My rule of thumb for small quantities of spring sugar syrup (the books say use 1:1 sugar:water) is: fill the jar you're going to use for the syrup, 75 to 80 % full of sugar. Then run your hot tap til it's hot and add to the sugar. You'll have to stop and stir a few times, but eventually, add water til the jar is full. Make sure the suagar is dissolved before you up-end the jar, or the undissolved sugar may settle on the holes and plug them. If you are going to add Terramycin to the syrup, wait til the syrup cools. This is not the same syrup to add in fall, for winter stores. Then, put 85 to 90% of the jar full of dry sygar, add hot water, etc (it takes more stirring to dissolve this mix) good luck