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How do you measure glucose syrup?


Michael Gillen

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Yes, intended pun I hope you enjoyed. :cool:

I am new to chocolate making, having only made a few batches. In using one of the recipes from a book, it calls for glucose syrup, which I managed to obtain. My problem is, how does one go about measuring out "2 oz." from a 1KG tub? This stuff is sooooo thick and sticky! :shock:

Suggestions welcomed from the experienced!!!

Happy Chocolating!

Michael

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Lots of folks recommend scooping it up with a wet hand.

I use two spoons - one to scoop and one to scrape.

John DePaula
formerly of DePaula Confections
Hand-crafted artisanal chocolates & gourmet confections - …Because Pleasure Matters…
--------------------
When asked “What are the secrets of good cooking? Escoffier replied, “There are three: butter, butter and butter.”

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When I find I good source of powdered glucose/dextrose, I'm going to try subsituting it.

By "good supplier" do you mean home hobbyist/small business level or mass quantities level? If the former, there are a lot of good sources online (chef rubber and l'epicerie just to quickly name two).

Edited by Tri2Cook (log)

It's kinda like wrestling a gorilla... you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is tired.

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Yes, intended pun I hope you enjoyed. :cool:

I am new to chocolate making, having only made a few batches. In using one of the recipes from a book, it calls for glucose syrup, which I managed to obtain. My problem is, how does one go about measuring out "2 oz." from a 1KG tub? This stuff is sooooo thick and sticky! :shock:

Suggestions welcomed from the experienced!!!

Happy Chocolating!

Michael

Rinse or dip your hand in cold water, and scoop out what you need. It helps prevent the glucose from sticking as badly. I usually just hold the bucket in one had, rinse the other, and scoop out what I need over my bowl. You will still have a little stuck to you, but nothing like with a dry hand or spoon.

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I warm it up slightly in the microwave and then use 2 spoons like John. I keep it stored at 60-65F, and I'm sure that I'm not warming it beyond about 80F. It's always messy, though.

I was under the impression that atomized glucose and dextrose are two different things and can't be substituted for glucose syrup, but I could be wrong. I seem to recall reading about this very topic somewhere in an EG Forum, but I can't find it.

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I go two wet spoons. Preferably weigh it onto a powder or something, if not straight into your cream so you're not losing any by getting it stuck onto your weighing dish.

I think if you had atomised glucose you could use 90% of the standard glucose weight and replace the other 10% with water. Powdered dextrose isn't the same as atomised glucose (something about the proportions of dextrose to maltose I think)though it probably really wouldn't make any major difference.

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By "good supplier" do you mean home hobbyist/small business level or mass quantities level? If the former, there are a lot of good sources online (chef rubber and l'epicerie just to quickly name two).

I mean one that will sell in quantities of 1 or 2 kg, for prices that make sense for sugar, not contraband!

Oddly the cake and baking supply store in NYC has never heard of dextrose. The best source I've found so far sells it online as a nutritional supplement. I'm still annoyed I can't find it in the city.

Notes from the underbelly

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I re-used a corn syrup squeeze bottle. Filled up the 500ml bottle with a funnel and silicone spatula.

When I need small amounts like 2 oz or a couple of tbsp I just grab the squeeze bottle from the cupboard.

For larger amounts I prefer using my silicone spatulas.

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Glad to see I'm not the only one with this sticky problem  :blink: One question - when you use your hand, how the heck do you measure it? You must be much more experienced than I at measuring liquids!!!!

My formulas are all in weight, so I'm usually scooping into a pan or bowl on a scale. I've tried a wet tablespoon before, and the water does help, but you still have to scrape it out of the spoon.

Over my many years of working in pastry, I've gotten pretty good at eyeballing amounts, so I pretty much know the amount to try to scoop out when I'm weighing.

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I mean one that will sell in quantities of 1 or 2 kg, for prices that make sense for sugar, not contraband!

l'epicerie sells atomized glucose for $4.60 lb. or $33.95 for an 11 lb. bag.

chefrubber has the glucose powder for $3.50 for 500g or $25.00 for 11 lbs. or $70.00 for 50 lbs.

bulkfoods.com sells dextrose for $3.49 lb. or $7.91 for 5 lbs. or $33.40 for 25 lbs. but they don't carry the glucose powder.

It's kinda like wrestling a gorilla... you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is tired.

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l'epicerie sells atomized glucose for $4.60 lb. or $33.95 for an 11 lb. bag.

chefrubber has the glucose powder for $3.50 for 500g or $25.00 for 11 lbs. or $70.00 for 50 lbs.

bulkfoods.com sells dextrose for $3.49 lb. or $7.91 for 5 lbs. or $33.40 for 25 lbs. but they don't carry the glucose powder.

Bulkfoods.com sounds like a score. I'm going to check out their shipping prices, thanks.

Dextrose=glucose powder.

Notes from the underbelly

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Hate meausring the stuff out, I have a 12 kg pail, but I don't like using it. I usually just sub corn syrup for glucose and have never had any issues--even with caramels and ganaches.

Hate scaling out molasses as well, usually I just nuke the container so it doesn't take so looooong to pour out.

