Simple Syrup

For standard syrup, combine equal weights of white sugar and water. For rich syrup, use two parts sugar to one part water by weight. Weighing is more repeatable than measuring by volume.

Warm the water gently, remove it from high heat, and stir in sugar until fully clear. Do not boil longer than needed. Cool rapidly, bottle in a clean container, label and refrigerate.

Refrigerate at 4 °C or below. As conservative home guidance, use 1:1 syrup within two weeks and rich 2:1 syrup within one month. Discard immediately if cloudy, fizzy, moldy or oddly scented.

250 g sugar plus 250 g water yields 500 g solution, not 500 ml. Dissolved volumes do not add simply. Weigh cooled syrup and measure bottling volume to record yield. State whether the ratio is by mass or volume. Pure sucrose-water solutions give about 50 °Bx at 1:1 and 66.7 °Bx at 2:1. Other ingredients prevent direct interpretation as sugar percentage.

Replacing standard syrup with rich syrup requires more than equal volume substitution: compare sugar contribution and missing water in a small recipe trial. Evaporation raises concentration, so avoid unnecessary boiling. Hot filling alone does not validate commercial shelf life. Label date, ratio and temperature and never mix old syrup into a fresh batch to extend expiry.

Zero a refractometer with water and follow temperature guidance. Crystallization can indicate concentration or dissolution issues; reheating spoiled syrup does not make it safe. Keep bottle mouths and pourers clean and use small refrigerated service batches rather than leaving the entire supply warm through a shift.