On Thu, 30 Dec 2010 11:13:48 -0600, Sqwertz >
wrote:

>>> Just a guess here, but acid in the presence of water (either butter or
>>> corn syrup) promotes hydrolysis, which breaks down the regular sugar
>>> (sucrose) into fructose and glucose. This is called "invert sugar".
>>
>> So, what's the point, Dan?
>>
>> Oh, yeah. I read somewhere that invert sugar is used because it is less
>> likely to crystallize than regular sugar (sucrose).
>>
>> Sorry about that.
>
>Ahh, OK. Thank you. Is invert sugar something you can find at
>regular grocers? Is is that from the bulk bins at the Fell Good
>stores?
>
Invert sugar is glucose (dextrose, corn sugar) and fructose in roughly
equal amounts. If you cannot get corn syrup, a couple of tablespoons
each of glucose and fructose ought to do the trick. Or, probably,
just the glucose, since regular corn syrup is mostly glucose IIRC.

Rationale: For a substance like table sugar (sucrose) to crystallize,
its molecules must line up nicely in rows, ranks, and columns. When
other sugars are added, the smaller molecules get in between the
sucrose molecules and keep them from lining up neatly---the stuff
stays liquid.

(Analogy: You can stack tomato juice cans quite neatly. But if you
have to stack tomato juice cans interspersed with beer cans, it's very
difficult to get a neat arrangement.)
--
Best -- Terry