Corn Syrup
Baked goods require a lot of ingredients but one of the common denominators is sugar. It’s one of the most important ingredients in Desserts, Ice Cream, Candies, Snacks and so on. There are 4 different types of sugar which are glucose, sucrose (table sugar), fructose (fruit sugar) and lactose (dairy sugar).
Without going into too many details, these sugars are often mixed with one another. For example, coconut sugar consists of a composition of sucrose, glucose and fructose while honey is glucose and fructose.
The list of diversified kinds of sugars resulting from these 4 types of sugar (and blends) is quite long; granulated sugar, brown sugar, Powdered Sugar, agave nectar, rice sugar, and so on. One of the most commonly used ones in North America is Corn Syrup. Made from the starch of corn, commercial Corn Syrup is also known as “glucose syrup” in the pastry world. It’s a combination of fructose, glucose, maltose and other sugars. Now on the other hand, when making it at home, the process is obviously not the same.
I never thought about making it from scratch until I started Club Foody back in 2016. One of my subscribers asked me if I had a “homemade” recipe for Corn Syrup because where she was from, it was nowhere to be found. I asked my mother if she knew how to make it and she said – “I never did but your grandmother used to make it during the war as it was too pricey”. After digging into her mother’s recipe notebook (it’s as scary as hers; yellow pages and unidentified stains), she found it and gave it to me.
This recipe is from my lovely late grandmother and the results are pretty close to the “real” thing. It’s very easy to make, no artificial ingredients and a great way to enjoy this homemade substitute in your baked goods. Another plus is it will keep for up to 3 months.
I use corn on the cob as I want to extract the starch from the vegetable. I simmer it until 1/3rd of the liquid is evaporated and then remove it from the heat, cover and let it sit for about 4 hours. The cobs will absorb some liquid during that time, ending up with about 2 cups. From there, I proceed with the recipe which is quite simple; granulated sugar and salt. When the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is simmering, I add cream of tartar. This will prevent sugar crystals from forming.
Another step I do is to brush the sides of the saucepan with a pastry brush dipped in water. While simmering, some sugar will splatter onto the sides of it and can crystallize the rest of the sugar in the saucepan. I’ve been using this little trick when I make syrup and Caramel and it works like a charm.
This Corn Syrup is the perfect substitute for the commercial ones. It’s a lovely recipe for some of you who cannot find it or simply if you like making condiments from scratch. It makes about 2 ¼ cups, giving you a fair amount to use for your baking and cooking needs. It will keep for about 3 months.
Bon Appétit!
Check out these other great condiment recipes…
– Homemade Tzatziki Sauce
– Basil Lemon Butter
– Sweet & Savory Homemade Ketchup
– Bourbon Maple Bacon Jam
– Cheddar Cheese Sauce
– Italian Vinaigrette
and for even more condiment recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Condiments
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Corn Syrup
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Ingredients
- 4 large ears of corn, silk removed and cut in third's
- 4 cups water
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 small pinch ground Himalayan sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
Directions
- Place the corn pieces in a large saucepan and pour in water; bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to medium and simmer until the water has reduced by a third, about 20 minutes. Cover, remove from the heat and let it sit for 3 hours.
- Later on, discard the cobs and pour the liquid into a fine sieve sitting over a bowl; discard any solids. The volume of the water should be about 2 cups.
- In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add water, granulated sugar and salt; stir until the sugar has dissolved. When it’s boiling and the sugar has dissolved, reduce the heat to medium. Add cream of tartar and DO NOT STIR. To prevent sugar crystals from forming, brush the sides of the saucepan with water using a pastry brush.
- Let the mixture simmer until it reaches 240ºF, about 30 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and let it cool off before transferring the syrup to a thick glass jar. It will keep for about 3 months.
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I have to ask what does the cream of tartar do?
Cream of tartar helps to stop the mixture from crystallizing. Some might substitute vinegar but I never tried it.