In cooking, syrup (less commonly sirup; from ; , beverage, wine and )[ Online Etymology Dictionary: syrup ] is a thick, viscous, liquid condiment consisting primarily of a solution of sugar in water. It typically contains a large amount of dissolved sugars but shows little tendency to deposit . In its concentrated form, its consistency is similar to that of molasses. The viscosity arises from the multiple between the dissolved sugar, which has many hydroxyl (OH) groups.
Types
There are a range of syrups used in food production, including:
Uses
For beverages
A variety of beverages call for sweetening to offset the tartness of some juices used in the drink recipes. Granulated sugar does not dissolve easily in cold drinks or ethyl alcohol. Since syrups are liquids, they are easily mixed with other liquids in
, making them superior alternatives to granulated sugar.
Simple sugar syrups
Simple syrup
Simple syrup (also known as sugar syrup, or bar syrup) is a basic sugar-and-water syrup. It is used by bartenders as a sweetener to make cocktails, and as a yeast feeding agent in ethanol fermentation.
The ratio of sugar to water is 1:1 by volume for normal simple syrup, but can get up to 2:1 for rich simple syrup.
Demerara syrup
Combining
demerara sugar, a type of natural brown sugar, with water in this process produces demerara syrup. Sugar substitutes such as
honey or
agave nectar can also be used to make syrups.
can be added to the ingredients during the process, resulting in a spiced simple syrup.
Gomme syrup
Gomme syrup (or
gum syrup; gomme is
French language for "gum") is a boiled mixture of sugar and water, made with the highest ratio of sugar to water possible.
[ In old recipes, gum arabic is added,][ or to reduce cost.]
Gomme syrup is an ingredient commonly used in mixed drinks.[
]
In Japan, liquid sweeteners for iced coffee are called gum syrup, although they are actually simple syrup which contains no gum arabic.
Flavored syrup
are made by infusing simple syrups with flavoring agents during the cooking process. A wide variety of flavoring agents can be used, often in combination with each other, such as herbs, spices, or aromatics. For instance, syrups' aromatics is prepared by adding certain quantities of orange flavorings and cinnamon water to simple syrup. This type of syrup is commonly used at , especially in the United States, to make flavored drinks. Infused simple syrups can be used to create desserts, or add sweetness and depth of flavor to cocktails.
Feedstock for fermentation
rating over 90 DE (dextrose equivalent) are used in industrial fermentation.
Production
Syrups can be made by dissolving sugar in water or by reducing naturally sweet juices such as sugarcane juice, sweet sorghum juice, or maple syrup sap. Corn syrup is made from corn starch using an enzymatic process that converts it to sugars.
A must weight-type refractometer is used to determine the sugar content in the solution.
See also
External links
