Caramelization is a process of browning of sugar used extensively in cooking for the resulting sweet nutty flavor and brown color. The brown colors are produced by three groups of polymers: caramelans (C₂₄H₃₆O₁₈), caramelens (C₃₆H₅₀O₂₅), and caramelins (C₁₂₅H₁₈₈O₈₀). As the process occurs, volatile chemicals such as

diacetyl Diacetyl (IUPAC systematic name: butanedione or butane-2,3-dione) is an organic compound with the chemical formula (CH3CO)2. It is a yellow liquid with an intensely buttery flavor. It is a vicinal diketone (two C=O groups, side-by-side). Diacet ...

are released, producing the characteristic caramel flavor. Like the

Maillard reaction The Maillard reaction ( ; ) is a chemical reaction between Amino acid, amino acids and Reducing sugar, reducing sugars that gives browned food its distinctive flavor. Searing, Seared steaks, fried dumplings, cookies and other kinds of biscuits, b ...

, caramelization is a type of

non-enzymatic browning Browning is the process of food turning brown due to the chemical reactions that take place within. The process of browning is one of the chemical reactions that take place in food chemistry and represents an interesting research topic regarding ...

. Unlike the

, caramelization is pyrolytic, as opposed to being a reaction with

amino acid Amino acids are organic compounds that contain both amino and carboxylic acid functional groups. Although hundreds of amino acids exist in nature, by far the most important are the alpha-amino acids, which comprise proteins. Only 22 alpha a ...

s. When caramelization involves the

disaccharide A disaccharide (also called a double sugar or ''biose'') is the sugar formed when two monosaccharides are joined by glycosidic linkage. Like monosaccharides, disaccharides are simple sugars soluble in water. Three common examples are sucrose, la ...

sucrose, it is broken down into the monosaccharides fructose and glucose.

Process

Caramelization is a complex, poorly understood process that produces hundreds of chemical products, and includes the following types of reactions: * Chemical equilibrium, 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. Caramelization reactions are also sensitive to the chemical environment, 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.

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 * Creme 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. * Caramelized potatoes * Caramelized pears * Cola, of which some brands use caramelized sugar in small amounts for color

References

External links

Caramelization
at Science of Cooking {{Cooking Techniques Cooking techniques Culinary terminology de:Karamellisieren

Process

Effects of caramelization

Uses in food

See also

References

External links