Caramel

<p ><b>Source:  </b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramel">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramel</a>

<b>Caramel</b> (<img src="/bde2cb4d-387d-5c38-898d-94ec28ed32c4.png"/> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_English" title="Wikipedia:IPA for English" >/</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_English#Key" title="Wikipedia:IPA for English" >ˈkærəmɛl</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_English" title="Wikipedia:IPA for English" >/</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_English" title="Wikipedia:IPA for English" >/</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_English#Key" title="Wikipedia:IPA for English" >ˈkɑrməl</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_English" title="Wikipedia:IPA for English" >/</a><sup id="cite_ref-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramel#cite_note-0" >[1]</a></sup> ) is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beige" title="Beige" >beige</a> to dark-brown confectionery product made by heating any of a variety of sugars. It is used as a flavoring in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pudding" title="Pudding" >puddings</a> and<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dessert" title="Dessert" >desserts</a>, as a filling in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonbon" title="Bonbon" >bonbons</a>, and as a topping for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_cream" title="Ice cream" >ice cream</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Custard" title="Custard" >custard</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee" title="Coffee" >coffee</a>.

The process of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramelization" title="Caramelization" >caramelization</a> consists of heating sugar slowly to around 170 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celsius" title="Celsius" >°C</a>(340 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fahrenheit" title="Fahrenheit" >°F</a>). As the sugar heats, the molecules break down and re-form into compounds with a characteristic color and flavor.

A variety of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candy" title="Candy" >candies</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confectionery" title="Confectionery" >confections</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dessert" title="Dessert" >desserts</a> are made with caramel: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramel_apples" title="Caramel apples" class="mw-redirect" >caramel apples</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Praline" title="Praline" >pralines</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nougat" title="Nougat" >nougats</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brittle_(food)" title="Brittle (food)" >brittles</a>, <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cr%C3%A8me_caramel" title="Crème caramel" >crème caramel</a></i>, and <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cr%C3%A8me_br%C3%BBl%C3%A9e" title="Crème brûlée" >crème brûlée</a></i>.

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<h2 >Etymology</h2>

<p >Most linguists trace the origin of the word to Medieval Latin <i>cannamellis</i> (sugar cane) or to Latin <i>callamellus</i> (little reed, referring to sugar cane).</p>

<h2 >[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Caramel&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Caramel candy" >edit</a>]Caramel candy</h2>

A slab of caramel candy</div>

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<p >Caramel candy is a soft, dense, chewy candy made by boiling a mixture of milk or cream, sugar(s), butter, and vanilla flavoring. The sugar(s) are heated separately to reach 170 °C (340 °F), caramelizing them before the other ingredients are added.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramel#cite_note-1" >[2]</a></sup> Alternatively, all ingredients may be cooked together; in this procedure, the mixture is not heated above the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firm_ball" title="Firm ball" class="mw-redirect" >firm ball</a> stage (120 °C(250 °F)), so there is caramelization of the milk but not of the sugars. This type of candy is often called "milk caramel" or "cream caramel".</p>

<h2 >[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Caramel&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Caramel coloring" >edit</a>]Caramel coloring</h2>

<div class="rellink relarticle mainarticle" >Main article: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramel_color" title="Caramel color" >Caramel color</a></div>

<p ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramel_color" title="Caramel color" >Caramel coloring</a>, a dark, bitter-tasting liquid, is the highly concentrated product of near total caramelization, bottled for commercial use. It is used as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_coloring" title="Food coloring" >food coloring</a> and in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverage" title="Beverage" class="mw-redirect" >beverages</a> such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cola" title="Cola" >cola</a>.</p>

<h2 >[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Caramel&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Chemistry" >edit</a>]Chemistry</h2>

<div class="rellink relarticle mainarticle" >Main article: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramelization" title="Caramelization" >Caramelization</a></div>

<p >Caramelization is the removal of water from a sugar, proceeding to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isomerization" title="Isomerization" class="mw-redirect" >isomerization</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymerization" title="Polymerization" >polymerization</a> of the sugars into various high-molecular-weight compounds. Compounds such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fructose" title="Fructose" >difructose</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid_anhydride" title="Acid anhydride" >anhydride</a> may be created from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosaccharide" title="Monosaccharide" >monosaccharides</a> after water loss. Fragmentation reactions result in low-molecular-weight compounds that may be volatile and may contribute to flavor. Polymerization reactions lead to larger-molecular-weight compounds that contribute to the dark-brown color.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramel#cite_note-2" >[3]</a></sup>

