Toasted Pecan Simple Syrup Recipe - Florida Dancing Juice (2024)

FAQs

What does simple syrup do for drinks? ›

Simple syrup is a liquid sweetener made by dissolving sugar in water. That's literally it. Simple syrup disperses sweetness evenly throughout beverages of any temperature, making it a key component of many iced drinks and co*cktails (like sparkling beet lemonade or a whiskey sour).

Unflavored syrup can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month. However, flavored syrups (especially fruit-flavored) should be used within 2 weeks of when they're made. I usually keep mine in a mason jar but any airtight container with a good lid will work great.

Make a light vanilla-scented syrup using 2 cups water, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and 5 whole cardamom pods. Crush 5 additional cardamom pods and add the black seeds to the pan. Add 3/4 pounds dried apricots and simmer – do not boil – for exactly five minutes. Transfer to a clean dry jar.

Another disadvantage is that syrups often contain high amounts of sugar, which can contribute to weight gain, tooth decay, and other health issues . Additionally, syrups may have a high viscosity, making them difficult to pour or administer accurately . This can be problematic when precise dosing is required.

In high-end bars, sugar is rarely added in granulated form as it dissolves slowly and inconsistently, giving little control over the end result. For this reason, when working with co*cktails, expert bartenders prefer to craft homemade sugar syrups – also known as Simple Syrup.

Simple syrup doesn't contain enough sugar to preserve it for very long. Its water content makes it a breeding ground for all kinds of undesirables, so it's a must to keep it refrigerated. Note that rich simple syrup, which contains twice as much sugar, will last for longer.

The simple syrup should be clear. A few signs that your simple syrup has gone bad are: Cloudy appearance. Mold has developed.

Increase the sugar level - Higher sugar levels reduce water availability to microorganisms. Bring your sugar level (brix) up to at least 50. That means equal parts sugar and water by weight (not by volume). Add alcohol – 15% or so of alcohol helps work as a preservative environment; the higher the better.

Simple syrup can be preserved for months by adding 1 ounce of sodium benzoate with ¼ ounce of citric acid, per gallon of simple syrup. Each ingredient must be added separately and stirred into the syrup separately and thoroughly.

Compote or compôte (French for stewed fruit) is a dessert originating from medieval Europe, made of whole or pieces of fruit in sugar syrup.

How do you thicken homemade fruit syrup? ›

Pour the syrup into a saucepan, then turn the burner on low. Bring the sauce to a low simmer and let it sit for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn't burn. Leave the lid off so that some of the liquid can evaporate, which is what will cause the syrup to thicken.

Simple syrup is used to allow sugar to be evenly mixed throughout a drink, particularly one served cold, by pre-dissolving the granulated sugar in water ahead of time to avoid clumping. It's also one of the easiest ingredients to make yourself—if you can boil water, you can make simple syrup.

Advantages of Syrup

It is convenient to use in drinks or as a topping for pancakes and other baked goods because it dissolves easily in liquids. This indicates that syrup mixes nicely with other ingredients and is simple to add into a variety of foods and beverages. It can give baked goods moisture and keep them fresh.

When the temperature rises and the thought of hot beverages is no longer appealing, simple syrup for iced tea and iced coffee is the way to go. Regular sugar never quite dissolves into cold beverages, but simple syrup for coffee or tea has no such issues.