Caramelized Sugar

[bossy]

Okay tried to caramelize some sugar today for the first time - and...total disaster! All the water just boiled out and the sugar ended up soggy white sugar again. It was fully incorporated into a syrup first. What is the secret??? If you tell me the type of pan you use is critical I'm done for.

Bossy

[BethR]

I was just reading about this in Cookwise (the book by Shirley O. Corriher -- if you ever catch Good Eats on Food TV, she's the food scientist who appears periodically). On caramelizing sugar using the "wet method" she says:

"Trouble can come while you are boiling off the water--if you shake or stir before all the water has boiled off, the sugar will crystallize out, and you can end up with a grainy mess. It does not take much to start this crystallization. Some of the sugar water that has splattered on the pan during boiling can evaporate and leave sugar crystals clinging to the pan. If one of these crystals falls into the concentrated sugar solution, it may cause the sugar to crystallize."

She suggests washing down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water, oiling the sides of the pan to prevent the crystals from sticking, or covering the pot with a lid for 2-3 minutes while boiling so that the water that condenses on the lid drains back down the sides, rinsing them.
Other methods she suggests are adding corn syrup (which is mostly glucose) to the mixture -- it will act as an impurity and prevent crystallization. Also adding a few drops of lemon juice, vinegar, or cream of tartar. All will break down some of the sucrose (table sugar) molecules into glocose and fructose, which will again act as impurities and prevent crystallization.

I've never tried this, but to me the latter methods of adding stuff look a lot easier! She warns that once the water boils out, the caramel will go from light to medium to dark quickly, so you have to keep a sharp eye on it. She also has a microwave caramel method in the book. If you'd like it, let me know and I'll post it.

Beth

[This message has been edited by BethR (edited 01-30-2001).]

[Gail]

Although I'm totally unfamiliar with a wet method of caramelizing sugar, here are a couple of old threads on the subject of caramelizing sugar using other means. Take note particularly of the first one, from Vanessa:
www.cookinglight.com/bbs/Forum1/HTML/001992.html (http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/Forum1/HTML/001992.html)
www.cookinglight.com/bbs/Forum1/HTML/001986.html (http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/Forum1/HTML/001986.html)


Good luck!


[This message has been edited by Gail (edited 01-30-2001).]

[Jessica]

I have had this happen and I just kept cooking it. The sugar basically melted again and I got a nice, golden caramel.

[bossy]

Thanks - I was stirring the whole time - guess it's best to put in a bit of corn syrup and not touch it. I'll try again tomorrow - thanks all http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif