Syrup (Şerbet) Calculator
Sugar-to-water ratios for light, medium and heavy syrups and the right syrup for baklava and other desserts.
Make your syrup
Work out the syrup from
Syrup type (sugar : water)
Cakes and soft desserts, or a light drizzle
Revani, şekerpare, tulumba, lokma
Baklava and other layered pastries
Thick syrup for dry, crisp pastries
- Sugar
- g
- Water
- ml
- Lemon juice
- ml
- Boil time
- Once it boils. Do not stir.
- Syrup before boiling
- ml
- A little water boils off, so you end up with slightly less.
- Sugar share by weight
- %
Ratios are by weight. A cup (240 ml) of sugar weighs about 200 g. Amounts are approximate.
- 1. Put the sugar and water in a pot and stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
- 2. Bring to a boil. Add the lemon juice and stop stirring.
- 3.
- 4. Let the syrup cool completely if the dessert is hot, or keep it hot if the dessert is cold.
The golden rule
Never combine a hot dessert with hot syrup, or a cold dessert with cold syrup.
| Dessert | Syrup | Verdict | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot dessert | Cold syrup | Do | The dessert takes up the syrup evenly and stays crisp. |
| Cold dessert | Hot syrup | Do | The syrup soaks in as it cools. |
| Hot dessert | Hot syrup | Avoid | The dessert turns soggy and can fall apart. |
| Cold dessert | Cold syrup | Avoid | The syrup sits on top and the dessert stays dry. |
Syrup types
| Syrup | Sugar : water | Sugar share | Boil time | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light | 1:2 | 33% | 5 min | Cakes and soft desserts, or a light drizzle |
| Medium | 1:1 | 50% | 10 min | Revani, şekerpare, tulumba, lokma |
| Heavy | 1.5:1 | 60% | 15–20 min | Baklava and other layered pastries |
| Very heavy | 2:1 | 67% | 20 min | Thick syrup for dry, crisp pastries |
Which syrup for which dessert
| Dessert | Syrup | Syrup per 100 g (ml) | Add cold syrup when the dessert is | Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baklava | Heavy 1.5:1 | 50 | Hot from the oven | |
| Şekerpare | Medium 1:1 | 60 | Hot from the oven | |
| Revani | Medium 1:1 | 70 | Hot from the oven | |
| Tulumba | Medium 1:1 | 60 | Hot from the fryer | |
| Kadayıf | Medium 1:1 | 50 | Hot from the oven | |
| Lokma | Medium 1:1 | 80 | Hot from the fryer |
Traditional guidelines. Recipes differ by region and family, so adjust to your taste.
Good to know
- Make the syrup first, so it has time to cool completely before the dessert comes out of the oven.
- Do not stir once the syrup boils. Stirring can make sugar crystals form, and the lemon juice helps prevent that.
- Pour the syrup slowly and evenly, then let the dessert rest for a few hours so it soaks through.