Jams, spirits, cakes, rum women and other pastries are combined by one ingredient, without which their preparation becomes impossible. This is sugar syrup. It seems that it could be easier than dissolving sugar in water? But for food and drinks to please their taste, you will have to thoroughly study this technology, and there are a lot of nuances in it.

What does “syrup test” mean and how is it determined

Syrup is a solution of sugar in water. Depending on the ratio of the amount of water and the sweetener in the liquid, its physical properties change: density and boiling point.

Since not all confectionery products or cocktails require a syrup with the same properties, confectioners and bartenders have identified six “samples” of sugar syrup, which make it possible to determine the concentration of sugar in solution by improvised means:

  1. The first test is sugar syrup, in which 50% sugar and 50% water. To get it, just dissolve 1 part sugar in 1 part hot water. There is no need to boil such a syrup.
  2. The second test is characterized by the following composition: 75% sugar and 25% water. The boiling point of this syrup is 100 ° C. It is determined by a test for the formation of a thin thread. A drop of cooled liquid is squeezed between the thumb and forefinger, then they are bred, and the syrup is pulled between them into a thin, quickly tearing thread.
  3. The third sample is a liquid in which 85% sugar and 15% water. Such syrup boils at 107 - 108 degrees. To determine the desired concentration, the same manipulations should be performed as in the second test, but between the fingers a thick thread should form (“test on a thick thread”).
  4. The fourth sample contains 90% sugar and 10% water.Such a solution will boil at 117 - 118 ° C. To determine this sample, a soft ball test is performed. A drop of syrup is dripped into a container of cold water, and if it rolls into a soft ball, then the fourth test is reached.
  5. The fifth test is achieved by further boiling the solution to the concentration when a solid round lump can be rolled from its drop in cold water.
  6. The sixth test is the last possible concentration of an aqueous sugar solution, in which only 2% water is 98% sugar. It cannot be pulled out of it or rolled up a ball, because its drop in water instantly freezes, and then it simply crumbles and breaks.

Classic Sugar Syrup Recipe

A solution of sugar of a lower concentration can be boiled to the desired density, so the exact observance of the proportions of water and sugar is not important, but still, so that the preparation does not stretch for a long time, it is better to take:

  • 200 g of sugar;
  • 100 ml of water.

Algorithm how to make sugar syrup:

  1. Carefully pour hot water into the saucepan with sugar. This should be done so that sugar crystals are not sprayed onto the walls of the dishes. You can do otherwise: pour sugar into the boiling liquid in small portions. But this must also be done carefully. So that during the boiling of the syrup foam forms less on its surface, instead of the usual sweet crystals we can take refined sugar. For faster dissolution of the sweetener in water, sweet sand can be crushed into powder.
  2. Next, the syrup is boiled, stirring constantly until absolutely all the sweet grains are dissolved. After that, so that the sugar does not crystallize around the spoon, the liquid, without interfering, is boiled to the desired consistency (sample).
  3. If the syrup is used hot (for example, for protein custard), then after reaching the desired sample, it is ready. If a sugar solution is needed in cold form, then it is pre-cooled naturally.

For impregnation of biscuit

To give juiciness to biscuit cakes, slightly concentrated sugar syrups with a low density are used, which allows the biscuit pores to quickly be saturated with moisture. Sugar dissolved in water does not have to be boiled, but you can add vanilla, citrus zest, a few tea leaves or a spoonful of alcohol to enrich the taste and aroma.

The proportions of the components for the impregnation of one or two cakes:

  • 195 g of sweet sand;
  • 180 ml of water;
  • 15 - 20 ml of liquor with your favorite taste or cognac.

Cooking principle:

  1. Pour sugar into a small refractory bowl, pour water and send to the stove.
  2. The mixture in the saucepan must be constantly stirred to melt all the grains. You can warm it to a boil, but do not boil.
  3. Next, the temperature of the syrup is allowed to drop to the warmth of the human body (36 - 37 degrees), add flavoring to the resulting composition, mix it and use as intended.

With caramel flavor

Even a scoop of ordinary vanilla ice cream will sparkle with a new taste if you pour it on top with caramel syrup. This delicacy can be found in many uses: as an ingredient (for example, in the preparation of cocktails or creams for cakes), and as a topping for ready-made desserts.

