Equipment
Ingredients
Main
- 240 ml water
- 2 cinnamon stick, broken
- 1 cloves
- 180 g sugar
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 356 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbohydrates
- 92 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 90 g
- Sodium
- 6 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Potassium
- 15 mg
- Calcium
- 35 mg
- Iron
- 0.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 3 mg
- Phosphorus
- 2 mg
- Zinc
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 0 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.02 mg
- Niacin
- 0.0 mg
- Folate
- 0 mcg
- Water
- 120 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the water, broken cinnamon sticks, and clove into a saucepan.
Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer until the volume has reduced by half.
Add the sugar to the pan and whisk continuously until the crystals are completely dissolved.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the syrup sit until it reaches room temperature.
Pour the cooled syrup through a strainer into a clean container to remove the cinnamon and clove.
Chef's Notes
- For a more intense cinnamon flavor, lightly toast the cinnamon sticks in a dry pan before adding them to the water. This awakens their aromatic oils.
- Ensure the sugar is fully dissolved before proceeding. Undissolved sugar can lead to crystallization in the finished syrup.
- Don't rush the cooling process. Allowing the syrup to cool completely with the spices still in it will deepen the infusion of flavors.
- For an extra layer of complexity, consider adding a strip of orange zest or a star anise pod along with the cinnamon and cloves.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 month — Store in an airtight glass container.
Freezer: 3 months
Reheating: Gently warm in a saucepan or microwave if the syrup crystallizes.
Troubleshooting
Syrup is grainy or cloudy
Cause: Sugar did not fully dissolve or the syrup began to crystallize.
Fix: Reheat the syrup gently over low heat while stirring until clear.
Prevention: Ensure all sugar granules are dissolved before removing from heat.
Cultural Context
While simple syrups are a modern cocktail and baking staple, the use of spices like cinnamon and cloves for flavoring is deeply rooted in historical culinary traditions worldwide. These spices were highly prized for their preservative qualities and their ability to transform basic ingredients into something exotic and warming, often found in festive beverages and desserts across various cultures.
