syrup’s viscosity is that it imparts a thick,
chewy texture to foods. And because it
includes glucose, a water-binding sugar that is
less sweet than table sugar, corn syrup helps
prevent moisture loss and prolongs the storage
life of various foods without the cloying
sweetness that honey or sucrose syrup
imparts. Finally, all corn syrups are somewhat
acid, with a pH between 3.5 and 5.5, so in
baked goods they can react with baking soda
to produce carbon dioxide and thus contribute
to leavening.
Corn syrups. Standard corn syrup is a water
solution of glucose chains of varying lengths
(left). One-and two-unit sugars taste sweet,
while taste-free longer chains make the syrup
viscous. By controlling the relative