Golden Syrup vs Corn Syrup
I am hoping to make caramels this weekend. The recipe, as most do, calls for corn syrup. Since there is a corn allergy in the house, I want to use golden syrup as a substitute.
Last time I tried this, the caramel stayed syrupy and didn't set up. The mixture boiled and boiled and boiled and it was very difficult to get it up to the temperature the recipe required.
Does anyone have any experience or advice that may help me avoid a repeat disaster?
Not that caramel sauce is exactly a disaster, plenty of uses for that lol.
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10 Comments:
I see no one else is responding.
I did a little reading about both, but I still have no clue.
I would think igolden syrup should work if up to temperature.
CJ McD at 5:47PM on 10/30/09
The golden syrup should work just fine. Corn syrup is in the recipe as a stabilizer, flavor enhancer and to inhibit crystallization. Golden syrup will do the same things. It sounds like the problem really is that you're not getting the caramel to the proper temperature. Try it again and don't stop until you reach that temp.
tapioca at 7:28PM on 10/30/09
I'm going to hazard a guess that it has to do with the types of sugars that makes up the Golden Syrup. We know for certain that corn syrup contains fructose almost exclusively. Something tells me that the Golden Syrup is a mixture of different sugars which would maybe explain why the temperature won't go up, no matter how much you boil it.
AnnieNT at 7:30PM on 10/30/09
ok, I think I've got it. Read this bit about golden syrup from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_syrup
Since Golden Syrup is composed of inverted glucose and sucrose, it will never crystallized (I've read about inverted sugar from candy making books). That's why you couldn't get your caramels to crystallize and harden. While the literature says that you can sub it for corn syrup, I think for making hard candy, you can't substitute in Golden's for corn syrup.
AnnieNT at 7:41PM on 10/30/09
They use a syrup (more like a really dense hair gel) derived from rice starch in Japan, called mizuame, for making caramel. so maybe rice syrup or tapioca syrup would work? basically you want a syrup that's made from starch, I think. Although all I can find online is healthy brown rice syrup.
hmw0029 at 8:21PM on 10/30/09
In our past we have cooked the book
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2007/09/cook-the-book-golden-vanilla-bean-caramels.html
JerzeeTomato at 6:21AM on 10/31/09
Thanks JerzeeTomato.
CJ McD at 12:32PM on 10/31/09
We know for certain that corn syrup contains fructose almost exclusively.
@AnnieT - That's just not true. Although corn syrup may contain some HFCS, it's not HFCS, and it certainly isn't HFCS 90. Corn syrup is mostly glucose not fructose. Glucose is why corn syrup is used in baking and candy making because it prevents crystallization. Golden syrup is glucose, fructose and sucrose and has the same function in cooking. Subbing one for the other should not make a difference. I don't think that's where the OP's problem lies.
SqueezeBottle at 1:13PM on 10/31/09
@jerzeetomato - I've made that recipe and it was wonderful. I immediately thought of it too and may have to make them again!
thezenkitchen at 9:32PM on 10/31/09
Thanks everyone! I made the caramels with the golden syrup this weekend and they turned out PERFECT. I think tapioca had the right answer - I was having trouble getting to the right temp. I made sure I was patient and did not let it boil over and it did exactly what it should.
So. The good news is that for those with corn issues - golden syrup is a good substitute!
Next up - marshmallows. Wish me luck!
Arwen
arwenb at 3:28PM on 11/02/09