What is corn syrup

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

In modern cooking, there are quite a few different recipes that use quite rare ingredients. At the same time, one often has to deal with the fact that the ingredient is not so rare, but it is not produced in the country, which means that the price for it will be quite high. One such product is corn syrup.

It is often used in cooking as a thickening agent, and its anti-crystallization properties and the complete absence of smell make it almost indispensable. It's also worth noting that corn syrup is often added to foods to keep them fresh longer and give them a richer flavor.

It is worth noting that there are two types of syrup that differ from each other in color. They are divided into light, which is corn syrup, and dark, which is already caramel.

The process of making this syrup is rather complicated. It is based on a special processing of corn using sugaring with the direct participation of sulfuric acid. Such a process completely eliminates the possibility of preparing this product at home, which means that it remains only to purchase it or find a substitute.

Corn syrup is produced on a large scale mainly in the USA. There it is used as a substitute for cane syrup and is often used to make sweets or other confectionery. In our country, the production of this product is limited. In fact, we can say that it is absent. Therefore, when looking for where to buy cornstarch or syrup, many come to the conclusion that it is better to order them to order, then they can be bought before the expiration date.

However, there are times when there is no way to buy corn syrup, and its presence in the dish is simply necessary. To do this, you can use a kind of substitute, which has almost all of its properties, but is easy to prepare at home. Such a substitute is invert syrup, known to most housewives.

For its preparation you will need:

- sugar - 350 g;

- hot water - 155 ml;

- 1.5g baking soda;

- 2 g citric acid.

First you need to dissolve sugar in water and add citric acid there. After that, put the mixture in a saucepan, covered with a lid, on fire. At the same time, some cooks believe that it would be more correct to add citric acid only after boiling.

It takes about 40 minutes to boil the syrup, and after cooking, you need to let it cool. After that, soda dissolved in a spoonful of water is added to the syrup. As a result of this connection, a lot of foam is formed. Whenit will come down, the syrup will be ready. It must be used after it has completely cooled down.

Thus, it is rather problematic to purchase corn syrup, but almost everyone can prepare invert as a substitute. It will also be much cheaper, and in some cases even much better.