Did You Know-Caramel
The process of caramelization primarily consists of heating sugars slowly to around 170 °C (340 °F). As the sugar heats, the molecule’s break down and re-form into compounds with a characteristic color and flavor.
A variety of sweets, desserts, toppings, and confections are made with caramel, including tres leches cake, brittles, nougats, pralines, flan, creme brûlée, creme caramel and caramel apples. Ice creams are sometimes flavored with or contain swirls of caramel.
Caramel, originating around 1000 AD with Arab confectioners boiling sugar, was used as a simple hard, crunchy sweet, but also had non-edible uses like a beauty product for hair removal (sugaring).
Later, it served medicinal purposes (cough remedies) and became a popular treat as sugar became cheaper, evolving with added milk and butter into the chewy candy we know today, with its name derived from Latin for “sugar cane”.
Evolution to Modern Caramel:
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17th-19th Centuries
(Europe/America): As sugar became more accessible, hard candies became popular, with American settlers making simple sugar and water treats.
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19th Century: Milk and butter were added, creating the softer, chewy caramel confection.
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Early 20th Century: Caramel color gained popularity as a food additive, especially in brewing and soft drinks.
Caramel is one of my favorite candy. I find the cooking process fascinating and feel it makes everything it is in taste great.
Image: Photoroom
Source: AI & Wikipedia
http://www.InDianesKitchen.com
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Categories: Candy, Caramel, Did You Know
A great flavour – interesting information
Thank you Derrick!
Cool:)
Thank you Kimberly!
🙂
Fascinating to explore the history of Caramel like this/ You wouldn’t think a simple candy would have such a big history behind it.
I actually heard about using it for removing hair on one of my cooking shows on TV. I had to research it after hearing that. Thank you Paul and have a great day!
Thank you so much Ned!
Cool info breakdown on this sweet treat.
Thank you Eunice! Have a great day!
You too.
I love the history of foods. Thank you, Diane!
You’re very welcome Linda!
I absolutely love caramel!
Me too! I love it in my coffee, desserts, plain or in anything. I know you understand. Lol
Interesting info Diane ! I have a question, I think caramel and butterscotch are two different things? Or kind of the same?
Yes you are right. The only main difference is caramel is made with white sugar and butterscotch is made with brown sugar. Brown sugar is just white sugar mixed with molasses. I hope this helped.
Interesting! Thanks, Diane, I always wondered if they were kind of the same and I guess they are😊
Very interesting! I do love caramels!
Thank you, one of my favorite candy too.
I learned that caramel came from sugar at a home economics class in middle school and I remember it was mind blowing to me at the time!
It really is fun watching the process of changing the sugar into caramel. We didn’t make caramel in school, we made taffy and had to pull it too, so much fun!
Interesting! I never knew that caramel had medicinal purposes. I like it in hot drinks, like the fancy coffee mix I get for the holidays.
All I could think about is the hot wax they put on people to rip off their hair. Maybe caramel was the start of that product.
Yes, that’s an interesting thought. Ouch!
I could not agree more Diane. One of my absolute favorite flavors. I have a bowl in the kitchen and I limit myself to one with my tea each night. Okay, last night I had two. So good. Hugs, C
Wow do you have will power! If I had a bowl of caramels they would be gone in two days, so I don’t buy them until it’s for a recipe.
Cool food education!
Thank you!