Points to note before making sugar syrup

Making sugar syrup - its consistency is a very important factor for making sweets. The consistency should be just right otherwise the end product will not be good.

1. Put the sugar in a vessel, pour enough water to cover and set to cook on sim. Allow the sugar to dissolve slowly, stirring once in a while, when completely dissolved, raise the heat and allow the syrup to boil. Do not stir when the syrup is boiling, this will affect the consistency of the syrup.
2. If you desire a clean syrup specially for burfis, add 1tbsp of milk and continue to boil. A scum will form on the surgace. Discard this as it gets formed. Remove the syrup from the fire, strain and put it back on the fire after cleaning the vessel as there may be a grit sticking to the vessel or use a new vessel. If the recipe calls for a thin syrup, use this.
3. The next stage is a sticky syrup where the syrup is very thick as in Gulab Jamun (recipe video)
4. Half string consistency - Test the syrup between thumb and forefinger. It will form one string but the string will break off quickly as in jangiri, kaja puri.
5. One string consistency - When tested a long, thin string is formed as in badushah, katli.
6. Soft ball stage - When the syrup is boiling, drop a little bit into a cup of cold water. Take the drop, roll it with your fingers, it will form a soft ball but will slump a bit as in Athirasam
7. Hard ball stage - Syrup dropped in cold water should form a hard ball as in peanut balls.