The Role Of Acid In Defining Syrup

Dictionary.com define syrup as “1. any of various thick, sweet liquids prepared for table use from molasses, glucose, etc., water, and often a flavoring agent. 2. any of various preparations consisting of fruit juice, water, etc., boiled with sugar 3. Pharmocology. A concentrated sugar solution that contains medication or flavoring.” This means that a syrup is a sugar and a liquid (most often water but can be fruit juice).
A simple syrup is water and sugar boiled together until the sugar melts. The sugar can be regular white granulated sugar, brown sugar, molasses, or honey. (any type of sugar can be used) The ratio of sugar to water depends on how thick you want the final syrup to be. For a thin syrup use 1 part sugar to 3 parts
water, for a medium sugar use 1 part sugar to 2 parts water, for a thick syrup use 1 part sugar to 1 part water. This 1:1 ratio is also recommended for any time you use honey as the “sugar”.
To make an herbal syrup, add your herb to the water/sugar mixture once all the sugar has been dissolved and the syrup has been removed from the heat. Allow the herb to steep in the cooling mixture for 20 to 30 minutes. Use a strainer to strain out the herb before storing. Store the syrup in the refrigerator. Cork topped glass bottles are the recommended storage container for syrups and the syrups are stable stored in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.
My personal recipe for a syrup would be:
2 parts sugar
1 part water (cold) herb of choice
Directions:
Add the water to a medium sized saucepan, then add the sugar. Cook on a medium heat until boiling, stirring frequently. Boil and stir until all the sugar has dissolved and no more sugar crystals can be seen. Remove from heat and immediately add the herb of choice to the sugar solution. Allow to cool for 30 minutes. Then place in clean container (preferably with a cork lid). Label the jar. Store in the refrigerator.
I have some orange honey sticks that I add to my tea that I am just about out of. I want to try to make a replacement for them. My recipe for that would be:
1 part honey
1 part water (cold) zest of one orange
Directions:
In a medium saucepan, bring honey and water to a boil. Boil, stirring frequently, until all of the honey has dissolved completely. Remove from the heat and add orange zest. Allow to steep for 30 minutes. Pour the syrup through a strainer or fine cheesecloth to remove the zest bits. Label the jar and store in the refrigerator.