cooking @ home

Huh? Why is such a simple thing so difficult? It isn’t. However when it comes to making simple syrup, some people make it two parts sugar to one part water, others make it equal parts of sugar and water.

Why? No idea. Is there rhyme or reason? Yes and no. There’s one pattern I’ve noticed. Almost everything to do with a cocktail is almost always one-to-one. When it comes to using simple syrup in cooking, it’s often one-to-one, but it’s frequently two-to-one as well.

Why such a difference? Simply personal preference. Why does one person put more ketchup on their cheeseburger or add more salt to a seasoned meal, etc. Same here. Cooks do what they feel right doing. And that should apply to you as well.

Alright then, why does this “thing” exist? Pretty much consider it the liquid version of confectioner’s sugar (aka powered sugar.) There are times in baking you don’t want a mouthful of table sugar, or a bite of granules in your lemon meranque pie, do you? Of course not.

So would you want them in either you bar drink or even in something else that’s cooked? Pretty much you don’t. So then, how to get the sweetness required without the gritty granules? Yep, you got it. Boil the sugar in water, let it cool. Whammo, simple syrup to the rescue.

By the way, remember my article entitled Get Yourself on the Bottle? This is an excellent one to put into a squeeze bottle. Especially if you are using it to make specialty drinks at your next party, or you’re into full desert mode and preparing a few different sweet recipes.

So what do you do if the recipe doesn’t say which of the two ratios to use? (And one of the main points of this article) Then, I’d say do the 1:1 … Why? Obviously, two parts sugar is going to be sweeter than one part. You can always sweeten something up, but you can’t usually de-sweeten it. (True you could possibly cover it, or not, with something. Depends on what you’re making. Obviously a too sweet mousse just isn’t going to work by adding overpowering jalapenos to it, now is it? Unless you’re an Iron Chef I wouldn’t try it.) So, read the instructions, do what that particular recipe says, and if you’re in doubt try 1 to 1 ratio first.

A final item: what’s this called? Simple syrup. It’s the simplest form, it’s the basis. And so … Add some grated ginger and it’s now a ginger syrup. Put in some lemon zest and it’s now a lemon syrup. … It’s a foundation that you can use as is, or which you can add something to it and build upon. As my grandmother used to say, you can “really go to town” with this.

3 Responses to “Cooking Math #3 – Simple Syrup Shouldn’t Be Difficult”