Caramel is a light brown colored confection rich in sugar. It is traditionally prepared by heating sugar at a high temperature. Caramel is used in a variety of food products like ice creams, desserts, custards, candies and puddings to add taste.
The entire process of making caramel includes, heating the sugar at a slow process of 170 degrees. The particles of sugar start reforming as soon as it starts to liquefy, into a particular flavor and color. There are varieties of products that are prepared with caramel in it like caramel with nuts, custard with caramel and caramel apples.
The process of making caramel is called Caramelization, it is the subtraction of water from the sugar. This leads to polymerization and isomerization of sugar into types of high weight compounds. When polymerization occurs it leads to the formation of superior molecular weight compounds, and it gives out the dark brown color of caramel.
caramel candy is the most widely used caramel product, it is a chewy, soft and dense caramel flavored candy. It is prepared by boiling a combination of water, milk, butter, sugar, vanilla essence and corn syrup or glucose. There is no caramelization process in this because it is not boiled until the point of firmness.
The color of the caramel is a pungent tasting liquid, which is added in cola drinks as a coloring agent, and is used as food coloring product.
Now let us see how we can caramel at home.
Ingredients:
- Sugar (as required)
- Water (as required)
Steps:
- Always take precautions while making caramel, the melted sugar tends to splash and can burn your skin. Wear long sleeve clothes or oven mitts to avoid burns, also wear glasses to protect your eyes. Make sure you use a big vessel if the caramel starts bubbling.
- Meanwhile, heat up sugar equivalent to water on simmer gas.
- When you see that the sugar melting gently, push it to the center of the vessel. This will avoid it from burning. Make sure that you do not move the sugar, which has not melted, if you do so it will only result in sugar lumps. The sugar lumps will take a long time to caramelize.
- Do not leave the mixture unattended look out for the color change. When the color of the mixture turns dark, reddish-brown the caramel is ready.
- Next, if you are using the caramel for lining a mold, pour the caramel immediately into the molds. If you want to add butter or cream, then you can. If you put too much butter, the caramel will look oily and will split. Do not add butter or cream until the time caramel is ready otherwise it will be very sweet in taste.
- As soon as you are done with cooking caramel, wash the vessel instantly. It will be very difficult to clean once it dries up.
Tips:
- To heat the caramels in even proportion take a heavy metal vessel.
- After you take out the cooked caramel out from the vessel, fill the vessel with hot water and bring it to a boil, this will help you clean the vessel.
- Incase if you are planning to make wet caramel, tilt the vessel and stir it until the time its ready.
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