03/04/2004

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Chow Line: Caramel flavor stems from browning (for 3/14/04)

Writer:

Martha Filipic
filipic.3@osu.edu
(614)292-9833

Source:

Sharron Coplin

Help settle this dinner-conversation mystery for our family: Where does caramel come from?

Well, there's no caramel tree that grows caramel fruit, if that was what you were thinking. Caramel is simply sugar, melted into a syrup and cooked until it starts browning.

If you're talking about caramel candy, that's simply caramelized sugar, butter and milk mixed together. Not a bad combination for the taste buds (but not so good for your hips -- or your teeth).

But back to caramelized sugar. According to Harold McGee's "On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen," extensive chemical reactions occur when sugar is heated to the point "that its molecules begin to break apart." In fact, more than 100 different compounds are produced when sugar browns, and each of them contributes to caramel's flavor.

Temperature is key when making caramels or any candy, because it not only measures heat -- it also is a good indication of moisture content. Why? Water can't be heated any higher than 212 degrees F. That's its boiling point -- pure water will never get hotter. So, as your syrup loses moisture (water) as it heats, it can get hotter than 212 F. The hotter the temperature, the more concentrated your syrup, and the less moist your candy will end up being. Hard candy and rock candy have very little moisture -- about 1 percent. Fudge and caramels have about 10 percent moisture.

If you want to make candy at home, it's easiest to use a candy thermometer to measure the temperature of the syrup as it heats and cools. But you can also try the old-fashioned way, and test the properties of the syrup by how it reacts to cooling. If the syrup is dropped from a spoon into cold water and it forms:

• A soft, malleable ball, it's about 235 to 240 degrees (good for fudge).
• A firm ball, it's about 245 to 250 degrees (good for caramel).
• A hard ball, it's about 250 to 265 degrees (good for nougat).
• Threads that make a soft crack, it's about 270 to 290 degrees (good for taffy).
• Brittle threads that make a hard crack, it's about 300 to 310 degrees (good for brittle).

How quickly you heat the syrup can also make a difference. The longer it takes to heat, the more time there is for chemical reactions to take place, and you'll end up with a darker color candy.

Chow Line is a service of Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. Send questions to Chow Line, c/o Martha Filipic, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210-1044, or filipic.3@osu.edu.

Editor: This column was reviewed by Sharron Coplin, registered dietitian and Ohio State University Extension nutrition associate in the College of Human Ecology.

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