In modern recipes and in commercial production, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glucose" title="Glucose" >glucose</a> (from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corn_syrup" title="Corn syrup" >corn syrup</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheat" title="Wheat" >wheat</a>) or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_sugar_syrup" title="Inverted sugar syrup" >invert sugar</a> is added to prevent crystallization, making up 10%–50% of the sugars by mass. It should be noted that "wet caramels" (made by heating sucrose and water instead of sucrose alone) produce their own invert sugar due to thermal reaction, but not necessarily enough to prevent crystallization in traditional recipes.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramel#cite_note-3" >[4]</a></sup></p>

<h2 >[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Caramel&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Nutritional information" >edit</a>]Nutritional information</h2>

<p >Two tablespoons of caramel contain: <sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramel#cite_note-4" >[5]</a></sup></p>

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<li >Calories: 103</li>

<li >Carbohydrates (g): 27</li>

<li >Fibers (g): 0.4</li>

<li >Protein (g): 0.61</li>

<li >Cholesterol (mg): 0.0</li>

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<td class="mbox-text" >Wikibooks <a class="external text" href="http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook" >Cookbook</a> has a recipe/module on

<div ><i><b><a class="external text" href="http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook:Caramel" >Caramel</a></b></i></div>

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<ul >

<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterscotch" title="Butterscotch" >Butterscotch</a>, a type of candy</li>

<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadbury_Dairy_Milk_Caramel" title="Cadbury Dairy Milk Caramel" >Cadbury Dairy Milk Caramel</a>, a British brand of caramel chocolate bar</li>

<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramac" title="Caramac" >Caramac</a>, a British brand of caramel candy bar</li>

<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carambar" title="Carambar" >Carambar</a>, a French brand of caramel candy bar</li>

<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramel_apple" title="Caramel apple" >Caramel apple</a>, an apple coated in caramel, a taffy apple</li>

<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramel_corn" title="Caramel corn" >Caramel corn</a>, popcorn coated in caramel</li>

<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramel_sauce" title="Caramel sauce" >Caramel sauce</a>, a sauce made with caramel</li>

<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramilk" title="Caramilk" class="mw-redirect" >Caramilk</a>, a Canadian brand of caramel candy bar</li>

<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confection" title="Confection" class="mw-redirect" >Confection</a></li>

<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodol" title="Dodol" >Dodol</a>, a caramelized confection made with coconut milk</li>

<li ><i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dulce_de_leche" title="Dulce de leche" >Dulce de leche</a></i>, caramelized, sweetened, condensed milk</li>

<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tablet_(confectionery)" title="Tablet (confectionery)" >Tablet</a></li>

<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toffee" title="Toffee" >Toffee</a>, a type of candy</li>

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<h2 >[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Caramel&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: References" >edit</a>]References</h2>

<li id="cite_note-0" ><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramel#cite_ref-0" >^{</a></b> <i}>New Oxford American Dictionary</i> (3rd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. 2010. p. 260.</li>

<li id="cite_note-1" ><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramel#cite_ref-1" >^{</a></b> }<a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://books.google.com/books?id=3fkAazdFhL8C&pg=PA265&dq=caramels+recipe+smoke&hl=en&ei=1SqJTdjBI4K2sAPNheSRDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CEoQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=false" >http://books.google.com/books?id=3fkAazdFhL8C&pg=PA265&dq=caramels+recipe+smoke&hl=en&ei=1SqJTdjBI4K2sAPNheSRDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CEoQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=false</a></li>

<li id="cite_note-2" ><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramel#cite_ref-2" >^{</a></b> }<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.food-info.net/uk/colour/caramel.htm" ><i>Caramelization</i></a>, retrieved 2009-05-07</li>

<li id="cite_note-3" ><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramel#cite_ref-3" >^{</a></b> }<a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://www.fao.org/WAIRdocs/x5434e/x5434e0a.htm" >http://www.fao.org/WAIRdocs/x5434e/x5434e0a.htm</a></li>

<li id="cite_note-4" ><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramel#cite_ref-4" >^{</a></b> }<a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/" >http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/</a></li>

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<h2 >[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Caramel&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: External links" >edit</a>]External links</h2>

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<td class="mbox-text" >Wikimedia Commons has media related to: <i><b><a class="external text" href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Caramel" >Caramel</a></b></i></td>

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<ul >

<li ><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.homebaking.mobi/dessert/caramel.htm" >Caramel recipe</a></li>

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