the presence of water prolongs the period
during which the syrup is cooked, gives these
reactions more time to proceed, and develops
a stronger flavor than heating the sugar on its
own very quickly. And water enhances the
conversion of sucrose into its glucose and
fructose components. Cooking the syrup in the
microwave oven has been found to produce a
somewhat different spectrum of flavors than
ordinary stovetop cooking.
Once caramelization and color and flavor
generation begin, the overall set of reactions
actually gives off heat, and can run away and
burn the sugar if it’s not carefully controlled.
It’s helpful to have a bowl of cold water ready
to cool the pan down as soon as the caramel is
done. Excessive caramelization turns the
syrup very dark, bitter, and viscous or even
solid.
The Flavor of Caramelized Sugar The
aroma of a simple caramelized sugar has