Caramelization: Difference between revisions
imported>Charles Ferguson ll m added link to polymer |
imported>MPM-Wikihelper m Corrected the incorrect "liquifying sugar" to "browning of sugar". Caramelization doesn't involve liquifying sugar. |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{Short description|Process of | {{Short description|Process of browning of sugar}} | ||
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2021}} | {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2021}} | ||
{{Use American English|date=May 2021}} | {{Use American English|date=May 2021}} | ||
| Line 63: | Line 63: | ||
==Uses in food== | ==Uses in food== | ||
Caramelization is used to produce several foods, including: | Caramelization is used to produce several foods, including: | ||
| Line 71: | Line 70: | ||
* [[Crème caramel]], and the similar [[crème brûlée]], a custard dish topped with sugar caramelized with a blowtorch | * [[Crème caramel]], and the similar [[crème brûlée]], a custard dish topped with sugar caramelized with a blowtorch | ||
* Caramelized onions, which are used in dishes like [[French onion soup]]. Onions require 30 to 45 minutes of cooking to caramelize.<ref>Scocca, Tom. [http://www.slate.com/articles/life/scocca/2012/05/how_to_cook_onions_why_recipe_writers_lie_and_lie_about_how_long_they_take_to_caramelize_.single.html Layers of Deceit: Why do recipe writers lie and lie and lie about how long it takes to caramelize onions?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181001042832/http://www.slate.com/articles/life/scocca/2012/05/how_to_cook_onions_why_recipe_writers_lie_and_lie_about_how_long_they_take_to_caramelize_.single.html |date=October 1, 2018 }} [[Slate.com]], May 2, 2012.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.smith.edu/diningservices/recipes/onion-soup.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120502213016/http://www.smith.edu/diningservices/recipes/onion-soup.php |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-05-02 |title=French Onion Soup |author=Child, Julia |access-date=2017-03-08 }}</ref> | * Caramelized onions, which are used in dishes like [[French onion soup]]. Onions require 30 to 45 minutes of cooking to caramelize.<ref>Scocca, Tom. [http://www.slate.com/articles/life/scocca/2012/05/how_to_cook_onions_why_recipe_writers_lie_and_lie_about_how_long_they_take_to_caramelize_.single.html Layers of Deceit: Why do recipe writers lie and lie and lie about how long it takes to caramelize onions?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181001042832/http://www.slate.com/articles/life/scocca/2012/05/how_to_cook_onions_why_recipe_writers_lie_and_lie_about_how_long_they_take_to_caramelize_.single.html |date=October 1, 2018 }} [[Slate.com]], May 2, 2012.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.smith.edu/diningservices/recipes/onion-soup.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120502213016/http://www.smith.edu/diningservices/recipes/onion-soup.php |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-05-02 |title=French Onion Soup |author=Child, Julia |access-date=2017-03-08 }}</ref> | ||
* Caramelized pears<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.stemilt.com/stem-blog/caramelizing-pears-tips/|title=Caramelizing Pears|date=2016-10-10|first=Jennifer|last=Farley|newspaper=Stemilt|language=en-US|access-date=2016-10-27|archive-date=February 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190214233407/https://www.stemilt.com/stem-blog/caramelizing-pears-tips/|url-status=live}}</ref> | * Caramelized pears<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.stemilt.com/stem-blog/caramelizing-pears-tips/|title=Caramelizing Pears|date=2016-10-10|first=Jennifer|last=Farley|newspaper=Stemilt|language=en-US|access-date=2016-10-27|archive-date=February 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190214233407/https://www.stemilt.com/stem-blog/caramelizing-pears-tips/|url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
* [[Cola]], of which some brands use caramelized sugar in small amounts for color | * [[Cola]], of which some brands use caramelized sugar in small amounts for color | ||
| Line 92: | Line 90: | ||
[[Category:Cooking techniques]] | [[Category:Cooking techniques]] | ||
[[Category:Culinary terminology]] | [[Category:Culinary terminology]] | ||
Latest revision as of 09:30, 23 December 2025
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Use American English Template:CSS image crop
Caramelization (or caramelisation) is a process of browning of sugar used extensively in cooking for the resulting butter-like flavor and brown color. The brown colors are produced by three groups of polymers: Template:Chem name (C24H36O18), Template:Chem name (C36H50O25), and Template:Chem name (C125H188O80). As the process occurs, volatile chemicals such as diacetyl (known for its intense butter-like taste) are released, producing the characteristic caramel flavor.[1]
Like the Maillard reaction, caramelization is a type of non-enzymatic browning. Unlike the Maillard reaction, caramelization is pyrolytic, as opposed to being a reaction with amino acids.
When caramelization involves the disaccharide sucrose, it is broken down into the monosaccharides fructose and glucose.[2]
Process
Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
Caramelization is a complex, poorly understood process that produces hundreds of chemical products, and includes the following types of reactions:
- equilibration of anomeric and ring forms
- sucrose inversion to fructose and glucose
- condensation reactions
- intramolecular bonding
- isomerization of aldoses to ketoses
- dehydration reactions
- fragmentation reactions
- unsaturated polymer formation
Effects of caramelization
The process is temperature-dependent. Specific sugars each have their own point at which the reactions begin to proceed readily. Impurities in the sugar, such as the molasses remaining in brown sugar, greatly speed the reactions.
| Sugar | Temperature |
|---|---|
| Fructose | Script error: No such module "convert". |
| Galactose | Script error: No such module "convert". |
| Glucose | Script error: No such module "convert". |
| Sucrose | Script error: No such module "convert". |
| Maltose | Script error: No such module "convert". |
Caramelization reactions are also sensitive to the chemical environment,[4] and the reaction rate, or temperature at which reactions occur most readily, can be altered by controlling the level of acidity (pH). The rate of caramelization is generally lowest at near-neutral acidity (pH around 7), and accelerated under both acidic (especially pH below 3) and basic (especially pH above 9) conditions.[5]
Uses in food
Caramelization is used to produce several foods, including:
- Caramel sauce, a sauce made with caramel
- Confiture de lait and dulce de leche, caramelized, sweetened milk
- Caramel candies
- Crème caramel, and the similar crème brûlée, a custard dish topped with sugar caramelized with a blowtorch
- Caramelized onions, which are used in dishes like French onion soup. Onions require 30 to 45 minutes of cooking to caramelize.[6][7]
- Caramelized pears[8]
- Cola, of which some brands use caramelized sugar in small amounts for color
- Latik, a sweet syrup made of sugar and coconut milk which is used in several Filipino desserts.
- Dodol, a type of toffee made with cane sugar, rice flour, and coconut milk originating from Indonesia.
See also
Script error: No such module "Portal".
References
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
- ↑ Harold McGee. "On Food and Cooking", 2nd Edition (2004), Scribner, New York, NY. "Sugar, Chocolate and Confectionery", Page 656.
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Scocca, Tom. Layers of Deceit: Why do recipe writers lie and lie and lie about how long it takes to caramelize onions? Template:Webarchive Slate.com, May 2, 2012.
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
External links
Template:Sister project Template:Sister project
Script error: No such module "Navbox".