How to prevent sweet thick glaze/sauce from setting after cooling?
I attempted to make a sweet balsamic glaze/sauce from a simple recipe that called for 1 cup balsamic vinegar and half a cup of brown sugar. To my own tastes I added a bit of Worcestershire sauce, a splash of soy sauce and a little bit of rosemary. I may have added a bit too much sugar, I was doing rough measurements.
Regardless, I cooked the mixture for about 8 minutes on high heat until the syrup coated the back of a spoon.
The issue is that after the glaze was done, as it cooled, it entirely set. It ended up being more like a soft caramel, sticking to your teeth.
Did I add too much sugar? Or did I cook the mixture too hot or too long?
Best Answer
until the syrup coated the back of a spoon
Then you made syrup, and that's why it had the texture of syrup. You should not have cooked it, just warmed until it dissolved, if you wanted a sauce texture.
If the directions in the recipe are for cooking until it gets so thick, then the recipe intends the sticky texture, and you might want to use a different recipe. Or maybe they intended the thinnest possible syrup at say 102 C boiling point, and you misunderstood the vague suggestion of "coat the back of the spoon" and let it climb up to maybe 106 or 108.
In candymaking, the ratio of the sugar to liquid is not important, because you just boil the mixture until enough liquid has evaporated to get to the right stopping point (the one which corresponds to the desired texture after setting). It only has an influence on the time of preparation, not on the final result. If you would prefer a dissolved version (not heated until you get a syrup), then the ratio becomes important.
Pictures about "How to prevent sweet thick glaze/sauce from setting after cooling?"
How do you keep balsamic glaze from hardening?
Lisa's TipsCan you overcook glaze?
Once the glaze is overcooked, it will turn into a glue-like substance when cooled. So, once it begins to boil, turn down the heat and watch closely.How do you reduce the glaze in a sauce?
According to Livestrong, you can turn any sauce or liquid into a glaze by carefully boiling it to reduce the water content, leaving it thicker as the water evaporates; but (as Olive Nation asserts) this is technically just a reduction \u2014 a thicker sauce with concentrated flavors.How do you thicken a sweet glaze?
Add ThickenersAdding any type of starch to a glaze will thicken it quickly. For every 1 cup of glaze, mix together 1 tablespoon each of cornstarch and cool water or other cooking liquid. Whisk this mixture into the glaze and simmer it, stirring often, until the sauce thickens.Agar Agar FAQ: What you need to know
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Nicole Michalou, Monstera, Monstera, Dayvison de Oliveira Silva