Rich Demerara Syrup (2:1)

Before you start

Rich demerara syrup is two parts demerara sugar to one part water, by weight. Demerara is a coarse, light-brown cane sugar that keeps some of its molasses, so the syrup tastes of toffee and dried fruit rather than plain sweetness. Stirred drinks love it: in an Old Fashioned or a rum drink it adds weight and silkiness, and because it is twice as concentrated as simple syrup, you need less of it, so the drink is diluted less.

The important decisions are measuring by weight and heating gently. Cup measures of coarse sugar vary a lot, which throws off every drink you make. Heat just enough to dissolve the crystals; boiling hard drives off water and can push the syrup toward crystallizing in the fridge. As a rule, 7.5 ml of rich syrup sweetens about as much as 15 ml of 1:1 simple syrup.

Ingredients

• 400 g (about 2 cups) demerara sugar — or turbinado
• 200 g (200 ml / about ¾ cup + 1 tbsp) water — filtered if your tap water tastes of chlorine

Method

1. Set the saucepan on the scale and tare it. Weigh in 200 g water, tare again, and add 400 g demerara sugar.
2. Warm over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. The coarse crystals take 5 to 8 minutes to dissolve fully.
3. Watch the edges: you want gentle steam and perhaps a few small bubbles, not a rolling boil. Remove the pan from the heat once the syrup is clear amber with no crystals grinding under the spatula.
4. If a few stubborn crystals cling to the side of the pan, brush them down with a wet pastry brush so they do not seed crystallization later.
5. Cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. The syrup will thicken noticeably as it cools.
6. Funnel into a clean bottle, label it with the date, and refrigerate.

Tips for success

• In recipes that call for simple syrup, use about half as much rich demerara syrup and taste; it is sweeter and heavier per milliliter.
• Wash and rinse the bottle with very hot water before filling. A clean bottle is the biggest factor in how long a syrup keeps.
• Demerara and turbinado can be used interchangeably. Muscovado is much darker and stickier and gives a stronger molasses flavor.

Substitutions

Demerara sugar

Plain white sugar at the same 2:1 ratio gives a neutral rich syrup. Light brown sugar works but tastes more of molasses and less of toffee.

Ratio

A 1:1 demerara syrup is easier to pour and closer to standard recipes, but it is less silky in stirred drinks and spoils sooner.

Water

Use the same weight of cold brewed black tea for a tannic tea syrup that works in punches; refrigerate and use within 2 weeks.

Variations

Spiced demerara

Add a cinnamon stick and 2 cloves while heating, then remove them after cooling. Good in hot toddies and rum drinks.

Cold-process

Shake the sugar and water in a sealed jar every few minutes until dissolved, about 20 minutes. Flavor is slightly brighter; shelf life is a little shorter.

Troubleshooting

The syrup crystallized in the fridge

It was boiled too hard or sugar crystals remained on the pan. Warm it gently with a tablespoon of water until clear, then cool and rebottle.

Gritty sugar at the bottom of the pan

The sugar was not fully dissolved before you stopped heating. Return to low heat and keep stirring until smooth.

Too thick to pour

Rich syrup is viscous when cold. Let the bottle sit out for 5 minutes, or use a squeeze bottle for easier dispensing.

Storage

Refrigerate in a clean, sealed bottle. Rich 2:1 syrup keeps longer than 1:1, typically about a month and often more. Discard it if it turns cloudy, smells sour or shows any mold.