Melting Sugar: Chemical Reactions The chemical reaction we are most familiar with is that of melting: sugar decomposes at a temperature ranging between 184 and 186°C. In other words, sugar crystals do not actually melt but produce a proper reaction called “inversion”.
Sucrose is highly soluble: as much as 2000 grams of sucrose can be dissolved in one litre of water! However, it is mainly due to the way it reacts that it has become the protagonist of our sweetest recipes.
The chemical reaction we are most familiar with is that of melting: sugar decomposes at a temperature ranging between 184 and 186°C. This is a very recent discovery we owe to a team of researchers in Illinois. Basically, when we heat sucrose gently, this produces a phenomenon known as “apparent melting”. In other words, sugar crystals do not actually melt but produce a proper reaction called “inversion”. What really happens is that the two molecular components of sugar – glucose and fructose – decompose. In their turn, they give way to “caramelisation”, consisting of two phases.
Melting sugar
In the first phase, the structure of sugar changes as the heat increases. We can easily observe this for ourselves when we see sugar starting to “melt”. At this point, the second phase kicks in: the additional increase in heat causes the elimination of the water molecule. This produces a reaction called “beta-elimination” which leads to the formation of hydroxymethylfurfural. The substance darkens in colour and tastes more and more of caramel. If too much heat is applied, nothing but carbon will remain, which means that our caramel is well and truly burnt!
In brief, that of heating sucrose may appear to be a banal operation but it can offer us a series of interesting reactions. In particular “inversion”, which benefits from an acid pH, gives us “invert” sugars that are very hygroscopic: this means they are able to absorb a high number of water molecules, which makes them ideal for preparing soft sweets and desserts or, indeed, for any recipe we wish to keep moist even when it has to be exposed to the air.
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Answer:
Melting Sugar: Chemical Reactions The chemical reaction we are most familiar with is that of melting: sugar decomposes at a temperature ranging between 184 and 186°C. In other words, sugar crystals do not actually melt but produce a proper reaction called “inversion”.
Answer:
Melting Sugar: Chemical Reactions
Sucrose is highly soluble: as much as 2000 grams of sucrose can be dissolved in one litre of water! However, it is mainly due to the way it reacts that it has become the protagonist of our sweetest recipes.
The chemical reaction we are most familiar with is that of melting: sugar decomposes at a temperature ranging between 184 and 186°C. This is a very recent discovery we owe to a team of researchers in Illinois. Basically, when we heat sucrose gently, this produces a phenomenon known as “apparent melting”. In other words, sugar crystals do not actually melt but produce a proper reaction called “inversion”. What really happens is that the two molecular components of sugar – glucose and fructose – decompose. In their turn, they give way to “caramelisation”, consisting of two phases.
Melting sugar
In the first phase, the structure of sugar changes as the heat increases. We can easily observe this for ourselves when we see sugar starting to “melt”. At this point, the second phase kicks in: the additional increase in heat causes the elimination of the water molecule. This produces a reaction called “beta-elimination” which leads to the formation of hydroxymethylfurfural. The substance darkens in colour and tastes more and more of caramel. If too much heat is applied, nothing but carbon will remain, which means that our caramel is well and truly burnt!
In brief, that of heating sucrose may appear to be a banal operation but it can offer us a series of interesting reactions. In particular “inversion”, which benefits from an acid pH, gives us “invert” sugars that are very hygroscopic: this means they are able to absorb a high number of water molecules, which makes them ideal for preparing soft sweets and desserts or, indeed, for any recipe we wish to keep moist even when it has to be exposed to the air.
Source: https://www.finedininglovers.com/article/science-melting-sugar