Post #749416 by AceExplorer on Tue, Aug 18, 2015 12:07 PM

On 2015-08-18 11:54, Limbo Lizard wrote:
Ace, when you use the cold process, the sugar is all still in the form of sucrose. Sucrose is...

Limbo, once again, a very clear explanation. Very much appreciated, sir! My next question is what then is "invert sugar?" I went to Google, which led me to a definition in Wikipedia, which dovetailed perfectly with what you wrote about splitting sucrose. Here is the first paragraph of the Wikipedia entry on invert sugar:

"Inverted or invert sugar syrup is a mixture of glucose and fructose; it is obtained by splitting sucrose into these two components. Compared with its precursor, sucrose, inverted sugar is sweeter [Editor: dubious – discuss] and its products tend to retain moisture and are less prone to crystallization. Inverted sugar is therefore valued by bakers, who refer to the syrup as invert syrup. It is similar to high-fructose corn syrup."

So this brings everything full-circle. I conclude that the "blender" method of making simple syrup is good for when you're in need of syrup quickly, but the hot process should be good for storage/stability. Since sugar is so inexpensive, I'll probably do some tests.

Good stuff -- this is one of the many reasons I enjoy Tiki Central so much.