How to properly prepare caramel for moonshine? The use of burnt sugar. Caramel syrup - composition and types of product; recipe on how to make it at home; culinary application

Sugar-based syrup has gained high popularity in the culinary world. The composition is used for baking and preparing alcoholic beverages. It is also used as a base for fruit jams. It is not difficult to prepare sugar syrup if you have basic knowledge.

Methods for producing sugar syrup

First of all, decide what the sugar syrup is for. After this, start preparing the filling. Let's look at popular recipes.

Sugar syrup: a classic of the genre

granulated sugar - 150 gr.
clean water - 150 ml.

Pour water into a small container and bring the mixture to a boil. Next, pour the sand into a heat-resistant container and fill it with hot liquid.
Stir the ingredients until the sweet mass is smooth. After this, cool the syrup naturally and strain. Use the fill as intended.

Sticky sugar syrup

purified water - 200 ml.
sugar - 400 gr.

Place the bowl of liquid in a water bath, add granulated sugar, stir the mixture until the crystals are completely dissolved.
Cool the resulting mass at room temperature. This syrup is often used for confectionery purposes.

Caramel syrup

granulated sugar - 950 gr.
drinking water - 1.5 l.
vanillin - 4 gr.

Add 350 gr. sand in a separate enamel pan. Send the container over low heat, simmer the mixture until the granules are completely dissolved and a golden color appears.
Then add the remaining ingredients to the total mass and mix thoroughly. Simmer the syrup at minimum power for 12-15 minutes. Next, the mass is filtered through gauze.

Inverted sugar syrup

sugar - 2 kg.
drinking water - 1.2 l.
citric acid - 20 gr.

Combine sand and water in an enamel pan. Bring the mixture to a boil over low heat. If a characteristic plaque appears, it should be removed.
After this, add citric acid, mix thoroughly and simmer under the lid for about 25-30 minutes. Test the syrup for consistency with a wooden spatula. If a “thick thread” forms, the composition is ready.

To achieve the desired consistency, you need to have an idea of what the pour will be used for. Most often, liquid, non-sticky syrup is used as an additive for soft drinks.
Sugar syrup, which has a "thin thread", is determined by dipping two fingers into the cooled mixture. If the mixture flows in a thin stream and breaks off, be sure that the mixture is of high quality.
More often, such syrup is used for alcoholic tinctures and liqueurs. A high-quality fill may not work the first time. Therefore, you will have to work hard to achieve the desired result.
If the sugar syrup has a “middle thread”, it is often added to the base of fruit jams. The jet has a slightly larger size and some durability. A thicker and thicker thread of syrup tends to harden quickly.

9 stages of sugar syrup

Sugar-based liquid syrup

The liquid composition is determined by the initial stage of the syrup; the preparation method implies that the temperature should not exceed 20 degrees.
Sugar dissolves in warm water and has a liquid and non-sticky consistency. Such viscosity is achieved due to equal proportions of the constituent ingredients.

Thin thread of syrup

To get the desired result in the form of a thin thread of sugar syrup, the mass must be brought to 100 degrees. In this case, the composition begins to boil, and the water begins to evaporate.
The ratio of ingredients is 3 parts sugar to 1 part water. To determine consistency, drop a small amount of syrup onto a plate.
After this, press the mixture with the convex part of a metal spoon. As a result, the mass should pull behind the household appliance like a thin thread. In this case, the syrup turns out thick and sticky.

Medium strand of sugar syrup

To obtain a more viscous consistency, the syrup must be brought to a boil at a temperature of more than 102 degrees. The mass is mainly used as the main component for jam.
Consider all possible factors when preparing such a sugar syrup. The thickness of the thread is checked in the same way as with a thin stream. The only difference is that the medium-sized thread has a more viscous and durable consistency.

Thick string of sugar syrup

A thick mass is obtained if it is simmered at a temperature of about 110-112 degrees.
Only 12-15% of liquid remains in the syrup. If you check the syrup with a spoon, then the mixture will stick out like a dense and thick thread.

