What to do if the caramel is bitter? How to fix it

Cooked at home according to all the rules caramel is the basis for a variety of delicious sweets (lollipops, candy). Caramel figures decorate cakes and pastries. But sometimes caramel begins to be bitter. It is important to understand the reason for the negative change in taste to avoid problems next time.

Why homemade caramel is bitter

The preparation of caramel requires a small amount of ingredients. The process is not long and complicated, but sometimes the finished product acquires an unpleasant bitter taste, indicating that the sugar has burned.

There are several reasons for this negative result:

1. The pan with the caramel being cooked was overheated on the fire. As a result, the sugar did not just melt, but began to burn.
2. The temperature was set too high at the beginning of the cooking process, not allowing the sugar to gradually melt. It immediately burnt.
3. The mass was unevenly distributed, so some part of it softened according to the basic requirements, and the remaining thinner layer at this point is already beginning to stick.

How to cook caramel so it is not bitter

Cooking sugar, despite the minimum of ingredients, requires attention and adherence to a number of important rules. This product has certain states in the heating process. It goes through several stages, starting with boiling followed by melting. It is necessary to know at what point to stop the process in order to get exactly the caramel with its pleasant peculiar taste.

Experienced cooks use the trial method, focusing on a particular sugar scale. Beginners are advised to buy a sugar special thermometer. This device allows you to determine at any time the density of sugar. Knowing the right readings, it is possible to stop cooking exactly at the stage when the caramel is ready.

Key rules:

1. Sugar is taken white with a high degree of purification.
2. Heating should be strong and even. If the stove is gas, then install a flame spreader.
3. Choose a thick-walled saucepan of heat-resistant metal.
4. When the sugar is initially placed in the water, it is continuously stirred without sticking to the bottom to prevent the syrup from turning yellowish.
5. Once the sugar grains are completely melted, the syrup is no longer touched. This will avoid crystallization, clouding and the formation of lumps.
6. The edges of the dishes are carefully wiped with a soft textile napkin soaked in ice water. It is important, without touching the surface of the syrup, to remove all the sugar grains from the walls. If this is not done, crystallization will occur, followed by sticking.

Standard recipe for caramel:

1. Measure 450 grams of sugar.
2. Pour it into a saucepan with 500 ml of water.
3. It is placed on a high heat, stirring constantly until the sugar melts.
4. Remove the foam, wipe the walls of the pan and continue to cook without further intervention.
5. To determine the readiness of caramel, drop a small amount of melted sugar into cold water. The result should be an icicle that does not stick to the teeth. When you hit it, it splits into small crystals.

If you use a thermometer, then the readiness of caramel is determined by a value of +160 ° C.

Is it possible to save a bitter caramel

At a slight degree of bitter aftertaste, the quality of caramel can be improved by using the following method:

1. Heat a small amount of natural cream in a separate saucepan. Pour it into a saucepan with the caramel. Heat up with the addition of a small pinch of fine salt.
2. If the caramel has acquired a pronounced brown hue and a strong unpleasant bitterness, you can not save it.

Cooking caramel with observance of basic rules allows you to get a predictable excellent result. It turns out a pleasant-tasting golden mass, from which make homemade candy without a hint of unnecessary bitterness.