Yes, golden syrup is water soluble.
Golden syrup's solubility in water stems from its composition. It's primarily composed of glucose and fructose, both of which are simple sugars readily soluble in water due to their polar nature. These sugars form hydrogen bonds with water molecules, allowing them to dissolve easily.
While sucrose (table sugar) is also water-soluble, the process of making golden syrup involves inverting some of the sucrose into glucose and fructose. The provided reference highlights that these free glucose and fructose molecules are more water-soluble than the original sucrose. This higher solubility contributes to the reduced tendency of golden syrup to crystallize compared to a pure sucrose syrup.
In summary, the high concentration of water-soluble sugars, particularly glucose and fructose, makes golden syrup readily dissolvable in water.