Routin 1883 cane syrup

[JMac]

Just received my order from Coffee Authority which included a bottle of their cane syrup.

The label on the bottle reads: "Syrop-Syrup"
"Pure Cane Sugar"


My question/concern is that this product is not the type of cane syrup that I am looking for to make ti punches. IE petite syrop de canne.

Can anybody clarify this for me?

[Tiare]

The Routin syrup and the Petit Canne are different.

This is what is in Routin:

No preservatives: Flash pasteurised and homogenized
* No fat, No cholesterol
* The pure water from the French Alps
* Sucrose and Fructose
* Colour of natural extracts
* Fruit juices and plants
* A concentration of flavouring

While Petite Canne sugar cane syrup is made from pure cane sugar grown only on Martinique and captures the rich flavor of the sweet fresh cane.
Contents: Sugar cane syrup,
ascorbic acid for color retention and
potassium sorbate as a preservative.

It looks to me like Routin is more a coffee syrup than a syrup for cocktails.
But that doesn`t mean it can`t be used in cocktails or in a Ti Punch, but that Petit Canne and similar syrups are better for use in Ti punches than coffee syrups.
But maybe you should try to find Petit Canne and make a comparaison?
Or maybe make your own syrup?

Here is a link to a thread (http://www.ministryofrum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=109) in the White rums section where Ed explains about Petit Canne:

[JMac]

Thanks Tiare....when I read the label on the website, I was hoping that being all natural it would be very similar.

Trying to get actual cane syrup in Canada is brutal. Its either very expensive or more molasses based. Some companies in the US will not ship it to Canada IE HiTimes.

[Tiare]

The best commercial syrup i have found so far is Monin.
It can be used both for drinks and coffees, desserts etc.

[JMac]

Monin? I'll have to look for it.

How would you rate it? Great? Average?

[Tiare]

How would you rate it? Great? Average?

I rate it great. It tastes good and is useful for many things, i have used it for many years.
So then you might ask, why don`t i use it rather than making my own syrups? that is because making my own stuff is FUN! and my home made syrups with Tahitian vanilla cannot be found anywhere..:D
But i do use Monin as well.

Here is their website, it contains recipes too.

http://www.monin.com/

[bunnyhugs]

Is Monin a real sugar cane syrup though?

I read the ingredients and they were listed as 'pure cane sugar' and 'water'. Wouldn't that indicate it is processed sugar reconstituted with water rather than a product made by reducing sugar cane juice?

I haven't tried it by the way. I was put off by the ingredients list since it looked like nothing more than simple syrup.

[Tiare]

I have never checked on that to be honest but it looks to me like its simple syrup. Nevertheless..i think Monin has a good taste.
I use it sometimes but mostly i make my own syrups.
I would love to try Petit Canne and some other syrups from the Caribbean but haven`t yet had the chance. Wonder when that will happen?
But Monin will always also be on my shelf regardless what other products i may have..my fridge is full of homemade stuff.

[bunnyhugs]

I like the Monin products. I have their raspberry, orgeat and passionfruit in the house now. I also bought their grenadine before and found it better than most, although later I switched to making my own.

For simple syrup though I don't see the point.

[Tiare]

I also bought their grenadine before and found it better than most, although later I switched to making my own.

I have lately been thinking of trying to make my own Grenadine as i have never yet done that. Do you have any suggestions?

[bunnyhugs]

I have lately been thinking of trying to make my own Grenadine as i have never yet done that. Do you have any suggestions?

Actually I am just about to write a blog post on this very topic.

I have tried making it a couple of different ways. A couple of days ago I think finally worked out how to make great grenadine. Basically just do like Robert Hess says and boil the seeds in the syrup. The seeds definitely provide some extra flavor. Some would argue but I think they really help things. I mean when you eat a pomegranate you eat the seeds. At least I hope you are supposed to eat them - since that's what I've been doing for years. Why shouldn't the seeds be part of the flavor of the syrup too? Check my blog in a day or two.

The stuff I just made is amazingly delicious. It is far more than just colored sugar water. Now I'm thinking I need to go back and re-make all the grenadine heavy cocktails just to see if I missed something.

[Tiare]

I mean when you eat a pomegranate you eat the seeds. At least I hope you are supposed to eat them - since that's what I've been doing for years. Why shouldn't the seeds be part of the flavor of the syrup too?

Yes why not? and that`s how i`ve been eating them too.

Check my blog in a day or two.

I`ll check, in fact i do read your blogs and its very good reading.

The stuff I just made is amazingly delicious. It is far more than just colored sugar water. Now I'm thinking I need to go back and re-make all the grenadine heavy cocktails just to see if I missed something.

