Buzz
When Claire first brought up #syruptok, I was intrigued. It's maple tapping season, and I've always dreamed of harvesting my own syrup. However, like most exciting ideas, it was quickly dashed when I realized it’s more of a suburban trend.
Apparently, there are Americans who have enough space to think, 'I simply have too many cabinets! What could a new, unnecessary function for a cabinet be?' I live in the city, so I’ve never thought that way, but some people do, and they land on the quirky idea of having a syrup bar, from which they create all kinds of bizarre unicorn-colored drinks. They put these drinks in excessively decorative containers, which are so special, they have a trend of their own – making these cups is a whole separate TikTok trend.
Much like the Crystal Light and other 'diet' drinks from the 90s, the syrup trend is tied to diet culture. Most of these syrups are sugar-free but mysteriously shelf-stable, a result of loading them with preservatives. The drinks often feature strange collaborations between powdered flavorings and meal replacement shakes, raising eyebrows over their so-called 'healthy' nature.
Leaving the suburban mysteries behind, this can’t be cheap, so it’s time to whip up our own syrup. (Don’t tell me to 'stop trying to make ‘‘rup’ happen.' It’s happening.)
The making of syrups
Syrups are created with a flavor base and a sweetener in a rough 3:1 ratio. A 1:1 ratio gives you jam if you add pectin, but for syrup, you just need to make the base you like and sweeten it to your taste, using as little or as much sweetener as you prefer, up to the 1:1 ratio. The final result won’t be shelf-stable and should be refrigerated, but unless you're aiming for a full syrup bar, it doesn’t take up much space. While sugar works as a preservative, it alone won’t make the syrup shelf-stable – it’s the preservatives that do the trick.
Unlike jam, you’ll want a clarified flavor base, which means the liquid should be free of fruit pieces or other solid bits. For chai syrup, for instance, you’ll brew a strong chai tea and strain it to ensure no tea leaves remain. The best way to do this is by lining a strainer with cheesecloth. If you’re making blueberry syrup (which I highly recommend), you’ll need to extract the juice using a steam juicer, an electric juicer, or by simmering it down and straining it multiple times.
In some cases, if your flavor base is solid, like chocolate, caramel, marshmallow, or gingerbread, you’ll need to turn it into a liquid or a dissolvable powder to use it. For caramel syrup, this could be as simple as melting candies with water or milk. Chocolate is already a powder (cocoa), but it needs to be made into a paste first to dissolve properly. (It’s not difficult, though. We’ll show you how to do it here.)
You can also use flavors that hint at the final result, rather than using the 'real thing,' much like how we use pumpkin spice instead of pumpkin puree to evoke the taste of pumpkin pie. A solid backup plan is to seek out imitation flavor, which is likely what's in your store-bought syrups anyway. This is how you end up with marshmallow.
Once you've settled on your flavor base, you'll want to concentrate it, if it’s not already. A good starting point is to simmer down tea, juice, coffee, or any other flavor.
Pick your sweetener
Every sweetener has its own distinct taste, which is what makes the world of flavors so wonderful. Brown sugar is different from white sugar, and both vary from maple syrup, honey, molasses, or corn syrup, which is often unfairly criticized, even though it's a perfectly fine ingredient.
You can also explore a wide range of sugar-free syrups, such as Stevia, Splenda, Truvia, and others. I’ve never found joy in any of them, so I gave them the Marie Kondo treatment and cleared them out of my home. However, as long as you know they won’t thicken your syrup, just sweeten it, you're good to go.
There is a new wave of sweeteners worth considering, many of which are becoming more common in health-conscious grocery stores. Brown rice syrup, coconut sugar, monkfruit (especially in liquid form), allulose, dates, and agave syrup are all options to explore, as some have the potential to lower both your blood glucose and insulin levels.
Let it simmer until it thickens into syrup.
Start by bringing your flavor base to a simmer on the stove, then introduce your sweetener. Stir the mixture as it simmers, allowing the sweetener to dissolve. While the sweeteners we’ve covered so far help thicken the syrup, thickness isn’t crucial. What matters is the sweetness. However, if thickness is a priority for you, keep simmering and stirring carefully to prevent burning, until you reach your desired consistency.
If you’re having trouble achieving the desired thickness with your sweetener alone, you can use binders like cornstarch or gelatin to help. For cornstarch, make a slurry by mixing equal parts cornstarch and the flavor base (since it’s mostly water). Use about a tablespoon of each. Combine them until smooth, then add half of the slurry to your simmering syrup, stir it in, and let it simmer for five minutes. If the syrup isn’t thick enough, continue adding slurry until you reach the consistency you want.
To use gelatin, remove the syrup from the stove and mix one tablespoon of powdered gelatin per quart of liquid. Stir it in well, then return the syrup to the heat and simmer for five minutes. Gelatin needs to cool before you can gauge its effect, so place a plate in the freezer. Pour a teaspoon of syrup onto the plate and tilt it to test the thickness. If it isn’t thick enough, you can always heat it again and add more gelatin.
Begin your syrup adventure with coffee or lime.
To make a coffee syrup, start by brewing one pint of coffee as strong as you prefer—whether it’s espresso, cold brew, or even a light decaf. Add two-thirds of a cup of brown sugar, then stir the mixture in a saucepan over medium-high heat until it begins to boil. Let it simmer for five minutes, then taste and adjust if needed. You can add up to two cups of sugar, stirring and simmering for another five minutes after each addition. To thicken the syrup, mix one tablespoon of cornstarch with one tablespoon of water or coffee in a small bowl until smooth. Add this mixture to your syrup, stir it in, and simmer for an additional five minutes. Let the syrup cool, pour it into a bottle, and store it in the fridge.
For a fruit-based syrup, grab two pounds of limes and juice them. Strain the juice to remove any pulp, leaving behind a cloudy, light green liquid. Weigh the juice and note the weight. Pour the juice into a saucepan and bring it to a simmer. Add an equal amount of sugar by weight to the lime juice, stirring until the sugar is dissolved, creating a lime simple syrup. Let the syrup cool before bottling it and refrigerating it.
Seal your syrup in a bottle.
To store your syrups, use a funnel to pour them into bottles for refrigeration. Pro tip: Choose shorter bottles so they’ll fit neatly between your shelves. You can easily find them online, but for years, I’ve been a fan of IKEA bottles—affordable, attractive, and durable.
Syrups have a pretty long shelf life. Just make sure to keep an eye on them, and if you spot any mold, it's time to toss them. Bubbles are a sign that fermentation is happening, which doesn't pose a health risk but will alter the flavor (and eventually, the alcohol content).
With your new syrups in hand, you're all set to dive into a life of Pinterest-worthy moments as a soccer mom who enjoys cherry limeade from a 72-ounce sparkling Stanley cup. Damn, that cherry limeade sounds amazing. I think I need to try it.
