Introduction
The art of caramelize, is mainly made for the preparation of sweets and his one and only ingredient is the classic white table sugar (sucrose). This molecule composed of glucose and also fructose, is nothing but a saccharide, and is present in sugar in equal quantities and for this we can deduce that in the caramel formula, it is also possible to use monosaccharides, or pure glucose and fructose in a pure state. The choice of sucrose is also distinguished by the type of sugar, between the classical and white cane or raw cane.
You can also get the same result, caramelizing honey for example, but you should not, however, underestimate the high content of carbohydrates present in it, which gives to the food a very sustained calorie. Among the types of caramel, you must also know that these have a moderate portion of water, and in some cases almost non-existent. Because of its molecular structure, the caramel is a food with many important contraindications at nutritional level, especially to be avoided in patients with obesity and overweight, or with issues related to metabolic functions.
As we mentioned at the begin, this type of cooking is used mainly in pastries, even if they are many savory recipes that call for the use of this food. This product is a part of lawful additives in Italy.
Production
For the preparation of an excellent caramel, must use of the medium in containers or large depending on the quantity, either aluminum or copper. The recipe for the preparation of this food can vary depending on the choice of the raw material to be used, the temperature and also by the presence or absence of water.
When preparing the solid caramel, it is necessary to combine a minimal amount of water to sugar, before subjecting it to cooking, so as to avoid that this to burn faster than during the melting process. The caramel can be either solid, as we said above, or liquid and the color varies from deep yellow to dark brown, almost black.
To get a solid caramel, you have to proceed in this way:
the first thing you need to pour the sugar in a saucepan and bring to the merger with a very high temperature of about 160 degrees, at this point you have to leave the mixture to cool until it has a compact and vitreous structure. For the liquid caramel instead, once the sugar is melted, it is necessary to stop by adding boiling water, which must be of the same weight of the sugar that you have used initially.
The caramel color which varies depending on the kind of ingredient used and the intensity of the cooking can be in a chromatic descending order is darker, with the addition of glucose and very clear if made with honey, fructose and saccharose.
Gastronomic applications and nutritional values
The caramel is mainly used for confectionery products, but in recent years, with new food trends, this food is the star of covenants or salty and sour. In the pastry is the liquid used to accompany different dessert puddings, cakes, and various types of ice cream. The hard caramel instead, is employed for the preparation of crispy hazelnut, almond and dried fruit in general, or as decorations in the form of slabs for cakes and wires.
In the salty recipes instead, in addition to serving as many meals seals, is a complement to other cold dishes, like warm salads, liver creams, stuffed pasta etc… For glazing roasts, you should know that the caramel in a spontaneous form, often accompanied with candied citrus fruits, which help to give more flavor to the dish.
This food, highly caloric, not suitable for consumption in the field of dietary regimen for overweight people. The blood glucose level is very high, another reason why it is unsuitable for the feeding of the diabetic, especially the type 2. The caramel is severely armful to the teeth, because it significantly facilitates the formation of caries and the solid, may even break teeth or dental prostheses, given its hardness.
With proper and not excessive Maillard reaction, the caramel in itself is not a risk to our health, but overuse and abuse of the heat treatment, may result in the formation of little molecular particles desired.
In addition to being a food that serves to accompany both sweet and savory, the caramel is an excellent preservative and coloring agent and returned to be part of the ingredients of greatest use in the food additives. This for example food, gives the color type of coke.
