Inverted sugar is a product that is used in cooking and which is obtained from normal sucrose. Heat and an acidic ingredient break down sugar into simple glucose and fructose, thus changing the texture and flavor, as well as the shelf life of dishes cooked with this sweetener.
Ingrediants
For 225 g of invert sugar
- 225 g of sugar
- 0.5 g of citric acid or Cream of tartar
- 175 ml of water
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Making the Inverted Sugar
Step 1. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine all three ingredients
Take a saucepan made of inert material and use a spoon to mix the contents until the sugar is well blended.
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You can use plain granulated sugar, but extra fine and brown sugar are better options.
- Extra fine sugar is made up of smaller grains, which reduce the risk of crystallization during the invert sugar preparation process.
- Brown sugar has a coarser texture, but the final product will have a richer flavor. This type is chosen especially for the home preparation of fermented beverages.
- You can replace citric acid with half a gram of cream of tartar. Both ingredients are perfect acid catalysts and help sucrose break down into glucose and fructose. However, do not use both citric acid and cream of tartar at the same time.
Step 2. Boil the contents of the saucepan
Place the pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Continue heating until the mixture begins to boil.
- For this operation, electric and induction cookers are more suitable than gas ones. The uniform and delicate distribution of heat makes these appliances a better solution than burners with open flame.
- Stir the mixture as it heats up to distribute the heat. Stop as soon as it starts boiling.
Step 3. Scrape the inside walls of the pan
Use a damp pastry brush to remove any sugar crystals that have accumulated on the edges of the pan. Incorporate these fragments into the boiling syrup.
Dip the brush in clean water before using it to scrub the sides of the saucepan. This small additional amount of water will not interfere with the final product
Step 4. Reduce the heat and let the syrup simmer constantly
Use medium-low heat and cook the syrup for 20 minutes or up to 2 hours.
- Do not stir while the mixture is cooking. The mechanical movement causes the sugar particles to clot, thus increasing the chances of crystallization and obtaining a grainy product.
- Keep the temperature low during this phase. At high temperatures the sugar tends to caramelize, thus ruining all your work.
- Regardless of how long you boil the syrup, it must reach 114 ° C before proceeding to the next steps.
- If you want the invert sugar to keep a light color, cook the syrup for a short time. To obtain a rich amber color, extend the cooking time.
- Watch the mixture carefully as it simmers. Once the syrup has reduced by 1/3 of the original volume, add another 60ml of water; this way you prevent it from burning. This step is necessary if you decide to cook the syrup over 30-40 minutes.
Step 5. Wait for the mixture to cool to room temperature
Remove the pan from the heat and allow the invert sugar to cool.
- At this stage, keep the lid on the pan to protect the syrup from dust and dirt.
- When the sugar has reached room temperature, you can use it immediately or store it for future use.
Part 2 of 3: Storing the Inverted Sugar
Step 1. Transfer the syrup to glass jars
Leave about 1.5 cm of free space on top of the container. Seal the jars.
- There is no need to boil the jars with sugar, but they must have an airtight seal.
- Glass jars are your best bet because they are more impervious to odors than plastic ones. However, in the absence of anything else you can rely on the latter, as long as they have an airtight cap.
- A half-liter jar is enough for 225g of invert sugar. However, if you have prepared large quantities of sweetener, you can also use larger containers.
Step 2. Store the sugar in the refrigerator
Put the sealed jar in the fridge where it can stay at least 6-12 months (if tightly closed).
Check the sweetener to make sure no mold is forming. If you notice any such signs, throw the product away
Part 3 of 3: Using Inverted Sugar
Step 1. Know the benefits of invert sugar
It is often used professionally and commercially because, in addition to other positive aspects, it increases the shelf life of baked goods. However, there are other reasons for choosing this sugar.
- The slow heating process breaks down sucrose into fructose and glucose. The sugar crystals get smaller, so the foods it is incorporated into have a smoother texture.
- The small crystals allow the invert sugar to dissolve quickly.
- Inverted sugar is a hygroscopic substance, that is, it absorbs moisture from the air. This feature keeps the bacterial load under control and extends the life of baked goods.
- This sweetener has a lower freezing point than standard sugar, so frozen products that contain milk (like ice cream) are less likely to crystallize and maintain a creamy texture that's easy to scoop up with a spoon or scoop.
Step 2. Know which recipes benefit from the use of invert sugar
This product is rarely used as a simple sweetener, but is incorporated into the ingredients for the preparation of baked desserts, candies, frozen desserts and home-made fermented sodas.
- Baked goods made with invert sugar are fluffier and last longer.
- The candies take on a smoother texture.
- Ice creams, sorbets, cold creams and other frozen desserts have a lesser tendency to form crystals when made with invert sugar. They remain softer, creamier and easier to scoop up with a spoon.
- Inverted sugar is great for fermenting sodas, as it dissolves faster and is readily available for yeast.
Step 3. Heat invert sugar before using
If you are going to use the sweetener stored in the refrigerator, it is advisable to measure the required dose and then wait for it to reach room temperature before incorporating it into the recipe.
When you store invert sugar for some time, you may notice the formation of small crystals. If this happens, lightly heat the amount of sweetener you need in a double boiler, stirring often. Within a few minutes, the crystals should dissolve again and the invert sugar will be ready to use
Step 4. Follow the recipe
When the instructions tell you to use invert sugar, simply stick to the doses.
Since it is a very popular product in commercial kitchens, it is rarely found in cookbooks designed for housewives. Despite this, you can safely use it to replace other sweeteners
Step 5. Use invert sugar instead of standard sugar or honey
This is possible in most preparations, although the doses can change.
- Inverted sugar is sweeter than regular sugar due to the free fructose crystals. For this reason, you should use 25% less than the standard one.
- When replacing granulated sugar with invert sugar, reduce the amount of liquid in the preparation. Remove a volume of liquid equal to one-fifth or one-quarter of the volume of invert sugar from the ingredients. This is necessary to compensate for the fact that invert sugar is a liquid substance.
- Use invert sugar instead of honey without changing the doses. Do not reduce the amount of liquid ingredients.
- Since this sweetener retains moisture, it is usually recommended to replace only 50% of the normal sugar or honey instead of the entire dose.
- For example, you should use 60ml of invert sugar and 60ml of honey for a recipe that includes 120ml of honey.
- Here's another example: You can use 60ml of invert sugar and 60g of granulated sugar in a recipe that includes 120g of regular sugar. In that case, you should also reduce the amount of liquid ingredients by about 15ml, regardless of whether the recipe says 60 or 750ml of liquid.
