Today, we will be discussing a concoction known as simple syrup. What is this mysterious substance and what does it have to do with photography, you might ask?
Simple syrup is a 2:1 mixture of sugar and water that has many uses but the most notable of these is as an ingredient in my favorite drink: limeade. Also, there will be a video that should turn up eventually. Other than that, it has not a thing to do with photography.
As mentioned above, simple syrup is a liquid consisting of two parts sugar to one part water. How does the water hold twice it's volume in sugar, you ask? Magic!
To make simple syrup, you need two cups of sugar, one cup water (or any 2:1 ratio of measurements) a measuring cup, stirring spoon, pan, a container to hold the mixture and, of course, a stove.
First, measure two cups of sugar and mix them with the one cup water (or whatever measurements you chose) in the pan. The sugar won't dissolve immediately, but don't worry about that. It will.
Then put the pan on the stove and bring it to a boil.
You'll notice that as the mixture heats up, more and more of the sugar dissolves. By the time the mixture has reached a rapid boil, it should be completely clear, with no sugar granules remaining in the bottom of the pan.
Congratulations, you've made just simple syrup!
Carefully pour the syrup into the container. I use a glass jar, but you can use anything that will accomodate 3 cups of liquid. Now, simply allow the mixture to cool and use it immediately or store it in the refrigerator for later use.
As the liquid cools, if you chose to use a glass container like I do, you will notice that it remains perfectly clear with perhaps a very slight yellow tint.
Simple syrup has many applications as a sweetener in beverages and can even be thickened, flavored with maple extract and used as pancake syrup. As I said, however, my favorite application is in limeades, where its used in about a 1:8 ratio. For instance, in a 2 quart container you'd want to use about a cup of syrup and the other 7 cups are made up of crushed ice, lime peels and either sparkling water or sprite. My preference is sparkling water, since the sprite is already sweetened. You can play around with this ratio if you want to suit your taste.
And that's what simple syrup is, how its made and how its used. Stay tuned for the video, comming (possibly) soon. This concludes another episode of CDP's recipe corner!
Well, maybe not.
Simple syrup is a 2:1 mixture of sugar and water that has many uses but the most notable of these is as an ingredient in my favorite drink: limeade. Also, there will be a video that should turn up eventually. Other than that, it has not a thing to do with photography.
As mentioned above, simple syrup is a liquid consisting of two parts sugar to one part water. How does the water hold twice it's volume in sugar, you ask? Magic!
To make simple syrup, you need two cups of sugar, one cup water (or any 2:1 ratio of measurements) a measuring cup, stirring spoon, pan, a container to hold the mixture and, of course, a stove.
First, measure two cups of sugar and mix them with the one cup water (or whatever measurements you chose) in the pan. The sugar won't dissolve immediately, but don't worry about that. It will.
Then put the pan on the stove and bring it to a boil.
You'll notice that as the mixture heats up, more and more of the sugar dissolves. By the time the mixture has reached a rapid boil, it should be completely clear, with no sugar granules remaining in the bottom of the pan.
Congratulations, you've made just simple syrup!
Carefully pour the syrup into the container. I use a glass jar, but you can use anything that will accomodate 3 cups of liquid. Now, simply allow the mixture to cool and use it immediately or store it in the refrigerator for later use.
As the liquid cools, if you chose to use a glass container like I do, you will notice that it remains perfectly clear with perhaps a very slight yellow tint.
Simple syrup has many applications as a sweetener in beverages and can even be thickened, flavored with maple extract and used as pancake syrup. As I said, however, my favorite application is in limeades, where its used in about a 1:8 ratio. For instance, in a 2 quart container you'd want to use about a cup of syrup and the other 7 cups are made up of crushed ice, lime peels and either sparkling water or sprite. My preference is sparkling water, since the sprite is already sweetened. You can play around with this ratio if you want to suit your taste.
And that's what simple syrup is, how its made and how its used. Stay tuned for the video, comming (possibly) soon. This concludes another episode of CDP's recipe corner!
Well, maybe not.