To distinguish homemade alcohol from factory, you do not need to have a wealth of experience - cloudy moonshine almost always smells not very pleasant even after cleaning.

Berry moonshine can be drunk without refinement, but it is advisable to “tweak” a beetroot, potato or corn drink to soften the aroma and improve the appearance.

Sugar color, that is, caramel, is one of the most affordable tools for refining home-made alcohol.

Lollipops and multi-colored montpensier in beautiful boxes are exactly remembered by middle-aged people. However, representatives of the lollipop generation are also aware - all lollipops are made from melted sugar. Simple to the point of genius, the idea seems eternal, in any case, in the Middle Ages, caramel was already a familiar delicacy for the poor and the rich.

Lollipops are boiled sugar, they were made from water, sugar and vinegar or citric acid. The mixture was boiled over low heat until thickened and allowed to harden in molds. An undercooked lollipop looks like toffee, but a burnt one is good for coughing and can paint over various edible substances.

Sugar color depends on the degree of "roasting" and concentration, they can be colored, for example, tea, compote or cream. We are interested in aesthetics, so let's focus on burnt sugar in alcohol.

Caramel is added to moonshine at the very end of its preparation, mainly for color. The noble brown color gives hand-made alcohol an external resemblance to cognac or whiskey. If moonshine is well cleaned and made from high-quality raw materials with strict adherence to technology, it will acquire an interesting taste. By the way, caramel is added even to expensive French cognacs for color and aroma.

Kohler does not make alcohol sweet, does not fade over time and paints over not only strong drinks, they can improve beer and home-made wine.

Dye preparation technology

A minimum of ingredients and their availability create the impression of ease of preparation. It is, but the process requires attention and compliance with certain rules. The essence of the method lies in the uniform dissolution of sugar, during the transformation it melts, turns brown and acquires a characteristic taste and smell.

At home, color can be prepared in two ways:

• Wet- with the dissolution of sugar in water and the thickening of the syrup.
• Dry- heating granulated sugar in a dry frying pan. This method is more difficult, but the result is better.

The choice of method depends on the goal - if required, caramel can be light, burnt sugar is needed for color.

To prepare color, find dishes with a thick bottom.

wet method

Ingredients:

• Half a glass of granulated sugar.
• 130 mg pure water.
• Half a glass of moonshine.
• Lemon acid .

A few crystals of citric acid are needed for a uniform consistency.

Cooking:

1. In a saucepan with a thick bottom, mix sugar and 100 ml of water.
2. Heat to a boil.
3. Once bubbles appear, reduce heat to low and continue to boil the syrup while stirring constantly. Gradually, the sugar will begin to darken, you need to not miss the moment and not let it burn.
4. Keep the temperature around 190 ° C, when heated above 200 ° C, the sugar will overheat, cloud the moonshine or turn it black.
5. Remove the saucepan from the stove when the color of the syrup resembles medium-strength tea. From the appearance of bubbles to the desired color takes about 15 minutes.
6. Wait until the caramel cools down to 20 ° C and becomes thick.
7. Pour a few crystals of citric acid and pour moonshine. Stir until completely dissolved, if the caramel does not dissolve well, heat it over low heat for a couple of minutes. be careful- strong alcohol in a saucepan! Small pieces of frozen sugar may remain at the bottom of the syrup, you should not fight this.
8. Pour a little water (up to 30 ml) into the syrup to reduce the strength.
9. Pour the finished color into a glass container, you can chip off the caramel crumbs from the bottom and send them to the color too.

The finished concentrated dye is black and smells slightly of caramel. Store it in a sealed container, not necessarily in the refrigerator - sugar does not spoil. It is difficult to determine the amount of concentrate for painting, add a few drops to the moonshine, mix and wait 5 minutes until the color appears.

dry method

Sucrose darkens at a temperature exceeding the melting mark - +180 – 200 o C. Decomposing, sucrose forms caramels and loses water, the color depends on the melting temperature and the degree of dehydration.

Without going into chemistry, we can conclude that sugar darkens and hardens when heated - the principle of dry caramelization is based on this. It is more difficult to obtain a product with a dry method than with a wet one, but it is ideal for painting over moonshine.

1. Preheat a tall metal, but not Teflon, dish with high sides.
2. Reduce heat and add a few tablespoons of granulated sugar. Stir.
3. Soon the sugar will begin to melt and bubble up. Stir it with a long-handled wooden spatula until the color turns yellow-brown.
4. Line a flat tray or plate with two layers of foil.
5. Pour the melted sugar and let it spread over the entire surface in a thin layer.
6. As it cools, the sugar will harden. Mark squares with a knife on a semi-soft mass. This is necessary so that after complete solidification it is easier to break off the pieces.

Adding caramel to moonshine

Do not overdo it with sugar in moonshine, add little by little and wait 10 minutes until the color stabilizes. Excess burnt sugar changes the taste of alcohol, but does not improve it.

Burnt sugar syrup

Three drops of caramel are enough for each liter of moonshine, if you want the color to be darker, add two more drops.

dry caramel

Break off a couple of squares and pour a little boiling water over them, stir. Not only moonshine can be tinted with brown liquid, it is successfully added to broths, sweets, etc.

Burnt sugar is a food additive E-150 (1). If there is another number in brackets, it means that a synthetic analogue has been added that has coloring properties, but without a caramel taste.

The article describes the food additive (dye) simple sugar color (E150a), its use, effects on the body, harm and benefits, composition, consumer reviews
Other additive names: caramel I - plain, simple caramel, sugar color i, caramel color i, E150a, E-150a, E-150a

Functions performed

dye

Legality of use

Ukraine EU Russia

Simple sugar color, E150a - what is it?

Simple sugar color I (E150a) is, in fact, ordinary caramel, that is, a product of thermal caramelization of sugar

Simple sugar color (E150a) is a safe food additive obtained by thermal destruction of sugar. The process takes place in several stages, is reduced to the hydrolysis (inversion) of sucrose, isomerization, dehydration and polycondensation of the obtained products. As a result, a multicomponent mixture is formed containing both small molecules of monosaccharides, hydroxymethylfurfural, and large molecules - caramelan, caramelene and caramelin. If the original sucrose molecule and the resulting caramelan each contain 12 carbon atoms, then caramel consists of 35 carbon atoms, and caramelin consists of 24 carbon atoms.

In nature, the process of splitting and caramelization does not occur. Natural products contain whole monosaccharides, oligo- and polysaccharides.

In industry, the reaction is most often carried out in a neutral or acidified solution. Sucrose breaks down easily. If you leave hot sweet tea with lemon for a while, and then analyze it, you can say with confidence that most of the sucrose has already undergone hydrolysis.

You can caramelize dry sugar. This method is familiar to people of respectable age who, in their post-war childhood, made candy at home in this way. By the way, cockerels on a stick, known to young people from films, were also caramelized with sucrose. Without the addition of dyes, they had a brown color.

Sugar color simple, E150a - effect on the body, harm or benefit?

In the human body, a simple sugar color is gradually destroyed by enzymes. As a result, simple sugars and their derivatives are formed. The original simple sugar color and its transformation products, if ingested in reasonable amounts, are not harmful. With the abuse of products with the food additive E150a, unpleasant sensations may appear in the alimentary tract. There are several reasons for that. First, the enzymatic system is overstretched by the need to dispose of unexpected products in large quantities. Secondly, a large amount of glucose provokes an additional load on the pancreas.

Food additive E150a, simple sugar color - use in food

A simple sugar color is allowed everywhere. It is used for coloring drinks, confectionery and bakery products, jellies, jams. Additive E150a is widely used to improve the presentation of culinary products. This dye can create a wide range of colors and shades: from yellowish to dark brown. The color is determined by the concentration of the food additive.

Cognac of French production is a product with a deep color, pleasant aroma and exquisite taste bouquet. If you want to make a drink at home that will not differ in any way from an expensive brand product, use caramel for moonshine. This is a natural dye prepared on the basis of sugar - color. Most French recipes involve the use of this ingredient to give the drink a beautiful shade.

Natural dye - properties and features

Sugar-based moonshine color is a safe food product that allows you to change the color of the drink.

Caramel color is acid resistant and does not change color under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. The taste of burnt sugar is felt only in two cases.

• At high concentration
• In low alcohol drinks

It is important! The use of sugar dye extends not only to cognac or whiskey. With its help, moonshine, various tinctures are stained.

Basic cooking rules

Caramelization of sugar for cognac, moonshine is the process of melting sugar crystals to a homogeneous consistency.

• Dishes must be absolutely clean.
• The spatula must be wooden or silicone
• Do not use Teflon-coated cookware as the crystals will scratch the surface.
• The main condition is to be careful, because burnt sugar is cooked at a temperature of 190 degrees. When adding liquid, foam is formed, which can splash out at any time. To avoid burns, the liquid is heated in advance and poured into sugar gradually, in a thin stream, along the edges of the dishes.

wet method

This technique is simpler - sugar dissolves in a small amount of water, this eliminates the possibility of burning, the prepared mixture is easier to mix with moonshine.

Required Ingredients:

• Sugar - 100 g.
• Water - 130 ml.
• Vodka or alcohol - 100 ml.
• Citric acid - a few grains

Citric acid is used to give the color a more uniform consistency.

Cooking technology

1. First of all, the same amount of sugar and water is mixed in a saucepan - 100 g and 100 ml
2. The mixture is put on medium heat and heated, stirring constantly.
3. When foam appears, reduce the fire to a minimum and continue to cook, stirring
4. After the water evaporates, caramel is formed, the sugar becomes brown. Throughout the cooking process, it is important to monitor the temperature regime, since sugar is easy to burn. The optimum temperature is +190 degrees. If the coloring is cooked at a higher temperature, after being added to the drink, it will become cloudy or too dark.
5. The container is removed from the heat when the liquid acquires an amber shade of tea. On average, it takes 12-15 minutes from the moment the water evaporates
6. The mixture is cooled to room temperature, during which time the sugar hardens, a few crystals of citric acid and alcohol are added to it.
7. The components are mixed until the alcohol dissolves the contents. If the dye does not dissolve, it is slightly heated, being careful, because there is alcohol in the composition, it can catch fire
8. Caramel crumbs will remain at the bottom of the prepared syrup, this is a natural process. 30 ml of water is added to the resulting liquid, this will reduce the strength
9. When the caramel stops dissolving, the dye is poured into a bowl for further storage.

The finished product is a concentrated sugar-based dye, the color of strong tea, with a caramel flavor.

It is important! Kohler, prepared on the basis of dark caramel at a temperature of +190 degrees, loses its taste, so it will not work to sweeten the drink with it.

The finished dye is stored in the refrigerator or at room temperature. Since microorganisms are not able to process burnt caramel, the color does not deteriorate.

dry method

Cookware with a wide, thick bottom and high walls is required. Heat the dishes and gradually add sugar and stir constantly. After 10 minutes, a brown foam appears, it increases in volume, so a tall saucepan with a volume of at least 3 liters is required. The fire is reduced to a minimum, after a few minutes the foam subsides. A coffee-colored liquid is formed, it is poured into a metal container and, after cooling, stored in a freezer.

It is important! You do not need to heat the sugar to a temperature above +200 degrees, as the sugar may burn.

How to add color to a drink

Caramelization of moonshine is an individual process, the amount of dye added is determined by personal taste preferences and the desired shade of the drink. To get a product that resembles cognac in color, 2-3 drops per 1 liter are enough. Kohler is added to the drink, mixed, wait 5 minutes and, if necessary, repeat the process. It is not recommended to add more than 3 ml, in this case the drink will become too saturated in color, the taste changes.

Now you know how to make natural dye for moonshine at home. Perhaps the first attempt will be unsuccessful, because experience and practice are important in this process. If the ultimate goal is to sweeten moonshine, a light-colored caramel is prepared, it has more sweetness.

Sugar color, which is also called caramel or food additive E150, is essentially burnt, and has been known to mankind since the time when, in fact, sugar began to be produced. It was subjected to heat treatment, obtaining, depending on its degree, either a soft caramel mass or a solid substance with a characteristic taste. It was the coloring properties of the substance that were discovered a little later, and from about the middle of the 19th century they began to be used in food production. And today the food industry uses caramel "E150" to obtain the appropriate coloring of food.

Methods for obtaining the additive, its chemical properties

The substance is very easy to obtain at home - ordinary sugar is added together with the pan and dissolved over low heat. Optionally, you can add or . The longer the mixture is kept on the stove, the more bitter and dark the caramel will be. The sugar color obtained in this way can be dissolved in water, while it acquires a brown or dark brown tint. The resulting syrup can tint a drink or pastries.

For industrial purposes, the substance is synthesized from, or malt syrup.

According to its chemical structure, the E150 additive belongs to natural heteropolymer pigments with a complex structure.

The substance can be in a solid, thick or liquid state: in the form of a powder, granules, syrup or liquid solution. Coloring - beige, yellow-brown or dark brown. Sugar color or caramel has a characteristic smell of burnt sugar.

The additive has a high resistance to temperature and light effects, as well as to reactions with acids.

The melting points of sugar color depend on what feedstock it was obtained from: 145-149 degrees Celsius for glucose, 98-102 degrees for fructose, 160-185 degrees for sucrose, and, accordingly, the same melting parameters for caramel, made from these ingredients.

In addition to the main component, sulfuric, phosphoric, citric acids, ammonium, sodium, calcium and potassium alkalis can be added to caramel.

In addition to solubility in water, the substance has one more parameter: the degree of solubility in ethanol and.

A reservation should be made at this point - the fact is that several varieties of caramel are hidden under the designation “E150”, since the method of its preparation may include the addition of acids, alkalis, ammonium salts, sodium and potassium.

Thus, they distinguish:

• simple caramel (E150a);
• caramel synthesized using alkaline sulfite technology (E150b);
• caramel obtained by ammonia technology (E150c);
• caramel, which is made using ammonia-sulfite technology (E150d).

And if the first type, 150a, is insoluble in fats, then all other varieties are insoluble in alcohols. These characteristics directly affect in which products which type of caramel can be used.

Basically, the substance is used as:

• dye (changes the color of the product, gives it more saturation);
• emulsifier (in soft drinks prevents precipitation and turbidity).

Application in industry

The main “consumer” of sugar color is the food production industry. Food additive E150 can be found in various products. 150a is found in:

• black bread, dough and pastries;
• dairy products;
• confectionery;

150b is used to make spirits and soft drinks. 150s - an ingredient for protein-containing drinks, sauces and beer. 150d is used in sweet sodas such as Coca-Cola, spirits, pet food. In addition, sugar color is a component of dry broths, canned meat, sausages and sausages.

The light-shielding properties of the substance do not allow food and drinks to oxidize; in non-alcoholic products, sugar color does not allow the appearance of flakes and sediment.

The effect of the supplement on human health

Food coloring E150 is approved for use in all countries of the world. There are no strict prohibitions and restrictions on this matter, however, in the USA there is a requirement for the E150d subspecies - its presence in the composition of the product must be indicated.

As for the benefits of eating sugar color, scientists today do not have any confirmed data. And the popularity and widespread use of the substance is due to the almost complete harmlessness to the human body. The possible harm from it is the same as from regular sugar - it can provoke allergic reactions and is contraindicated for diabetics. For overweight people and problems in the work of the gastrointestinal tract, it is better to limit the use of caramel and products with it in the composition. The danger in the composition of the additive may rather be residual traces of acids, alkalis and salts.

There is information that the type of E150d dye is a carcinogen, and in certain quantities provokes the appearance of malignant tumors, but science has no official confirmation of these data.

The sugar color food additive is perhaps one of the most ancient colorants and sweeteners known to man. From the very moment sugar began to be produced, man began to study its properties and tried to heat it, resulting in caramel. A simple and inexpensive substance of natural origin could not go unnoticed by food manufacturers. Already in the 19th century, when food began to be produced in factory conditions, the dye “sugar color” began to be used first in confectionery, later in drinks and other food.

Since this substance does not pose any significant harm to humans, it can be used in limited quantities by children and adults, with the exception of some exceptions for health reasons.

Even after a long aging in barrels, cognac (whiskey) may remain light yellow, this is normal. To change the color, a natural dye made from burnt sugar is used - tint. The production of most French cognacs provides for its addition. Properly made caramel coloring does not affect the taste of the drink and does not cause haze. In turn, the technology for making sugar color is simple and easy to reproduce at home.

Caramel color is a natural food coloring that is resistant to changes in acidity and fading in the sun, which is added to drinks to change color. The taste and / or smell of caramel is felt only at very high concentrations or in low-alcohol drinks, such as beer.

Sugar color can be used not only in homemade cognacs or whiskey, it can be used to paint over moonshine, alcohol or tinctures without changing other properties (taste and smell).

sugar color recipe

Ingredients:

• sugar - 100 grams;
• bottled water - 130 ml;
• vodka (distillate, alcohol 40) - 100 ml;
• citric acid - 5-6 grains.

Citric acid makes the consistency of caramel more homogeneous, so it is advisable to add a couple of crystals.

Cooking technology

1. Mix sugar and water in equal proportions (100 ml and 100 grams) in a saucepan.

2. Put on fire, bring to a boil.

3. As soon as foam appears and the bubbles become viscous, reduce the fire to the very minimum. After the water evaporates, the sugar will begin to darken, a caramel shade will appear. You need to constantly monitor the process so as not to burn the sugar.

The correct temperature for making caramel color is 190-200°C. If it is higher, then when the dye is added, the alcoholic drink will become cloudy or darken very much.

4. When the color of well-brewed, but not strong tea appears, remove the pan from the stove. It takes about 15 minutes from the moment the water evaporates to the desired color.

Time to take it off the stove

5. Cool to room temperature. Sugar should become hard.

6. Add citric acid and alcohol to the thickened caramel. It is advisable to dissolve the color in the same drink that is planned to be tinted.

7. Stir with a spoon until the alcohol base has dissolved almost all of the caramel. The process is long.

If the caramel does not dissolve, it can be put on fire for a couple of minutes and softened slightly. Remember that you are heating a liquid with a strength of 40%, do everything carefully!

8. Add 30 ml of water to the resulting syrup (there will be caramel residues at the bottom, this is normal) to reduce the strength of the color to 20-25 degrees.

Water is added right now, because according to the technology, burnt sugar must be dissolved in a liquid with a strength of 40-45 degrees.

9. When the color stops dissolving the caramel remaining at the bottom, pour the finished color into a storage container (preferably glass). Crush the rest of the burnt sugar and throw it into a container with color (optional).

It turns out a sugar dye (concentrate) of a rich black color with a slight aroma of caramel.

You can store hermetically sealed color both in the refrigerator and at room temperature. Not a single microorganism processes caramelization products, so the sugar dye practically does not deteriorate.

There are no clear proportions for adding color to distillates and alcohol, the amount depends on the desired color. I advise you to use the dye a couple of drops per liter of drink, mix, wait 3-5 minutes, and then tint again if you wish.

The full technology is shown in the video.