Homemade Pancake Syrup Recipe - The Creek Line House (2024)

FAQs

How long will homemade pancake syrup last? ›

Pancake or breakfast syrup can be stored in a closed container, unopened or opened, in the pantry. It's best to use it within a year, but it will keep indefinitely.

Rich simple syrup means that you're using more sugar than water to create a richer syrup. It has a 2:1 ratio and is sweeter and thicker. You can also make a simple syrup with equal parts (1:1) of sugar and water. It will be a little thinner, and it will add just a touch of sweetness to your drinks.

The standard one-to-one sugar-to-water ratio will produce a simple syrup that lasts about one month in the fridge.

Maple syrup also has a high-sugar, low-moisture content, so it will keep indefinitely unopened. After you open maple syrup, however, you'll want to pop it into the fridge — it can be susceptible to mold growth, says Ben's Maple Syrup, a New England-based maple company.

Keep your mixture at medium heat when mixing it in a saucepan on the stovetop. It doesn't need to boil. Using distilled water helps crystals from forming, however crystallization still happens if the simple syrup is placed in the fridge or if the 2 parts water to 1 part sweetener ratio isn't followed.

To thicken your pancake syrup you can also add a little extra sugar. Thicker syrups tend to have lots and lots of sugar. Another commonly used method for thickening syrup is mixing in a cornstarch slurry. Mix 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 1 teaspoon of water and add the mixture to your syrup while it cooks.

Bring water, white sugar, and brown sugar to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in maple extract. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.

In blind tastings, our panel of professional tasters have detected big flavor differences between pancake syrup and maple syrup. Real maple syrup has a clean, complex maple flavor with hints of caramel, vanilla, and prune. Pancake syrups are singularly sweet with little complexity and noticeable artificial flavors.

Heat the mixture over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves. Once the sugar has dissolved, reduce the heat to low and simmer the mixture for 5-7 minutes, without stirring. The syrup should be clear and slightly thickened.

Why is my homemade syrup separating? ›

It is either very old or it was processed at too high of a temperature. Maple syrup, like honey, will crystallize when it ages. The sugar precipitates out of the solution over time which means the water separates from the glucose, causing the sugar to form crystals.

Maple syrup that is boiled too long will crystallize and maple syrup that isn't boiled long enough will spoil quickly and will be watery because the concentration of sugar in the syrup will be too low.

Simple syrup's water activity will allow some microbe growth to occur. Rich simple syrup is sugary enough to prevent this, but evaporation and condensation within a bottle can dilute the surface of the liquid to a low enough sugar concentration to grow things you'd rather it didn't.

Simple syrup should be stored in the fridge, and not kept at room temperature for extended periods of time. Unflavored syrup can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month.

A 1:1 simple syrup (meaning equal parts water and sugar) isn't going to have a high enough sugar concentration to inhibit growth of spoilage organisms like mold over time. This is particularly true if the vessel the syrup is stored in wasn't sterile at the time the syrup was added and if it's not well refrigerated.

Pancake syrup is often a type of corn syrup that's been flavored. Much like maple syrup, pancake syrup doesn't spoil. It's safe to eat for "an indefinite period of time regardless of whether it has been opened," according to Karo, which manufactures both a pancake syrup and several types of corn syrup.

Opened syrup should be stored in the refrigerator or freezer, and will last up to two years. If your container is unopened: It is okay to store unopened syrup containers in a pantry. It is best to find a cool, dry location to help your syrup last longer.

To make syrup, juice is extracted from fresh or frozen berries and combined with sugar for sweetness. Home-prepared syrups can either be canned or frozen for long-term storage.

As with any other food item, if not stored properly, the simple syrup will spoil eventually due to bacteria growth or mold. However, if stored correctly in an airtight container in a cool dry place away from direct sunlight, your homemade or store-bought simple syrup should last for several months without any issues.