SUGAR SYRUP CONSISTENCIES FOR SWEETS | STAGES OF SUGAR,JAGGERY SYRUP WITH PICTURES & VIDEO –INDIAN KITCHEN BASICS

I wanted to make this post on"How to make sugar syrup for Indian sweets for long time with stepwise pictures". But i dint have the confidence to do it because making sweets is always a night mare to me. Before my marriage ,i have seen my mom making Nei urundai , thenkuzhal  & thukkada for every diwali.My dad used to buy all the popular sweets from famous stalls and we enjoy eating varieties of sweets & savouries. After marriage , the story is just the reverse. My in-laws & my hubby never buy sweets from stalls for diwali because my MIL is a pro in making sweets. She can easily make badushah , adhirasam ,burfis, halwa etc and they taste out-of-the world.. It took almost 5 yrs for me to try sweets on my own.I started making some easy sweets like rava ladoo for last year diwali..

          We all know most of our Indian sweets are based on sugar & jaggery.The success of the sweet mainly depends on the consistency of syrup.So i would like to share the different stages of sugar & jaggery syrup and some tips to identify the right consistency which i learnt with the help of tips given by experts like Mrs. Mallika badrinath, Menu rani chellam . . I have tried my best to make u understand the various stages with step by step pics.. This post is purely for beginners like me & for my own reference.. Experts , please excuse & do share ur tips for better understanding.

HOW TO PREPARE SUGAR SYRUP & REMOVE THE SCUM/DIRT

I used 1/2 cup ( 100 gms) of sugar & 1/4 cup of water . Take a proper vessel of suitable size. Please do not use copper – bottom kadai or iron kadai because these vessels retain heat for long time and may change the consistency of the syrup even after taking out from the fire.Also iron kadai changes the color of the end product.If u r planning to use these vessels , its better to transfer the syrup to another vessel after the desired consistency is reached. For lesser quantity of syrup  , use small or medium sized vessel.Now take the sugar in the bowl or kadai and add water just to cover it. Here i used 1/2 cup sugar & 1/4 cup water.The more water u add , more time is taken to reach the consistency. Keep the fire in low ( Sim) and allow the sugar to dissolve completely by stirring well. Make sure there are no sugar crystals at the sides of the pan.Wipe them and add to the syrup. Once the sugar is dissolved completely & started boiling add 2 tbsp of milk to remove the scum.Always keep the flame low.After few seconds , the scum floats on top. Remove using a perforated ladle. Finally strain the syrup using a strainer and discard the scum/ dirt.Now ur syrup looks clean.. Again keep in low fire and start to boil for various consistencies. After it started to boil , please do not stir or disturb. Over stirring will affect the correct consistency.

DIFFERENT STAGES OF SUGAR SYRUP

I have given the definition of each stage & the sweets which are made in that consistency.I have covered the most important stages with pictures. I am not able to check 3 string consistency as i cant bear the heat..My fingers started burning. So i poured the syrup in a small plate and proceeded further. I switched off the flame in each stage to take pictures .If u have any doubts in the pictures or steps , please comment it. I’ll try to clear them..

Please keep in mind the time taken for the syrup to reach consistencies varies based on the vessel we use , flame and the amount of water we add to sugar..

