Invert sugar is a food product made from ordinary granulated sugar (sucrose). Heat and acid are used to break down sugar into the simpler sugars glucose and fructose, and this will change the texture, taste, and shelf-life of foods made with these sweeteners.
Ingredients
To make 225 g of invert sugar
- 225 g sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon (1/2 g) citric acid OR cream of tartar
- 3/4 cup (175 ml) water
Step
Method 1 of 3: Part One: Preparing Invert Sugar
Step 1. Combine all three ingredients in a medium saucepan
Add sugar, water, and citric acid to a non-reactive saucepan, and stir all ingredients until evenly combined.
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Regular granulated sugar can be used, but powdered sugar and cane sugar are better choices.
- Refined sugar already contains smaller crystals, thus reducing the possibility of crystallization occurring in invert sugar syrup.
- Cane sugar contains fairly large granules, but this will give the final product a stronger taste. Cane sugar is more suitable for use, especially for those who use invert sugar to make homemade fermented drinks.
- Note that 1/8 teaspoon (1/2 g) of cream of tartar can be used instead of citric acid if desired. Both of these ingredients are quite strong acid catalysts and will help break down sucrose into glucose and fructose. However, don't use cream of tartar and citric acid at the same time.
Step 2. Bring the ingredients to a boil in a saucepan
Place the pot on the stove and heat it over medium-high heat. Continue heating until the mixture begins to slowly boil.
- Induction heat sources from electric stoves are more suitable than gas stoves for this process. The gentle, even heat from induction and electric stoves is better than the direct heat provided by gas stove flames.
- Stir the mixture as it begins to heat up to distribute the heat evenly, but stop stirring as the mixture boils.
Step 3. Rub the sides of the pan
Use a wet pastry brush to scrape off the sugar crystals that separate from the sides of the pan and dip them into the boiling syrup.
Soak a cake brush in clean water before using it to clean the sides of the pan. This excess water should not affect the final sugar product
Step 4. Lower the heat and let the sugar mixture simmer
Lower the heat to low or medium-low and let the sugar mixture lightly simmer for 20 minutes to 2 hours.
- Do not stir the sugar mixture while it is simmering. Stirring will encourage the sugar particles to clump together, increasing the risk of crystallization and a gritty final product.
- Keep the temperature low during this stage. High temperatures can cause the sugar to caramelize and spoil the final product.
- Regardless of how long you simmer the sugar mixture, it should be at least 114 degrees Celsius before you can move on to the next step.
- If you want your invert sugar to stay bright, burn it for a shorter amount of time. To produce a strong yellowish color, burn it for a longer time.
- Keep an eye on the invert sugar while it is hot. Once the volume is reduced by a third, add 1/4 cup (60 ml) of water again. This will prevent the invert sugar from burning in the pan. However, you only need to add water if it is simmering for more than 30 to 40 minutes.
Step 5. Allow to cool to room temperature
Remove the pot from the stove. Allow the invert sugar to cool to room temperature until it reaches room temperature.
- Cover the pot while the invert sugar cools to prevent dust and dirt from getting into it.
- Once the invert sugar reaches room temperature, you can use it right away or store it for later use.
Method 2 of 3: Part Two: Storing Invert Sugar
Step 1. Pour the invert sugar into a bowl
Pour the cooled invert sugar into a large glass container, leaving at least 1.25cm of free space at the top of the container. Close tightly.
- You don't need to can the invert sugar, but the lids on the containers you use should be airtight.
- Glass containers are best used because they are much more difficult to penetrate than plastic containers. However, plastic containers can also be used if no glass containers are available, as long as they have an airtight lid.
- A 1/2 liter glass container should be enough to hold 225 g of invert sugar, but if you are making more invert sugar, be sure to increase the size of the container as well.
Step 2. Store in the refrigerator
Place a tightly closed container in the refrigerator. When properly covered and refrigerated, invert sugar should last between 6 months to 1 year.
Check for mold on this sweetener before using it. If you see any signs of mold, you should discard all the rest
Method 3 of 3: Part Three: Using Invert Sugar
Step 1. Pay attention to the benefits of invert sugar
Invert sugar is often used in professional and commercial kitchens because, among other benefits, it can increase the shelf life of many baked goods. There are many other reasons to use invert sugar as well.
- The heating process slowly breaks down sucrose into fructose and glucose. The sugar crystals become smaller, so foods made with inverted sugar will have a softer texture.
- The smaller crystal size also makes the invert sugar dissolve faster.
- Invert sugar is hygroscopic, so it will absorb moisture from the air. This property will inhibit the growth of bacteria and extend the shelf life of baked goods.
- Invert sugar has a lower freezing point than regular sugar, so frozen dairy products are less likely to crystallize, keeping them soft and easy to scoop.
Step 2. Find out which recipes benefit the most from invert sugar
Invert sugar is rarely used as an immediate sweetener, but you can use it when making cakes, candies, frozen sweets, and homemade fermented drinks.
- Cakes and breads made with inverted sugar tend to be softer and have a longer shelf life.
- Candies made with invert sugar tend to have a softer texture.
- Ice cream, sorbet, sherbert and other frozen sweets made with invert sugar tend to have fewer ice crystals. These sweets will also remain soft, smooth, and easy to scoop.
- Home-fermented drinks benefit from invert sugar because it dissolves faster, so the yeast will get the sugar it needs more quickly.
Step 3. Warm the invert sugar before use
If you're using invert sugar after storing it in the fridge, it's usually helpful to measure the amount needed and allow it to come to room temperature before using it in a recipe.
After you have stored the invert sugar for some time, you may notice crystals start to form. If this is the case, you will need to heat the amount of sugar you want to use in a double saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. Within a few minutes, these crystals should dissolve again and your invert sugar is ready to use
Step 4. Follow the recipe
When your recipe says to add invert sugar, add it according to the recipe guidelines.
Because invert sugar is primarily used in commercial kitchens, recipes made for home cooks usually don't include invert sugar in the ingredient list. If so, you will use invert sugar instead of other sweeteners
Step 5. Use invert sugar instead of regular sugar or honey
You can use invert sugar in recipes that use regular sugar or honey, but the amount of invert sugar you need may vary.
- Keep in mind that invert sugar is sweeter than regular sugar because of the free fructose crystals in it. As a result, you should reduce the amount of invert sugar by 25% compared to regular sugar.
- When using invert sugar instead of regular granulated sugar, reduce the amount of liquid in the recipe by one-fifth to one-fourth the amount of invert sugar used. This adjustment is made to compensate for the fact that invert sugar is a liquid, whereas regular granulated sugar is a solid.
- Replace honey with invert sugar in equal proportions, and don't change the amount of liquid in the recipe.
- Because invert sugar retains moisture, it is generally recommended to replace half the amount of sugar and honey instead of the whole.
- For example, you can use 1/4 cup (60 ml) invert sugar and 1/4 cup (60 ml) honey for a recipe that calls for 1/2 cup (125 ml) honey.
- As another example, you can use 1/4 cup (60 ml) of invert sugar and 1/4 cup (60 ml) of regular sugar for a recipe that calls for 1/2 cup (125 ml) of regular sugar. Also note that you should reduce the amount of liquid in this recipe by about 1 tablespoon (15 ml), regardless of whether the recipe calls for 1/4 cup (60 ml) or 3 cups (750 ml) of liquid.
