What is likely to happen if you stir a cooking syrup with a spoon that has sugar crystals stuck to it?

When you stir a cooking syrup with a spoon that has sugar crystals stuck to it, the syrup is likely to develop a grainy texture because the stray sugar crystals can initiate unwanted crystallization. In sugar syrup preparation, the goal is to achieve a smooth, homogenous liquid. The presence of sugar crystals can cause the syrup to revert from its dissolved state back into solid sugar, leading to the formation of additional crystals throughout the mixture. This process disrupts the desired smoothness, resulting in a finished product that feels grainy on the palate.

In contrast, practices that aim to create a refined syrup typically emphasize the importance of keeping cooking utensils clean and free of any crystallized sugar. Other options do not correctly describe the effect of sugar crystals on syrup; for example, color changes are typically not a direct result of crystallization, and there's no inherent thickening action tied to stirring with a sugared spoon. Crystallization does not guarantee perfection in sugar syrup, as ideal crystallization conditions are carefully managed through temperature and syrup concentration.