Science of Cooking: Caramels Recipe: What’s Going On? (2024)

FAQs

What is the science behind caramel making? ›

As you heat the ingredients in the pan, you create what is called a Maillard reaction. This chemical reaction occurs when amino acids in your proteins (butter and condensed milk) is combined with sugar and heat, resulting in a series of reactions that cause the brown color you see and the rich flavors you taste.

Adding an acid like lemon juice is another way to prevent sucrose from crystallizing. The cream and butter also act as “interfering agents” as the milk proteins in both help to prevent crystal formation. Ingredients such as vanilla, flavorings, salt, and nuts (or baking soda for caramel corn) are all added at the end.

The water evaporates, leaving sugar crystals behind. If even one sugar crystal falls back into the pan of cooking caramel, it starts a chain reaction of sugar crystals and the entire pan will harden. The result? Gross, grainy caramel that is unusable in most recipes.

Keep a close eye on the color of the sugar and as it approaches a reddish-brown, remove it from the heat. When making a wet caramel, water is added to help dissolve the sugar before cooking.

Once the sugar has all dissolved and turned brown, we add butter. The heat of the caramel will melt the butter and create even more wonderful flavors.

Overheating the mixture

Be very careful as you heat your caramel. Follow the recipe carefully, and never melt your caramel on your stove's highest setting—it will cause the caramel to scorch and taste burnt. Once it gets a burnt or bitter flavor, it can't be saved.

To make a perfect easy caramel every-time, simply add one or two drops of vinegar and just enough water to wet the sugar. The idea is to lower the PH. you can also use a small pinch of citric acid or cream of tartar if you have.

Most caramel sauces are made by caramelizing sugar and adding milk and a little salt. If you increase the amount of sugar in the recipe you'll end up with a thicker caramel. Try increasing the sugar by about 1/3. The amount of milk suggested by the recipe, then, will leave you with a thick caramel sauce.

If you're really worried about crystallization, you can also add an acid like lemon juice into your caramel. This will turn the abundant sucrose molecules into a mixture of fructose and glucose which will not crystallize as easily. Caramel is fussy, but absolutely worth making on your own.

What is the difference between caramel and carmel? ›

Caramel is the correct spelling if you're talking about food or colors. Carmel is a misspelling when used in those contexts, but it is a word that can be used as a name for people or places.

The Maillard reaction is a chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars. It typically happens when head is raised rapidly from 140 to 165 °C. This happens at a lower temperature than caramelization, but it is what gives it its brown color.

Acid ingredients (like vinegar or lemon juice) can help prevent re-crystallization which causes caramel to become grainy.

Caramelization is what happens when any sugar is heated to the point that the molecules undergo chemical reactions with oxygen in the air and with each other – the molecules either break apart into smaller molecules, or combine with one another to make larger molecules.

The sugar crystals have jagged edges and, even after liquefying, want to regroup into a solid mass. Stirring a wet caramel encourages these crystals to hook up—and cause clumping.

Different chemicals are present before (sugar) and after (caramel) the cooking process. Therefore, this is a chemical change. The irreversible nature of caramelization is also an indicator that this transformation is a chemical change.

During the mixing process sugar bonds with water, taking moisture away from other starches and proteins present and limiting gluten development. When you mix your ingredients flour proteins are hydrated and form gluten strands.