Take the required amount of sugar in a bowl/kadai and add water to cover the sugar. Here i used 1 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of water . I added more water to make the syrup reach the consistencies very slowly. THIN SYRUP :This is the first stage . The sugar dissolves completely , clears & it gets a shine. After removing the scum , the syrup boils and gets a shine.In this stage the syrup wont be sticky just shiny .This stage is not required for any sweets.So it is not much important. For beginners ,keep the flame low always STICKY SYRUP : This is the second stage.Here the sugar syrup becomes little thick.Take little syrup in a ladle and touch it with ur  fore finger.When u slide the thumb over fore finger , it feels sticky. This is used for Gulab jamun. HALF – STRING CONSISTENCYIn this stage , when u test between ur thumb and fore finger , it strings & cuts off immediately.This syrup is used for jangiri , jilebi , Kajas,gulgul .Some people say sticky & half string consistencies are similar.So both can be used to make gulab jamun.In the below picture , hope u can see the string is cutting.. ONE- STRING CONSISTENCY This is the most important stage . Here a thin long string is formed up to 1- 2 inches when tested in between thumb and fore finger.One more way to check the syrup is : pour the syrup in a small plate with water. It wont dissolve immediately and when u try to gather the syrup , it will be dissolved.Kaju katli, badam burfi , Thosha , badushah, mysore pak are made in this syrup.Refer the cover picture too.. TWO STRING CONSISTENCY Two strings are formed when tested between fingers. Generally this syrup crystallizes very soon . So sweets which require a sugar coated look need this consistency.cashew burfi ,boondi ladoo, mohanthal  is made in this consistency.. THREE STRING CONSISTENCY Here string becomes thicker and when tested , string is formed in 2 , 3 places..Dhal burfi requires this syrup..Sugar crystallizes very soon in this stage. GATHERING CONSISTENCY Pour little syrup in water , it can be gathered using ur fingers but u cant make a ball ..It is required for some burfis and boondi ladoo can also be made in this consistency .. SOFT BALL CONSISTENCY Pour a small amount of syrup in a plate of water. If rolled with fingers , syrup should form a small ball in the water itself..U cant take the ball in ur finger.This is used for adhirasam & pori urundai. HARD BALL CONSISTENCY When u pour syrup into the water & roll it , u should be able to make a ball and if u drop the ball u’ll get a “tung” sound.The color of the ball is changed. This is used to make “peanut chikkis/ kadalai mittai “. I tested the sound by dropping it in the plate The remaining stages are soft crack , hard crack & golden brown caramel( last stage) . As we don’t need them for making sweets , i have not discussed here..They are used for making toffees..

 

STAGES OF JAGGERY SYRUP

Jaggery syrup is almost the same as sugar syrup. The widely used consistency is soft ball & hard ball stage which is used for making adhirasam,pori urundai & peanut chikki . So i have given the pictures for those stages alone. For making syrup, add very little water just to cover the jaggery.This helps in reaching the consistency faster.. After the jaggery is melted completely , strain it to remove impurities and again allow it to boil.It becomes frothy.At one stage , it becomes thick like honey and when u pour it , the last few drops drop very slowly forming a string. Now pour this syrup in a plate with little water.U’ll be able to gather and make a small ball.This ball has no proper shape.This is the right stage for making adhirasam. Add this syrup to the rice flour , make dough and proceed. For hard ball stage, allow the jaggery to boil for few more seconds. It will thicken. When u pour few drops on a plate with water and gather , it will roll and u can make a hard ball.If u drop the ball , u’ll get a “tung” sound..

NOTE

• Once the sugar is dissolved completely , do not keep stirring. Over stirring will affect the right consistency.Keep the flame low and stir if needed.
• After the sticky stage (pisukku padam) is reached , the half string consistency is reached within a minute Stay alert.
• Similarly one string is also reached within few seconds. The consistency should be checked when the syrup is hot . when the syrup becomes warm , it will reach the next stage and may cheat u. So i checked by pouring over the stove plate and dipped with my wet finger. Also ur finger should not be too watery.For safer side, check by pouring the syrup in little water and see if it forms a thread.
• The  time taken to reach the consecutive stages is very less. The total process gets over by 15 mins in low flame.
• When u feel u have missed the correct stage , just switch off the flame  , add little water , mix well and proceed again to get the perfect stage.
• For dry jamun, badusha, jangiri .. by the time u dip them the sugar may crystallize. To avoid this add few drops of lime juice . OR add little water , boil it and again make the syrup.

I’ve tried my best to explain the stages according to my understanding.Take this as reference and try. U can surely get them by practice because if i can make, anyone can make it easily

Here is the link for the video for different stages of sugar and jaggery syrup.

Technorati Tags: sugar syrup for indian sweets,sugar syrup for sweets,SUGAR SYRUP,JAGGERY SYRUP,SUGAR SYRUP CONSISTENCIES,JAGGERY SYRUP CONSISTENCIES,VARIOUS STAGES OF SUGAR,SYRUP,STAGES OF SUGAR,STAGES OF JAGGERY SYRUP,ONE STRING STAGE,ONE STRING CONSISTENCY,ONE STRING,SWEETS SYRUP,SUGAR SYRUP PREPARATION,SUGAR SYRUP CONSISTENCY,JAGGERY SYRUP CONSISTENCY,JAGGERY SYRUP STAGES,JAGGERY,DIFFERENT STAGES OF SUGAR SYRUP,SIX STAGES OF SUGAR SYRUP,CONSISTENCIES OF SUGAR SYRUP,HOW TO REMOVE THE DIRT IN SUGAR SYRUP,HOW TO REMOVE THE SCUM IN THE SUGAR SYRUP,HOW TO MAKE SUGAR SYRUP FOR SWEETS