Easy Homemade Golden Syrup For Mooncakes (Inverted Sugar Syrup)
Servings: 3 cups
Learn how to make easy homemade golden syrup. Sugar is slowly cooked and reduced/inverted into dark golden/amber color. Golden syrup is commonly used in Chinese desserts and pastries such as mooncakes.
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 800 gr granulated white sugar 4 cups, or use caster sugar/fine sugar
- 600 ml water 2 1/2 cups
- 3/4 fresh lemon about 135 grams (5 oz)
Instructions
- Cut the lemon into half and then quartered and cut into thin slices. Place the sugar, water, and fresh lemon slices in a medium saucepan, preferably stainless steel or ceramic as they conduct heat more evenly but not too fast that it burns the sugar. Avoid aluminum and iron material
- Cook until sugar dissolves on medium heat. Lower the heat to really low to simmer gently for the next 1 hour 30 minutes without stirring it. The sugary water will gradually change color to amber, almost like the color of honey. If you have a candy thermometer (I don't), you can make sure the temperature is between 110-115 C (230 F - 239 F)
- The consistency would be close to a runny honey. You don't want to cook it as thick as honey because it will thicken further as it cools down
- Transfer to a glass jar and let it cools down completely before sealing the lid. The syrup can be stored at room temperature for up to 6 months
- Let the golden syrup "matures" for 2 weeks before using. The flavor gets better the longer it sits and consistency will be thicker