Can you preserve syrup?

[bazzaboy]

So syrup doesn’t freeze? Having a couple of pints of redcurrant juice not needed for jam/jelly I thought it a bright idea to make it into a syrup (basically 50% standard jam recipe so 1lb sugar to a quart of juice) for use in drinks, sweets, with yoghurt etc by freezing as “ice sticks” and in ice cube bags. BUT…. it doesn’t freeze but stays gooey! I now assume because of the sugar the freezing point is pushed well below the standard domestic freezer so presumably its shelf life also becomes very short too? Is that right? In the short term I’ve ended up throwing the gooey experiment away but am wondering what would work better next time? Can you preserve syrup?

[rustylady]

You're right in that any with a high sugar content won't freeze solid, but the low temperature in the freezer will stop it going "off" so there was no need to throw it away. Instead of ice bags why not put it in a plastic bottle? Squeezy ones used for honey or ice cream toppings come to mind.

[roitelet]

I make loads of syrup and sterilize it in a water bath. You need small glass screw top bottles and a pan deep enough for them to stand in. Put a trivit in the bottom and fill the pan with water to within an inch of the tops. Loosen the caps and bring the water to the boil slowly, simmer for 20 mins and then remove the bottles and tighten the caps.

Store in a cool dry place and I am still using syrup 2 years old and it is fine.

[bazzaboy]

Many thanks for these solutions, I'll try both, the freezer one sounds easiest, the water-bath one more traditional and perhaps longer-lasting.... Thank you.