine and smoothness;
  • keeps softness and airiness of a consistence;
  • prevents the appearance of large ice crystals;
  • delays the melting of frozen desserts at a temperature exceeding 0 degrees;
  • increases the flexibility of products and gives their taste richness;
  • allows you to extend the shelf life of products, while maintaining aesthetic and taste.

On a note. The indicator of the working temperature of glucose syrup is 50 degrees or more. As a result of heating, the product acquires the desired consistency - fluid and supple.

How can glucose syrup be replaced?

Since glucose syrup is most often sold only in specialized stores, it happens that it is not always possible to purchase it.

But if this ingredient is needed for the preparation of the dessert, it is permissible to replace it with other compounds:

  1. Syrup. This product is produced as a by-product in the manufacture of sugar and starches, both corn and potato. In appearance, the composition resembles liquid honey, and, in addition to glucose, contains dextrin and maltose. Depending on the initial product, molasses is divided into light, which is extracted from starch, and black, obtained from sugar beets.
  2. Corn syrup. Such a composition is made from corn starch, and it is also divided into light and dark. In the manufacture of confectionery products, the first option is most often used, the composition is close to molasses. This syrup contains a lot of glucose, but there is a type of product with a high percentage of fructose. Such formulations dissolve better and have a richer flavor.
  3. Invert syrups. These solutions contain equal proportions of glucose and fructose, and are produced during the decomposition of sucrose by hydrolysis. As a rule, invert syrups are used in the manufacture of alcoholic beverages and artificial honey.

If you can’t get the right composition, you can prepare the syrup yourself at home.

Basic glucose syrup recipe

There are varieties of pastries and other confectionery products that cannot be prepared without glucose syrup.

To make this component, you need the following components:

  • 350 g of sugar;
  • 1/4 teaspoon of citric acid;
  • a pinch of baking soda;
  • 150 ml of filtered water.

How to make glucose syrup:

  1. Pour granulated sugar into a small pot with thick walls.
  2. Pour water into a thin stream and place the container on fire.
  3. Bring the composition to a boil, and then pour granules of citric acid.
  4. Wait until the mixture boils again, hold it on the fire for a few more minutes and turn off the burner.
  5. When the syrup cools down a little, pour a pinch of soda and stir.

On a note. After adding the last component, bubbles will appear on the surface of the composition. You must wait until they disappear, and then you can use the syrup for its intended purpose or put it in storage in the refrigerator.

Invert syrup at home

Invert syrup is obtained by heating acid dissolved in water using acid. The latter component under the influence of high temperatures allows you to break down sucrose into glucose and fructose. In industrial production, not only citric, but also hydrochloric, acetic or lactic acids are used for this purpose.

To make invert syrup at home, you need these components:

  • 350 g of granulated sugar;
  • 1/3 teaspoon of citric acid;
  • 150 - 170 ml of water.

How to cook invert syrup:

  1. Pour sugar into a pan with a thick bottom and pour water.
  2. Put the dishes on a small fire and cook, stirring constantly.
  3. After boiling the mixture, pour citric acid into it and stir.
  4. Reduce the heat to a minimum, cover the container with a lid and cook its contents for half an hour.

Tip. After cooking, it is worth checking the quality of the resulting product. To do this, you need to put a small amount of the mixture into a spoon, drop ice water into it, and then quickly squeeze the syrup with two fingers, then sharply open them.

If a thick "thread" is pulled, then the product is made correctly.

Glucose-fructose syrup

Glucose-fructose syrup is a mixture of these components in almost equal proportions, and is equal in invert composition to the main characteristics. Such a product is also known as isoglucose. It is a viscous liquid without color and odor, with a sweet taste. It is obtained from starchy raw materials.

To make glucose-fructose syrup at home, you will need to purchase fructose, which is freely sold in pharmacies.

For the manufacture of the composition, the components are used in the following proportions:

  • 150 g of sugar;
  • 150 g of fructose;
  • 120 - 150 ml of water.

How to make syrup:

  1. Mix sugar with water and put on fire.
  2. Wait for the composition to boil and dissolve the granulated sugar, then add fructose.
  3. Constantly mixing the composition, boil it for a quarter of an hour, and then remove from heat and cool.

Attention! Such syrup can be stored for no more than three days, overflowing in a tightly closed container.

Knowing how to prepare glucose syrup, you can not waste time searching for this ingredient at specialized points of sale. Following the recipes given, it is not difficult to do it yourself, but in terms of quality and characteristics, such a product will not yield to the purchased one.

Similar:More from the author: