How to make the "glaze" for candied yams. Mine is gritty OR runny.

[ShiningStar]

I've recently found this site the other day, and I am so glad that I did. I LOVE to cook, but I'm a novice, and enjoy the learning experience.

I have been battling a yam recipe for years. My grandmother took her famous recipe to the grave and I cannot seem to duplicate it. It did not have marshmallows in it. It was canned yams (yes, canned) made with a glaze/sauce that was rich, translucent, THICK and dark sauce. It simply enveloped those dang yams. It had the consistency of a gravy. Everytime I try to make this, I either get a gritty glaze or a runny glaze. How do I fix it, and could you suggest ingredient measurements.
I've tried brown sugar with butter and yam syrup
...corn syrup
...corn starch
...I've tried caramelizing the sauce in a pan prior to baking, this is when it turned gritty.

I just can't seem to get it, and I know it's an easy recipe. My ingredients are off or the measurements are off - or both.

I've searched the web for recipes to no avail.

If you have any ideas on how to create this yummy glaze I would be THRILLED!!!

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I wonder if she used molasses for the color.

 

[ShiningStar]

You know, I hadn't thought of that, but it is a possibility, and one that I haven't tried. Thanks for the suggestion!!

 

[Zhizara]

Maybe as simple as juice from the can, molassas and maybe a spritz of lemon. It wouldn't be grainy or gritty anyway.

I got 4 cans of the nice "yams" from Commodities last month. I'll have to try this glaze. I had them last year and they were bright orange and very tasty. I've had other brands that were a nasty brown color. I couldn't eat those, they just didn't look good.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Brown sugar is a combination of white sugar and molasses. If you make a simple syrup of equal parts water and sugar, and boil until the sugar is completely dissolved, you will have an excellent beginning. Two tricks to making a smooth syrup is to brush the sides of the pan often, with the syrup mixture to prevent syrup splashes from crystallizing, and add a little corn syrup as it will also help keep the syrup in a liquid state. Flavor with a little blackstrap mollasses or dark brown sugar.

Your grandmother could have simply used a simple syrup of water and brown sugar, again brushing the pan sides with the hot syrup frequently to keep anything from crystallizing. Hope this helps.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[Uncle Bob]

Brown sugar is a combination of white sugar and molasses. If you make a simple syrup of equal parts water and sugar, and boil until the sugar is completely dissolved, you will have an excellent beginning. Two tricks to making a smooth syrup is to brush the sides of the pan often, with the syrup mixture to prevent syrup splashes from crystallizing, and add a little corn syrup as it will also help keep the syrup in a liquid state. Flavor with a little blackstrap mollasses or dark brown sugar.

Your grandmother could have simply used a simple syrup of water and brown sugar, again brushing the pan sides with the hot syrup frequently to keep anything from crystallizing. Hope this helps.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

This!!!!!!!!

 

[ShiningStar]

Thank you so much, Goodweed of the North!
I will definitely try your suggestions. I know that her method wasn't a complicated one.
Oh, and this is a STUPID questions, but what do you mean by brushing the pan?

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Thank you so much, Goodweed of the North!
I will definitely try your suggestions. I know that her method wasn't a complicated one.
Oh, and this is a STUPID questions, but what do you mean by brushing the pan?

Use a pastry brush dipped in the hot syrup and brush the pan sides downward into the hot liquid to keep the sugars from crystallizing on the pan sides as the water evaporates.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North