Coffee syrup has no nutritional benefit, not one I could find in my vast online investigations.

In fact when researching this product, what I could find is a simple corn syrup, plus “Flavoring” recipe.

Therefore, my next step was to see how simple this really was. I took simple household corn syrup, and then added some almond extract to it. Then I slowly mixed this concoction to my hot coffee. I found that yes this worked. I had made my own coffee syrup.

It mixed perfectly, no floating to the bottom of the cup, and it did not change the consistency of the beverage. I then started shopping, to see how much these liquid bottles of gold cost in the store. To my amazement, people can pay anywhere from $7.99 and upwards depending on the size and brand.

My homemade coffee syrup cost less then .10cents to make. I could make any flavor that I wanted; all that I needed was some creativity, and very little money to buy the extract to add for flavor. I ha d just discovered a way to save myself a lot of money.  

It’s easy to make your own coffee syrup
 
I invited several coffee loving friends to my house for a coffee syrup party, unbeknownst to them. I started by seating everyone comfortably. Then I did a small poll around the room, having each person write down how they liked their coffee, where they bought their usual cup from, and about how much they spent per cup.

With many raised eyebrows, they began to write. Next, I had everyone write down his or her favorite desserts. Again, with questioning looks they finished this task. I was happy to see that everyone liked coffee syrup flavoring in his or her coffees. The next not so surprising fact I was able to deduce was that each person was spending about $5.00 a cup to get his or her favorite flavor.

I happily got started with my already made coffee in the cups. I added my homemade flavors to each of the cups, and then carrying them out on trays, I distributed these cups of joy to each friend.

Many oohs and aahs were emitting from everyone. They were complimenting me, saying that the coffee was wonderful. The next barrage of questions was what brand of coffee syrups I had used. With a smile, I let them know what my experiment was.

With my non-believing crowd at me heels, I went into my kitchen and repeated the methods I had used to make the previous cups for them. After a slow taste testing, a few people laughed, some were angered that they were spending so much on their daily fixes; others said it was nice to know but in a hurry, they would probably continue to spend the extra money to get their quick cup.

Maybe after reading this article you will come to the same realization I did, or maybe you will go on spending the extra money, just to save a little more time. It is up to you, me personally, I am not the house of thirty-plus flavors. 
 

Taste is unquestionably an individual affair. Some will rave over the flavor of a Limburger, while others won’t touch Brie. But no matter your preference in type of cheese, there are certain factors that always should be taken into account.

First, prepare your senses to make a good judgment. Before smelling or sampling a cheese, try to optimize conditions. Make sure your tongue and nose are ready. How? Avoid smoking for at least an hour before testing. Be a little hungry, but not excessively. Avoid heavy meals before choosing a cheese. Of course, your nose and tongue should be at peak capacity, so avoid making judgments when you’re ill.

Second, avoid distractions. No, not the sort caused by noisy traffic, cell phone calls or children running through the store. More subtle ones. Don’t use hair spray or strong cologne shortly before picking out a cheese. Avoid other odors such as those from onions, chili or other foods with pungent aromas.

Third, isolate the cheese. Don’t try to smell or taste an extra sharp cheddar right next to an Emmentaler. Cheeses absorb odors from anything nearby. A fine cheese shop will help you by keeping strong cheeses separate and well wrapped. Shop accordingly.

Fourth, don’t judge all cheeses by the exact same criteria. Certain basic factors should be common. But each cheese type has a distinctive flavor profile, texture and consistency and so on. A semi-soft Muenster won’t behave the same as a semi-hard Feta.

In fact, use the individual characteristics as criteria. Each cheese should follow its own standards. A Brie that has become crumbly, quite unlike its gooey nature when young, is signaling deviation from perfection. A Parmesan that is soft has been altered by external conditions, and generally in a way not to its advantage.

As for general criteria, some are obvious.

Every cheese considered should be fresh, in the ordinary sense. ‘Fresh’ cheese is a category and is one that is aged for a short time and intended to be eaten shortly afterwards. Ricotta is a good example. But even a 12 month old cheddar should not have hard spots or certain molds. In that sense, even a year-old cheese should be fresh.

Some mold, for example in blue-veined cheeses such as a Stilton or Gorgonzola, is deliberately introduced. That’s what gives those cheeses their particular identity. In such cases, the veining is the result of the introduction of a certain species of penicillum spore. But others represent simple spoilage.

Other type-specific qualities apply. A Brie should be moist, while you should expect an Italian Grana to be brittle and hard. If the characteristics have been reversed, you know something has affected the cheese in a negative way.

Let your nose and tongue be your guide. After all, the most important criteria of all in judging a cheese is whether you enjoy it!

Coffee is a very popular beverage around the world. People drink it in different ways depending on preference. Some like it hot or cold or with cream while others like it strong. Although, it is usually a breakfast beverage for most, others also drink it any time of the day.

The Coffee Process

Coffee comes from the seeds of the coffee plant. The seeds or the coffee beans undergo a process that prepares them for drinking. The process starts with the coffee berries being picked from the tree and defruited. Defruiting means the fruit is taken away and only the coffee beans are left. They are then dried and then sorted after which the coffee beans are sometimes aged or roasted directly.

The beans turn dark when undergoing the roasting process because the sucrose in them is caramelized. Some people prefer to do the roasting of the dried beans themselves at their home. Roasting brings out the flavor of the coffee beans because the heat it is exposed to turn carbohydrates and fats into aromatic oils. Roasting also burns off the moisture in the beans and also the carbon dioxide.

After the roasting, coffee beans are typically ground to make them ready for consumption. A Turkish grind is a straightforward process of making coffee where the ground coffee is mixed directly with water. This procedure makes very fine textured ground coffee. Other ways of preparing the ground coffee is using the percolator or coffee maker.

Kinds Of Coffee

Espresso is made by forcing very hot but not boiling water through compacted ground coffee. A stronger flavor is made and there is more coffee bean matter in the drink. This process results in a stronger flavor so most espresso drinkers use very small cups to consume this.

For those who do not wish to be encumbered by the long process of percolating or making coffee from ground coffee, there are several alternatives. These are pre mixed coffee, available in canned form. Some varieties come already sweetened or already mixed with creamers. Other coffee drinks, which are pre-mixed, come in plastic bottles or cans.

Another quick alternative is to use instant coffee. Instant coffee is coffee granules that have been freeze dried or dried into soluble powder. These powdered coffee forms just need to be mixed with water and other ingredients depending on the drinker’s preference.
Many people like the convenience of just adding the granules to hot water compared to percolating, which may take time.

Some coffee producers also make their roasted coffee decaffeinated. This takes out the caffeine from the coffee beans but still leaves the flavor and aroma.