I hate these colored waters..:eek:if you remake these cocktails it would be interesting to hear about it :)

[bunnyhugs]

OK, so I got that post on grenadine up. I tried out three different methods of making grenadine and compared them. The link is here:

http://bunnyhugs.org/2008/03/18/making-quality-grenadine/

Unfortunately, as always happens, just before I went to post I found another grenadine recipe which also looks really good. I went out looking for more pomegranates but couldn't find any so I haven't had a chance to try that recipe yet. I have given the recipe so others can make it though, and I will try it myself next time I see pomegranates.


I also did a couple of posts on grenadine in cocktails:

El Presidente
http://bunnyhugs.org/2008/03/19/three-grenadine-drinks-or-el-presidente-meets-a-pink-lady-at-the-clover-club/

and Flying Tiger
http://bunnyhugs.org/2008/03/19/the-flying-tiger/

The interesting thing was that (unless I was imagining it) the new grenadine I am using really brings something new to the El Presidente. So good grenadine can be more than just a sweetener. I used to sometimes just leave the grenadine out of my El Presidentes. I don't think I would want to do that now.

[Tiare]

Wow! really interesting! thanks for these posts.:)

Pomegranate concentrate is interesting and i think i can find it if i look in Asian or Moroccan stores here.

Recipe 3 and 4 interest me, i would like to compare them.

I need one of those vintage juicers!

[Tiare]

Tonight i made my grenadine using recipe 3. Not surprisingly when compared to my commercial grenadine the taste is not the same at all. I got a pinkish/red grenadine which i added a hint of red color in to get a real deep red.
I decided to try it in a Port Light which is a really tasty Bourbon drink. I used Jim Beam, Passionfruit juice, fresh Lemon juice and my grenadine and the drink didn`t turn out as bright red as i`m used to but more pink but it was waay much tastier!
Next recipe 4 which uses marinading the pomegranate seeds overnight is the next thing i`m gonna try.

What i wonder about now is the shelf life of the home made grenadine. I keep mine in the fridge but i wonder if adding some JW&N overproof would change the grenadine taste to much?

[SamuraiBartender]

Next recipe 4 which uses marinading the pomegranate seeds overnight is the next thing i`m gonna try.
What i wonder about now is the shelf life of the home made grenadine. I keep mine in the fridge but i wonder if adding some JW&N overproof would change the grenadine taste to much?


Nice recipes - I make my own also, more or less by a method just like #3. For a really interesting grenadine variant add loosely-packed 1/4 Cup of Jamaica (sometimes Yamaica, i.e. dried Hibiscus) & 2 more ounces of water to the normal ingredients, heat as usual & allow to steep for six hours or so. It adds a great clean, refreshing sweet floral aroma and taste to the pommegranate flavors.

Adding booze to syrups is never a bad plan - the J.W. 126 would work fine (an ~40%Abv white rum or even vodka work too) maybe a scant 3/4 ounce per fifth of Syrup?

Cheers

[Tiare]

Ah..these Hibiscus flowers..good idea to add it to the Grenadine, very interesting!
Next week i`m going to try the recipe #4 with marinaded Pomegranate seeds. I`m going to buy 2 pomegranates and i will also add the Hibiscus flowers!

There`s a discussion about Hibiscus syrup somewhere unless it was a private discussion.
Hibiscus syrup is something i haven`t tried making yet.

Now i wonder if these Hibiscus flowers are the same kind as are used to make Rooibos tea?

[SamuraiBartender]

I'm not sure about the tea - if I had to guess I'd say yes though - theres a red/herbal tea I've had a few times that listed Hibiscus as one of the ingredients. Theres a number of Hispanic farmer's markets near me that sell the stuff & Jamaica is the best substitute for Cranberry juice I've found to date.

As far as syrups with Hibiscus go - the grenadine one is the only one I've tried - let us know how the #4 recipe works out...

Cheers

[Tiare]

Now after i`ve made recipe 3 and 4, and i think that 4 by far is the best. Its more messy and laboursome but its worth it as it gives a more brilliant Grendine flavor.

I also made a twist on recipe 4 by adding 1/4 cup Hibiscus flowers to soak for 6 hrs after the heating was done. (Thanks Chris!)

The Hibiscus flowers added a very deep red color to the Grenadine as well as a sweet and floral aroma and taste adding to the pomegranate flavors.

If i had known that this would yeld such a nice and fresh grenadine i would have doubled the recipe..

[Edward Hamilton]

If i had known that this would yeld such a nice and fresh grenadine I would have doubled the recipe..

I always find what I'm looking for in the last place I look.