Biscuit fondant

To obtain impregnation for the biscuit, you need to place the syrup, which has reached 113 degrees, in cool water in time.
As a result, you should get a loose, dense mixture. After preparation, use the fondant for its intended purpose.

Thick fondant

To prepare a denser mass, the mixture should be brought to 115 degrees.
Place the bowl of fudge in a bowl of cool water. At the end you will get a viscous thick mass.

Sugar syrup ball

Sugar balls are mainly used to decorate confectionery products or for filling. The mass is boiled down to a state where 90% of sand remains in the composition.
The mixture is cooked to a temperature of 118 degrees. If you cool it after cooking with cold water, you can end up rolling it into a ball. The composition remains soft even when completely cooled.

Hard ball of sugar-based syrup

The preparation method is step-by-step, the mixture is heated over 119 degrees.
After cooling, the ball becomes harder. If you try to bite through it, you may lose the filling on your teeth.

Sugar syrup caramel

To prepare full-fledged caramel, the standard composition must be boiled until 2-3% of liquid remains in it.
If you roll a ball from the resulting caramel, after cooling it can only be crumbled, like a candy. If you overdo it, you simply risk burning the sugar.

As soon as you start cooking the syrup, do not forget to monitor its condition. Stir the mixture periodically until it is completely cooked.
When the mixture reaches a homogeneous consistency and all the granules have dissolved, stop stirring frequently. Otherwise, air particles will get into the syrup and the sugar will crystallize.
To prepare syrup, you need to choose thick-bottomed containers. This addition will help prevent the sugar from burning.
You can also replace sand with powder. Keep in mind that you will need as much dust as sugar. Don't pay attention to the volume.

When the mixture reaches the first bubbles, it must be simmered over low, constant heat. Please take into account the fact that when the composition boils, it is prohibited to change the burner power until the syrup is completely cooked. It is also worth considering that after removing the container from the stove, the mass will continue to cook for some time. Cook the composition for the specified period, this way you will get the desired consistency.

Video: how to prepare invert syrup

How to make sugar syrup

Proper handling of sugar is the key to success in making not only jam at home, but also simple dairy and creamy confectionery products: fudge, toffee, grilled bread.

Rules for preparing sugar syrup:

At preparing sugar syrup You should always get rid of the foam before adding other ingredients to the syrup. Using refined sugar or crushed sugar rather than granulated sugar for syrup reduces the volume of foam formed.
After adding sugar to the water, the solution must be stirred all the time to avoid the sugar burning. But, as soon as the sugar has completely dissolved, the syrup cannot be stirred; nothing unnecessary should be added to it, so as not to cause crystallization.
As soon as all the foam has been removed, you need to clean the edges of the dishes from grains of sugar - either shake them into syrup with a brush, or wipe the walls of the dishes with a damp cloth. This will help you easily prevent sugar from building up on the edges of the pan and causing it to burn.
Sugar syrup should be cooked over high, even heat, without sudden temperature fluctuations.
For cooking sugar syrup, dishes with a convex bottom or brass (copper) ladles (bowls) are suitable. High temperatures when cooking syrup require the use of heavy, thick-bottomed dishes that can hold the heat well.
To prepare syrup for dry confectionery mixtures, dough, drinks and cakes, it is best to use grated sugar, crushed sugar or special confectionery (the so-called “tambourine”) powdered sugar. Granulated sugar is usually not used in confectionery, as it contains impurities and produces a syrup of low concentration.

Preparation of sugar syrup and caramel:

In order to practically see all these stages through which sugar syrup passes or to obtain weakly concentrated samples, it is better to prepare a solution by taking 400-450 g of sugar and 500 ml of water. Place the dishes on high heat, stir, skim off the foam. As soon as the syrup boils and the foam is removed from it, you will get sample No. 1. Further evaporation of the water will make it possible to clearly see the transition of the remaining samples from one to another. With samples No. 5 and 6, the amount of water will be reduced by half (to 240-250 ml per 400 g of sugar). The proportions used to prepare the most concentrated syrup are 500 g of sugar per 125 ml of water. This is much more convenient, for example, cook caramel– the solution is initially concentrated and there is no need to boil the syrup for a long time.

When the sugar has completely dissolved and all the foam has been removed, you need to stop stirring and increase the heat slightly. Rinse the sugar thermometer in warm water and place it in a saucepan. Bring the syrup to a boil and boil, without lowering the heat or stirring the solution, until the temperature corresponding to the required sugar test.

Before using a thermometer, you need to make sure that it is working properly. When water boils, the thermometer should show 100°C. If its readings are a couple of degrees higher or lower, then it is necessary to make adjustments when measuring the temperature of the syrup, that is, increase or decrease it accordingly.

As soon as the syrup reaches the desired stage, stop cooking - remove the thermometer and place it in a jug with hot water, remove the pan from the heat and immediately place it in a bowl with ice. If you do not have a sugar thermometer, judge changes in the sugar syrup by the external signs described for each sample, which becomes much easier once you have some experience in cooking sugar.

Rinse a thick-bottomed saucepan thoroughly with cold water, add sugar and add water. Place the saucepan over low heat and heat until almost boiling, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon. Mix gently, without splashing the sides of the saucepan. Once the sugar has melted, stop stirring and bring the mixture to a boil.

Boil the boiled syrup until large bubbles form and acquire an amber color. Any sugar crystals that form on the walls of the saucepan must be carefully removed with a pastry brush dipped in cold water so that they do not fall into the syrup. Use a food thermometer to measure the temperature of the syrup from time to time. Don't interfere! The temperature of the syrup for hard caramel and fruit glazing is more than 145 °C.

If you don't have a thermometer, you can determine readiness by taking a little syrup (a little less than 1 tsp) and putting it in a glass of cold water. Wait a couple of seconds, then dip your fingers in the water, take the caramel and form a ball out of it. If the ball does not turn out (spreads), the syrup is not ready. If you get a very soft ball, then this is a syrup for making glaze and soft meringue (temperature about 118 ° C). If the ball is already hard, but still plastic, it is syrup for marzipan (125 ° C). Well, if the ball is hard and brittle, it's crunchy caramel. It can be light (155 °C) or dark (170 °C), the taste depends on this. Caramel that is too dark is very bitter (remember burnt sugar for coughs?).

Once the syrup has reached the desired state, remove from heat and let it stand for 5 minutes. If it seems to you that the syrup has been digested, but has not yet died, place the saucepan in a saucepan with cold water so that the syrup quickly stops “cooking itself.” Carefully! You can burn yourself very badly with the syrup. Next you need to work with the caramel very quickly: dip fruits in it, make sugar threads, figures or lollipops. Cooled caramel will almost certainly not give a high-quality result when reheated. But there is no need to throw away the remaining caramel. Dilute it with boiling water - you will get an excellent liquid caramel, on the basis of which you can make many sauces and desserts.

Sugar syrup and the caramel obtained during its cooking are solutions of sugar in water, boiling at high temperatures. Weak sugar syrup, which is most often prepared for soaking biscuits and making glaze, is prepared by dissolving 500 g of sugar in 500 ml. The syrup is brought to a boil, boiled for 1-2 minutes, as a result of which, as it cools, it remains liquid. If the sugar syrup is cooked for a longer time, the water will evaporate and the sugar concentration will increase. At different stages of syrup cooking, the sugar concentration is different, and the properties of such a solution are different, and therefore its confectionery use. Therefore, an experienced pastry chef knows all the cooking techniques by heart. sugar syrup, and what states the syrup goes into as it cooks.

A professional confectioner has a special sugar thermometer in his arsenal, which allows him to accurately determine at what stage of cooking the syrup is. The set of temperatures corresponding to each state is a sugar scale. There are 12 such stages (states of sugar syrup), and sometimes less or more. Each stage has its own name and number. At home, in the absence of a sugar thermometer (if you still have one, we definitely use it), the readiness of sugar syrup can be easily determined by a set of external signs, which confectioners nicknamed “test”. The most important stages of syrup readiness are given their own names, depending on what external signs a few drops of syrup have after certain manipulations with them. Sometimes culinary recipes only indicate the name of the sample to which the sugar syrup should be brought and not a word about how this should be done.

Liquid syrup(15 °C according to a sugar thermometer) - thin, non-sticky syrup. It is used for pouring winter compotes and preparing compotes based on dried fruits. Can be used in combination with fruit juice (light sorbets).
Thin thread(100 °C). The syrup has already become sticky. If you squeeze a drop of syrup between your fingers (first put the syrup in a spoon, moisten your fingers with cold water), and then unclench them, a thin, rather fragile, quickly breaking thread is formed. The syrup at this stage is suitable for making jam from dense, hard fruits, such as pears, apples with dense pulp, quince, carrots. Sometimes it is used to prepare other homemade preparations - compotes from soft berries (strawberries, raspberries) and jellies.
Middle thread(103-105 °C). When you unclench your fingers, a thin, but less fragile (does not break longer) thread of syrup is formed. The syrup in this state is used to make jam.
Thick (large) thread(106 -110 °C). The syrup becomes noticeably thicker, now more effort is required to spread the fingers, and a thick thread is formed that is quite strong and hardens quickly. It is used for preparing all types of jams from tender berries, when preparing most berries and fruits for the winter, as well as for making glazes and butter cream.
Weak fondant. (110-112 °C). Getting into a glass of cold water, a small amount of such syrup turns into a loose mass, reminiscent of thick sour cream. This sample is only important to determine the proximity of the next sample.
Fudge. (113-115 °C). A drop of syrup at this stage in a glass of cold water hardens, forming a denser piece. If the recipe calls for this particular test, then you need to immediately stop boiling (it is better to place the container with sugar syrup on ice), since this test is very unstable. Used in the preparation of fudge and candy fillings.
Weak (semi-hard, soft) ball(116-118 °C). When placed in cold water, sugar syrup hardens into a ball, but with a very soft consistency. Such a ball is easily affected, it is sticky and quickly loses its shape when pulled out of the water. This syrup is required for making fudge, toffee, nougat, candied fruits and figs, and sometimes for gingerbread dough (combined with flour and honey). By whipping, this syrup can easily turn into caramel.

A hard (large, strong ball) ball(121-130 °C). When hardened in cold water, a drop of syrup forms a dense, hard, sticky ball, which after some time loses its ability to wrinkle. The syrup at this stage is suitable for producing sweets, toffees, toffees, and Italian meringue.
Crackling or hard crunch(150 °C). To make sure that this stage has occurred, you need to pick up the boiling syrup with a fork and blow hard on it. If the syrup immediately turns into a film or a bubble forms and comes off the fork entirely, then the “crack” test is ready. Used for making meringues, cakes, decorating and making sweets.
Light caramel (160-170 °C). Boiling syrup poured into cold water forms a hard piece, an icicle, that does not stick to the teeth and crumbles like glass when pressed or from a strong blow. If you drop it on a white plate, you can immediately see that the caramel has a honey tint. Sugar syrup of this sample is used to make caramels, lollipops, montpensiers or for decoration (amber glaze).
Bypass or dark caramel(165-177 °C). Dark caramel has the same fragility as sample No. 10, but the color of the caramel is already yellowish-brown. Dark caramel is used to make some types of candies and caramels, but mainly for grilling. Bypass can be used as a coloring and flavoring in the preparation of some desserts, drinks and creams, which gives these dishes a bright caramel aroma.
Combustion(Zhzhenka, 190 °C). Sugar at this stage turns dark brown, acrid smoke appears and the characteristic smell of burnt sugar appears. Zhzhenka is diluted with boiling water to a sticky syrup and used for coloring sweets, candy fillings, gingerbreads, icing, kvass, creme brulee ice cream, pastries, cakes, various drinks, and sweet soups.

How to make sugar syrup

Proper handling of sugar is the key to success in making not only jam at home, but also simple dairy and creamy confectionery products: fudge, toffee, grillage.

Rules for preparing sugar syrup:

At preparing sugar syrup You should always get rid of the foam before adding other ingredients to the syrup. Using refined sugar or crushed sugar rather than granulated sugar for syrup reduces the volume of foam formed.
After adding sugar to the water, the solution must be stirred all the time to avoid the sugar burning. But, as soon as the sugar has completely dissolved, the syrup cannot be stirred; nothing unnecessary should be added to it, so as not to cause crystallization.
As soon as all the foam has been removed, you need to clean the edges of the dishes from grains of sugar - either shake them into syrup with a brush, or wipe the walls of the dishes with a damp cloth. This will help you easily prevent sugar from building up on the edges of the pan and causing it to burn.
Sugar syrup should be cooked over high, even heat, without sudden temperature fluctuations.
For cooking sugar syrup, dishes with a convex bottom or brass (copper) ladles (bowls) are suitable. High temperatures when cooking syrup require the use of heavy, thick-bottomed dishes that can hold the heat well.
To prepare syrup for dry confectionery mixtures, dough, drinks and cakes, it is best to use grated sugar, crushed sugar or special confectionery (the so-called “tambourine”) powdered sugar. Granulated sugar is usually not used in confectionery, as it contains impurities and produces a syrup of low concentration.

Preparation of sugar syrup and caramel:

In order to practically see all these stages through which sugar syrup passes or to obtain weakly concentrated samples, it is better to prepare a solution by taking 400-450 g of sugar and 500 ml of water. Place the dishes on high heat, stir, skim off the foam. As soon as the syrup boils and the foam is removed from it, you will get sample No. 1. Further evaporation of the water will make it possible to clearly see the transition of the remaining samples from one to another. With samples No. 5 and 6, the amount of water will be reduced by half (to 240-250 ml per 400 g of sugar). The proportions used to prepare the most concentrated syrup are 500 g of sugar per 125 ml of water. This is much more convenient, for example, cook caramel- the solution is initially concentrated and there is no need to boil the syrup for a long time.

You can find a lot of uses for this syrup, for example, make a cocktail with it, use it as a base for cream, and also add the syrup to baked goods or ice cream, choose the recipe to your taste.
Number of servings: 1
A very simple homemade caramel syrup recipe step by step with photos. Easy to prepare at home in 30 minutes. Contains only 96 kilocalories.

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 min
Calorie Amount: 96 kilocalories
Number of servings: 1 serving
Occasion: For children

Complexity: Very simple recipe
National cuisine: home kitchen
Type of dish: Desserts, Syrup

Ingredients for one serving
Granulated sugar - 800 grams
Water - 1.25 Liters
Vanilla - 3 Grams

Step-by-step preparation
Although you can buy absolutely everything in stores these days, I still prefer to make my own caramel syrup at home. It doesn’t take me much time, and my syrup tastes just as good as store-bought syrup. Sometimes I use this simple caramel syrup recipe to make various drinks, but most often I add it to baked goods, both in the dough itself and in creams. And in general, since this syrup can be stored in the refrigerator for quite a long time, I prepare it for future use, and then just take it out as needed.
1) First, we pour 2/2 sugar into a dry, clean saucepan and put it on the fire. Heat the sugar until it turns a nice light brown color.
2) After this, pour water into the pan with sugar, add the remaining sugar and vanilla.
3) Continue heating the mass over low heat until the sugar granules are completely dissolved and the syrup thickens. At the same time, do not forget to remove the resulting foam from the surface and stir the syrup almost constantly.
When the syrup becomes thick enough, remove the pan from the heat and strain the syrup; after it has cooled, carefully pour the syrup into a jar and put it in the refrigerator.