Caramel process

The caramelization process can be conducted in open or closed vessels. The mixture obtained is cooled and filtered, and then the pH and specific gravity are adjusted by the addition of acids, alkalis, or water. The chemical composition and properties of caramel colors depend on reactants used and technical conditions such as time, temperature, moisture content, and pressure. During the caramelization... 

The flavor and aroma of caramel are also important factors. They consist of two components, namely, a taste arising from the acidity, and a taste attributable to the nature of the caramel. The taste due to acidity depends on the type of caramel, and may be modified, but that due to the nature is unalterable. Caramels processed in the open are lighter, in both taste and aroma, than those from pressure-kettle processes. It must be stated, however, that the estimation of these properties generally still undergoes subjective evaluation, like many other organoleptic properties. 

Tests for Caramel.—Valuable indications of the nature of an extract are obtained in the process of determination of vanillin and coumarin. Pure extracts of vanilla beans give, with lead acetate, a bulky, more or less glutinous, brown-grey precipitate, and a yellow or straw-coloured filtrate, whereas purely artificial extracts coloured with caramel give a slight dark brown precipitate and a dark brown filtrate. If both vanilla bean extract and caramel are present the precipitate is more or less bulky and dark coloured, and the filtrate is more or less brown. The soluticm remaining after extraction of the vanillin and coumarin with ether, if dark coloured, should be tested for caramel. 

The heat is carefully controlled during caramelization to get the right products from the reaction. Besides acids, alkalies and salts may be used to further control the process. 

The oldest way to produce caramel is by heating sucrose in an open pan, a process named caramelization. Food applications require improvement in caramel properties such as tinctorial power, stability, and compatibility with food. Caramels are produced in industry by controlled heating of a rich carbohydrate source in the presence of certain reactants. Carbohydrate sources must be rich in glucose because caramelization occurs only through the monosaccharide. Several carbohydrate sources can be used glucose, sucrose, com, wheat, and tapioca hydrolysates. The carbohydrate is added to a reaction vessel at 50°C and then heated to temperatures higher than 100°C. Different reactants such as acids, alkalis, salts, ammonium salts, and sulfites can be added, depending on the type of caramel to be obtained (Table 5.2.2). 

The caramel-like smelling HDF has been established as a main contributor to the flavors of several processed foods (Table 17). In addition, it should be noted that in all these foods, on the basis of a high FD-factor, HDF was also by far the most important caramel-like smelling odorant. In the following, the strategy in the HDF precursor analysis will be shown using wheat bread crust, popcorn [88] and malt as the examples. Quantitative measurements were performed by using a stable isotope dilution assay (cf. Section 3.2.). 

Nutrient composition. The nutritional quality of dried citrus pulp may be affected by processing conditions, particularly dehydration temperatures. Pulp dried with dryer exit-stack gas temperatures greater than 143°C shows caramelization or browning. Ammerman et al. (6J and Chapman et al. ( 7) have shown that a... 

Browning of breads, as induced by baking, is a complex process consisting mainly of the Maillard reaction between flour starch or other carbohydrates and flour protein or other protein-rich additives, and the caramelization of sugar and other carbohydrates. 

Among the important processes taking place when sucrose is heated is cara-melization. Caramel is actually a very complex mixture. Some constituents are volatile, such as furan derivatives, pyrones, aldehydes, and low molecular weight carboxylic acids, and these account for 10% of the mass.340 The main constituents of the nonvolatile component have also been identified these include... 

Depending on the process (acid- or base-catalyzed, leading to aromatic or color caramel) and on the particular sugar substrate (sucrose, fructose), different proportions and types of these molecules can be found.291 Some of the caramel components are similar to those observed when fructose and sucrose react in hydrogen fluoride, notably bisglycosylated difructose dianhydrides.287 341... 

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