Simple syrup is exactly what it sounds like, sugar dissolved in water, but a few details decide whether it turns out clear and stable or cloudy and quick to spoil.
What you need
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
The method
- Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir occasionally until the sugar fully dissolves and the liquid turns clear, this takes about 3 to 5 minutes. It does not need to boil.
- Remove from heat and let cool completely before transferring to a bottle or jar.
- Store in the fridge, where it will keep for around one month.
Rich simple syrup
Using a 2:1 ratio of sugar to water instead of the standard 1:1 gives a thicker, sweeter syrup that lasts longer in the fridge and adds less dilution to a drink, useful in cocktails where you want sweetness without watering things down.
Why some syrups turn cloudy or ferment
Simple syrup made with too little sugar relative to water is more hospitable to mould and bacteria, which is why rich syrup lasts longer than standard syrup. Cloudiness usually comes from using unrefined sugar, which carries natural impurities, rather than from the method itself.
When flavoured sugar works better than syrup
Syrup is the right tool when a recipe specifically needs liquid, like a cocktail that requires quick, even mixing. But when you are sweetening something dry, rimming a glass, or want a more concentrated flavour without added water, a flavoured sugar like Juicy Strawberry does the job without the extra step of dissolving anything, and without diluting whatever you are adding it to.
Making a flavoured syrup at home
You can also use flavoured sugar to make a flavoured simple syrup, following the same 1:1 method above but substituting Juicy Strawberry, Dirty Vanilla, or Midnight Mocha for plain sugar, useful for iced drinks where a dissolved syrup mixes in more easily than granulated sugar.