The composition of sugar syrup with caramel flavor includes:

  • 5 tbsp. filtered water;
  • 800 g of granulated sugar;
  • 3 g of vanillin.

Let's see step by step how to make sugar syrup:

  1. Pour half the sugar into a perfectly clean and dry container with a thick bottom and put on fire. This ingredient should completely melt and take on a nice light brown color.
  2. Without wasting time, boil water. When the sugar becomes the desired color, pour in the hot liquid and pour in the rest of the sweet sand mixed with vanilla.
  3. Next, the syrup is simply boiled until thickened.

Sugar Syrup

For confectionery lipsticks and creams (oil and protein), a more concentrated syrup from sugar of the third or fourth test is used.

To get about 260 g of such a finished product, you need the following amount of ingredients:

  • 160 g of granulated sugar;
  • 120 ml of water;
  • 5 ml of lemon juice.

Cooking Technology:

  1. Sugar is completely dissolved in water with continuous stirring over medium heat. Then with a silicone brush dipped in water, remove all the sweet grains from the walls of the pan or stewpan.
  2. Set the fire to a minimum and cover the dish with a lid. Boil the syrup to the desired consistency, determining it with a soft ball or using a cooking thermometer.
  3. Upon reaching the desired density of the composition, pour lemon juice into it and stir. After this, this confectionery ingredient is ready, and it is removed from the stove.

It is worth considering the fact that even the syrup removed from the fire in thick-bottomed dishes will continue to cook for some time, so it is important not to digest it.

Probably, at first, you will have to practice a little to get used to your stewpan and stove.

For making cocktails

More than half of the cocktail recipes involve the use of sugar syrup. But why not replace this difficult cooking ingredient with sugar? The fact is that sugar, unlike syrup, may not completely disperse in a cool drink, which will ruin the aesthetics of its appearance. Or it will be unevenly distributed in the liquid, and then a few sips will be sugary, and the rest - bitter or sour.

What is needed for sugar syrup and perfect cocktails:

  • 100 g of white crystalline sugar;
  • as much brown;
  • 100 ml of drinking water;
  • a couple drops of vanilla essence or a cinnamon stick, or a few buds of cloves, if desired.

How to make syrup for a classic cocktail:

  1. Pour both types of sugar into the stewpan and mix. Then boil water separately, measure the required amount of var and pour sweet sand into it.
  2. Put the bowl with sugar and water on a moderate fire. At this point, you can add cinnamon or cloves.
  3. With continuous stirring, bring the mixture to the dissolution of absolutely all crystals and boil.
  4. Remove the boiled syrup from the heat and let it cool to room temperature.

If vanilla essence is used for flavoring, then it should be added to the cooled liquid and mixed.

Ready syrup must be filtered and poured for storage in a glass bottle.

Inverted Sugar Syrup

Inverted, or invert, sugar syrup is not crystallized due to the fact that under the influence of high temperature and acid (most often citric), sucrose breaks down into fructose and glucose. Such a syrup is used by beekeepers to feed the bees, and confectioners - in the preparation of homemade sweets: marshmallows, marmalade, marshmallows, custard protein cream. This component does not allow desserts to be sugared for a long time.

For one serving of such a sugar solution you will need:

  • 350 g of white crystalline sugar;
  • 155 ml of hot, just boiled water;
  • 2 g of citric acid;
  • 1.5 g of baking soda.

The sequence of actions:

  1. Inverted syrup can only be boiled in a pan or saucepan with a thick bottom. Pour sugar into such a container and pour hot water into it. While stirring, bring the solution to a boil and dissolve the sugar.
  2. After this, add and mix citric acid. Switch the fire to minimum so that the liquid barely boils. Boil the sugar solution to a temperature of 107 - 108 ° C.
  3. The next step is acid neutralization. To do this, add soda to the hot syrup removed from the fire and mix quickly. Abundant foam formation will begin, which will disappear in 5 to 10 minutes.

The finished syrup has a light yellow color and resembles liquid honey. It must be filtered and stored in a glass container.

Similar:More from the author: