In cooking, syrup (less commonly sirup; from ; sharāb, beverage, wine and ) is a condiment that is a thick, viscous liquid consisting primarily of a solution of sugar in water, containing a large amount of dissolved sugars but showing little tendency to deposit crystals. 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.

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 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 g sucrose to 100 ml 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.

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.

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.

Feedstock for fermentation

Glucose syrups 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 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.