Syrup

In its concentrated form, its consistency is similar to that of molasses. The viscosity arises from the multiple hydrogen bonds between the dissolved sugar, which has many hydroxyl (OH) groups.

 

There are a range of syrups used in food production, including:

• Agave syrup, made from agave stem
• Cane syrup, made from sugar canes
• Chocolate syrup
• Corn syrup
• Glucose syrup
• Golden syrup, a by-product of refining crystallized sugar
• High fructose corn syrup, widely used in the US
• Maple syrup
• Table syrup

 

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 the following syrups are liquids, they are easily mixed with other liquids in mixed drinks, 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. For pure sucrose the saturation limit is about 5:1 (500 grams (18 oz) sucrose to 100 millilitres (3.5 imp fl oz; 3.4 US fl oz) water).

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. Spices can be added to the ingredients during the process, resulting in a spiced simple syrup.

Flavored syrup

Flavored syrups 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 coffee bars, 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.

Gomme syrup

Gomme syrup (or gum syrup; gomme is French 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, in the belief that it prevents the sugar from crystallizing and adds a smooth texture. Some recipes omit the gum arabic, thus are just simple syrup, considering the gum undesired, 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. Ingredients vary by brand; some are glucose–fructose syrup, some are sugar, or blends of both.

Syrups can be made by dissolving sugar in water or by reducing naturally sweet juices such as cane juice, sorghum juice, or maple 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.

For fermentation

Syrup is used to feed microbiological life. Syrup consists of carbohydrates and water. Cold drinking water (from tap water (even without a faucet aerator), lakes, etc.) can hold more dissolved oxygen than warm water.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is an important yeast in ethanol fermentation and winemaking. S. cerevisiae is able to grow both in the presence and absence of oxygen, but the fermentation rate increases during the stationary phase in the presence of oxygen.

Examples of hydrolyzed sugars with high water ratio used in fermentation:

• Inverted sugar syrup
  • Fermented water
  • Kombucha is produced by fermenting sugared tea using a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY).
  • Winemaking kits: Cheap winemaking kits usually instruct that the grape juice should be diluted sucrose (bought separately) should be dissolved in water.

However, concentrated syrups contain little water and thus have little impact in terms of oxygen. For example, glucose syrup containing over 90% glucose is used in industrial fermentation.