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About This Syrup
This is hands down the best pineapple simple syrup you’ll ever taste. It has the bright flavors of pineapple, the thick consistency of gum syrup, and the tiniest bite from the citric acid, all while being sweet enough to use in place of regular simple syrup in your favorite fruity cocktail.
I made this syrup for the first time after coming across the recipe in Cocktail Codex: Fundamentals, Formulas, Evolutions by the founders of Death & Co. After reading the description, I was immediately inspired to get behind the bar so I could make it myself, and it has since become my favorite substitute for fresh pineapple juice in tiki cocktails such as the Jungle Bird, the Hotel Nacional, and the Garden City Sling, a custom cocktail we created for Tanglin Gin. Find instructions and recommended tools to make it at home below.
Syrup Ingredients
To make this simple syrup, you’ll need the following ingredients, all of which except maybe the Gum Arabic Powder should be available at your local grocery store:
Unbleached Cane Sugar: All simple syrups are essentially made with sugar and water and then dressed up with other ingredients. I prefer cane sugar for better texture.
Gum Arabic Powder: This is a thickener that will give your syrup a more pleasing mouthfeel. I have yet to find this in-store and usually buy it online.
Pineapple Juice: This is the liquid base of the syrup that also adds all of its pineapple flavor. For the best possible taste, I prefer to use fresh pineapple juice and not the canned stuff.
Citric Acid: This is a colorless, weak organic acid that is naturally found in citrus fruits. It mimics the flavor of real citrus and balances the sweetness and sourness of the syrup.
How to Make This Syrup
When making syrups like this one, most recipes will likely tell you to make them on the stovetop, but I prefer to prepare ours using the sous vide method, which was first introduced to me when reading Death & Co: Modern Classic Cocktails. I’ve found that syrups made in a saucepan are often too thick and sticky to use in cocktails, especially ones that use fruit juices, so I now use an immersion circulator instead. It does take quite a bit longer to make syrups this way, but the vast improvement in taste and texture that method lends makes it 100% worth the extra time.
To make your syrup using the sous vide method, you’ll first need to buy a few tools, including an immersion circulator, a large pot, large freezer bags, a fine mesh strainer, and storage pouches with pouring spouts. Once you have those, you’ll be able to make your syrup exactly the same way I did by following our recipe, which will yield about sixteen ounces you can then immediately use in cocktails or freeze for later.
Recipe
Fill a large pot with hot water, place immersion circulator inside, and set to 145°F.
Add sugar, gum arabic powder, and citric acid to a blender and blend on medium until thoroughly mixed.
With the blender still running on medium, slowly add pineapple juice and continue blending for about 2 minutes.
Pour mixture into a sealable heatproof plastic bag, removing as much air as possible before sealing.
Once water has preheated, place bag in water while leaving sealable top exposed to air and secure bag to the side of the pot with clips, then let cook for 2 hours.
Once cooked, place bag into an ice bath to shock the solution, then remove bag from bowl of ice and let cool.
Strain syrup through a fine mesh filter and transfer into container(s).
Ingredients
Directions
Fill a large pot with hot water, place immersion circulator inside, and set to 145°F.
Add sugar, gum arabic powder, and citric acid to a blender and blend on medium until thoroughly mixed.
With the blender still running on medium, slowly add pineapple juice and continue blending for about 2 minutes.
Pour mixture into a sealable heatproof plastic bag, removing as much air as possible before sealing.
Once water has preheated, place bag in water while leaving sealable top exposed to air and secure bag to the side of the pot with clips, then let cook for 2 hours.
Once cooked, place bag into an ice bath to shock the solution, then remove bag from bowl of ice and let cool.
Strain syrup through a fine mesh filter and transfer into container(s).
Tools We Recommend
More Simple Syrup Recipes
If you like this simple syrup, here are a few others we make and use in our cocktails that you may enjoy:
• Ginger Syrup: A sous vide syrup made with fresh ginger, white sugar, water, and gum Arabic powder
• Blueberry Syrup: A sous vide syrup made with fresh blueberries, white sugar, water, gum Arabic powder, and citric acid
• Salted Sage Syrup: A stovetop syrup made with fresh sage, sea salt, white sugar, and water
• Cranberry Syrup: A sous vide syrup made with fresh cranberries, cane sugar, water, and citric acid
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3 Comments
Tj
What’s the shelf life on this when air-tight and refrigerated?
Alex & Kendall
Good question! Flavored syrups like this one should last one to two weeks in the refrigerator and can last up to six months if frozen. When we make big batches, we usually keep a bottle in the fridge to use right away and will freeze the rest in small pouches.
Bryant
What do I do if the syrup is more like a jello? They syrup solidified to a thick gelatinous consistency