Make your own corn syrup at home

make corn syrup

Corn syrup

Corn syrup is a surprisingly useful and versatile sweetener. It helps candy makers turn out soft caramels and marshmallows, and is included in most pecan pie recipes; it even makes frozen desserts smoother and creamier. But that means it's all the more difficult to replace if you have a corn allergy or object to the use of genetically-modified corn. Other liquid sweeteners are sometimes acceptable substitutes, but the simplest option is often a sugar syrup.

The Process of make corn syrup at home

To do this properly, you'll need a heavy-bottomed saucepan and a reliable candy or deep-fry thermometer. The proportion of ingredients is flexible because it's the thermometer that tells you when your syrup is done. Some recipes measure the sugar and acid by volume and others measure by weight, but the process is the same in either case.

Step 1

Measure your sugar into a heavy-bottomed saucepan. For every pound of sugar -- approximately 2 cups -- add 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar, a dry acid found in the baking section of any supermarket.

Step 2

Add enough water to dissolve the sugar, and clip your candy thermometer to the side of the pot.

Step 3

Place the saucepan over a medium-high burner. Bring the sugar mixture to a boil, and then dip a pastry brush in water and brush down any crystals left clinging to the sides of the saucepan.

Step 4

Boil the sugar, without stirring it or swirling the pot, until the mixture reaches a temperature of 236 to 240 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 5

Remove the saucepan immediately to a cooling rack or unheated burner, and let it cool to room temperature. Pour the cooled syrup into sterile jars, and store it in the refrigerator until needed.

Make your own corn syrup at home

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