Simple syrup

It seems almost silly to write a post about simple syrup. Simple syrup is so easy, so basic to cold, sweetened drinks, that a whole entry devoted to sugar water could be construed as ridiculous. 

The other day, though, we were in a coffee shop and we saw simple syrup for sale. And we thought, Pshaw! A person can make simple syrup in five minutes for about five cents.

The science behind simple syrup is this: in hot beverages like coffee and tea, sugar granules dissolve quickly thanks to the heat. In cold beverages, however, like lemonade, iced tea, and a plethora of cocktails, the sugar doesn't quite dissolve, settling at the bottom in a gritty film. Either that or you have to stir until your arm falls off.

So, since summer is not technically over yet and there are still cold drinks to be had, we're going to tell you how we make simple syrup.

Rating: 1/8 assed

Here's what you need and how you do it

2 cups granulated sugar

2 cups water

Mix in a sauce pan. Stirring almost constantly, bring to a boil. The longer you boil your syrup, the thicker it will become. Turn off heat and let cool. Once cooled, pour into a cute bottle or jar. We used an old Trader Joes' olive oil bottle that we cleaned and from which we soaked the labels.

Store in refrigerator.

Here are just a few ways to use your simple syrup:

Strawberry Mojito from White on Rice Couple

Perfect Lemonade from Simply Recipes

Laughter in the Rain from Martha Stewart (A cocktail we particularly need here in Seattle.)

Comments

[Natasha Elliott]

What a wonderful gift idea! I have a surplus of maple syrup bottles I bought earlier in the season. How long does the syrup last once made?

[MommyTime]

You can buy label paper at places like Kinko's, or you can have them print on it. If you wanted to give gifts, you could design a really pretty personalized label, have Kinko's print a bunch on label paper, and then stick them to the bottles. Voila! Simple and classy. (I did this once with gourmet salts that I bottled for family, and the labels came out great.)

[Heather]

I just made simple syrup for iced coffee -- I used sucanat and it came out this wonderful brown color with a light molasses flavor. Perfect with coffee. Got me thinking what other sugars would taste like. Brown sugar simple syrup is next on my list!