2007-11-29 13:37:45 · 4 answers · asked by khaye 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
OK, in the oldtime cookbooks (and probably the new ones too), a little acid (typically vinegar) was added when boiling sugar syrups to make taffy and similar candies. The idea was to discourage the sugar from crystallizing upon cooling ("sugaring out"), which would ruin the desired chewy texture of taffy, etc.
2007-11-29 15:11:16 · answer #1 · answered by Shadow 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sucrose is a double sugar with glucose bonded covalently to fructose by a C-O-C bond. The acid catalyzes breaking this bond to liberate the two sugars. Boiling the mixture caramelizes the sugars to a brown "baked" mixture. Because one molecule of sucrose becomes two molecules of simple sugars, the tongue experiences a "sweeter" taste.
2007-11-29 13:45:24 · answer #2 · answered by steve_geo1 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Aurium guesses correctly.
I found this site several months ago, when I was looking for the difference between caramels and butterscotch, and why the recipe requires corn syrup when there is so much sugar already in it.
http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/candy/index.html
2007-11-29 13:45:37 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm guessing it converts it to invert sugar which is a mix of fructose & glucose (like honey) which will stay liquid and not crystalise.
2007-11-29 13:42:23 · answer #4 · answered by Aurium 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