Trimoline is another one, my ganche batches are small and I only need a bit, and I hate dragging out a 5 kg pail every time. What I did was trotted off to CDN Tire (or any store that sells camping stuff) you can buy plastic tubes, "A'la toothpaste" with an open end, which you can fill , then seal off with a plastic bar. Then it's just a matter of squeezing out the required amount. Usually you can use tthe tubes a few times over,a nd they are pretty cheap too.t

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I could be wrong but I think the difference between powdered/atomised glucose and dextrose is that the former can vary in it's dextrose equivalent, or DE. Glucose is available with varying proportions of dextrose to maltose and certain confections are best made with a glucose with a higher proportion of maltose. Dextrose, on the other hand, is 'pure' dextrose.

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I could be wrong but I think the difference between powdered/atomised glucose and dextrose is that the former can vary in it's dextrose equivalent, or DE.  Glucose is available with varying proportions of dextrose to maltose and certain confections are best made with a glucose with a higher proportion of maltose. Dextrose, on the other hand, is 'pure' dextrose.

I'm not entirely sure, I'm not a confections expert. I keep glucose, dextrose, lactose, fructose and maltose on hand and use whichever the recipe calls for unless it's a recipe I'm developing. Then I summon everything I can remember about each from other uses and... fake it. :raz:

It's kinda like wrestling a gorilla... you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is tired.

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Use a small metal bowl or whatever size.

On a scale.

I use an ice cream scoop, which I rest in very hot water.

Slides out easily.

Then I use a spatula to turn it out.

If it's for ice cream I do the warm scoop method right on top of dry milk or sugar whatever, while it's on the scale.

2317/5000

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Hate meausring the stuff out, I have a 12 kg pail, but I don't like using it.  I usually just sub corn syrup for glucose and have never had any issues--even with caramels and ganaches.

Hate scaling out molasses as well, usually I just nuke the container so it doesn't take so looooong to pour out.

Trimoline is another one, my ganche batches are small and I only need a bit, and I hate dragging out a 5 kg pail every time.  What I did was trotted off to CDN Tire (or any store that sells camping stuff) you can buy plastic tubes, "A'la toothpaste" with an open end, which you can fill , then seal off with a plastic bar.  Then it's just a matter of squeezing out the required amount.  Usually you can use tthe tubes a few times over,a nd they are pretty cheap too.t

Are those food safe?

John DePaula
formerly of DePaula Confections
Hand-crafted artisanal chocolates & gourmet confections - …Because Pleasure Matters…
--------------------
When asked “What are the secrets of good cooking? Escoffier replied, “There are three: butter, butter and butter.”

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In measuring small amounts of glucose, corn syrup, honey, peanut butter, or other sticky liquids I like to use the "plunger" type of sticky substances. It cleans the side of the unit as you add the ingredient and can easily be scraped off with a knife. You can see an example on the Alton Brown website here. Scroll down to the bottom of the page.

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I could be wrong but I think the difference between powdered/atomised glucose and dextrose is that the former can vary in it's dextrose equivalent, or DE.  Glucose is available with varying proportions of dextrose to maltose and certain confections are best made with a glucose with a higher proportion of maltose. Dextrose, on the other hand, is 'pure' dextrose.

This is correct, as far as I know.

I'm interested in the stuff mostly for developing my own recipes, so the differences aren't too important. I'd rather go with the generic version that won't be different from batch to batch or brand to brand.

Notes from the underbelly

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Hello all and thanks for all the great replies. I love this forum!

Speaking of Corn Syrup as a substitute, when my 1KG pail runs out I might try that. Is it true that Corn Syrum is just another form of "vegatable sugar" like Glucose is? I thought I read that somewhere on EG or perhaps in Greweling's book?

Thanks again,

Michael

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Hello all and thanks for all the great replies. I love this forum!

Speaking of Corn Syrup as a substitute, when my 1KG pail runs out I might try that. Is it true that Corn Syrum is just another form of "vegatable sugar" like Glucose is? I thought I read that somewhere on EG or perhaps in Greweling's book?

Thanks again,

Michael

Glucose syrup can be derived from a number of sources. In the US, corn is most common, in Europe, it's wheat. The ingredient list on my glucose says "100% corn syrup."

Now, corn syrup or "Lite Corn Syrup" as it's sold in grocery stores (Karo being the most common brand) is a little different. It used to have high fructose corn syrup added, but that seems to have disappeared from the ingredient label. It has a higher water content, which is what makes it more easily pourable and measurable. It usually has some salt and vanilla added.

I will frequently substitute corn syrup for glucose. The place I don't is if I'm making ganache and need to be concerned about shelf life. Because corn syrup has more water, I figure it's probably not going to have as much of the water binding effect that glucose has in a ganache.

Tammy's Tastings

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I mean one that will sell in quantities of 1 or 2 kg, for prices that make sense for sugar, not contraband!

l'epicerie sells atomized glucose for $4.60 lb. or $33.95 for an 11 lb. bag.

chefrubber has the glucose powder for $3.50 for 500g or $25.00 for 11 lbs. or $70.00 for 50 lbs.

bulkfoods.com sells dextrose for $3.49 lb. or $7.91 for 5 lbs. or $33.40 for 25 lbs. but they don't carry the glucose powder.

L'epicerie subbed dextrose for Atomized glucose in my order, then tried to claim they were the same. They cited Greweling. On the advice of his former student on egullet, I emailed Greweling, who replied (as HQAntithesis said) they are not the same, it depends on the DE. Still didn't get my money back, still couldn't get an exchange set up. L'Epicerie does not reply to the BBB either. Buyer beware.

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