Sugar syrup, crystallizing

[Sif]

I made dandelion syrup yesterday. The recipe goes as follows

1 litre fresh dandelion flowers

1 litre of water

1300 grams granulated sugar

Pick petals from flowers, boil in water for 10 minutes as sift through a cloth. Add sugar to water and boil to 115 C.

I made sure not to stir, and bottled it when it had cooled to room temp.

It was perfect yesterday, and now I have a huge chunk of dandelion sugar with a bit of liquid on top. What went wrong? Too much sugar? And can I save it? It's supposed to be used as a vegan sub for honey, so it needs to be fairly thick.

[rooftop1000]

If my math works out that was too hot....you may be able to remelt with a spoonful of corn syrup to prevent recrystalization

T

[hummingbirdkiss]

can you tell me about this syrup ..

eta (I just realized you said it was a vegan honey) ..

how does it taste?

Edited May 4, 2008 by hummingbirdkiss (log)

[etalanian]

Try re-boiling it with a bit of cream of tartar. Add a little water beforehand so it doesn't get too thick.

Eileen

[Sif]

Thanks. I can't get cream of tartar, but it's an acid, right? Can I use lemon juice instead? I'll try to boil it to a lower temp and add glucose.

It tastes like a very mild honey - difficult to describe, but it's delicious. Really delicious. I'm not vegan anymore, but I still make it, because I find honey to strong.

[sugarseattle]

i used to always have problems with recrystallization, until somebody told me to store syrups in the refrigerator. Never have that problem anymore.

However, I think it might be something with the concentration, which in that case, some corn syrup or lemon juice will probably reduce your chances of recrystalization.

I have had problems with recrystallization in my caramel if I let the mixture come to a boil BEFORE all the sugar crystals are dissolved. Regarding stirring, I don't stir once it comes to a boil, but sometimes I do jiggle the pan just to make sure the heat disperses evenly.