If you peruse a lot of recipe sites, you’ll probably run across an ingredient that’s unfamiliar to most Americans: “Golden Syrup.” Folks in the UK will recognize it immediately, as it’s sold in every store under the brand name “Lyle’s.” Sometimes it’s referred to as “treacle,” though real treacle is darker than what you’d get in a can of Lyle’s.Golden syrup is something I make myself and use in recipes that call for corn syrup. It’s super-easy to make, keeps for a long time on the shelf, and isn’t over-processed like typical American corn syrup.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time1 hourhr20 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr30 minutesmins
Course: Dessert, Syrup
Cuisine: British
Keyword: Golden Syrup, Lyle's, Treacle
Servings: 1pint
Author: Don Herman
Ingredients
Step One
7oz.Granulated Sugaror 200 grams
1 3/4oz.Waterby WEIGHT, or 50 grams
Step Two
35oz.Granulated Sugaror 1 kilogram
28oz.Boiling Waterby WEIGHT, or 800 grams
1sliceLemonor 1 tsp lemon juice VOLUME
Instructions
Very important: Sterilize two 1 pint glass canning jars by boiling them in a pot of water. Let them dry with a canning lid set loosely on top.
Measure and have all your ingredients ready before starting, because once the sugar carmelizes, you need to move fast. Have the second-step items ready, including the hot water.
In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the 50 grams (1 3/4 oz.) water and the 200 grams (7 oz.) of sugar to dissolve. Keep the heat fairly high until the mixture starts to carmelize and turn a golden or amber color. What to do if all the water boils off during the first stage? You can save it.If the water boils off, it's not a problem. Just add another 1 3/4 oz. of water, swirl to dissolve the sugar again and keep heating until you reach the right color.
Once you’ve reached the right hue, slowly add the boiling water and the lemon. It must be boiling, it's very important. Stir in the 1 kilogram (35 oz.) of sugar and stir to dissolve. Bring this mixture to a very low simmer, then start your timer. You shouldn’t need to do anything after this but give it a swirl now and then.
Remove the pan from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Some recipes call for straining it into the jars, but I’ve never needed to do that – it comes out very smooth and clear just as it is.
Seal the jars and that’s it! You can store this on a shelf for months. Use it 1:1 in recipes that call for corn syrup. Or use it in this recipe for Millionaire Shortbread. It’s great stuff.
Notes
In searching for recipes, you’ll often find them written in the European metric weights. I’ve included both metric and English measurements for you. The English measurements are in WEIGHT, not volume, so you’ll need to weigh them on a scale and not in a measuring cup. If you’re lucky enough to have a metric scale, just use those measurements. If you’re like me and have only an English-system scale, I’ve converted the grams into ounces. Just remember, these are WEIGHT ounces, which are not the same as volume ounces! Don’t mix the two; everything must be weighed to get the right proportion.Stick to all English or all metric units. I’ve balanced out the ounces to match the proportions of the metric version, but they’re not exactly the same.