ARS | Publication request: VISCOSITY AND MICROWAVE COOKING PROPERTIES OF SUGAR/MILKFAT COMPOSITES

Submitted to: In Vitro Cellular And Developmental Biology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: April 10, 1996
Publication Date: N/A
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Interpretive Summary: Milk components are important ingredients in candy making where they contribute flavor, texture and color to such products as caramels and toffee. Confectionary syrups made from sugars and fats are also routinely used as ingredients in the candy industry. Since world-wide surpluses of butterfat are growing, new uses need to be developed. In this study, we evaluated the viscous and microwave cooking properties of syrups with 20 t 40% milkfat and containing sucrose, high fructose corn syrup or maltose as the sugar. We found that microwave heating of the syrups for 60 seconds formed toffee-like candies with colors that varied, depending on the sugar used. Our results demonstrate that candy makers can readily use blends of these syrups to achieve a desirable color and texture for manufacture of toffees or caramels.

Technical Abstract: Sugar-milkfat composites with syrup consistency were prepared from saccharides (sucrose, maltose or high fructose corn syrup) and butteroil (20 to 40%). The components were homogenized at 40% total solids and evaporated under vacuum at 60 C for 60 min, leading to the formation of syrup composites with ordered structures. The viscous behavoir of the syrups was modelled by a power law model. Flow behavior indices (0.3 to 0.9) indicated mostly pseudoplasticity with Arrhenium-type response in consistency and flow behavior index. The sugar/butteroil composites could be microwaved to less than 20% moisture in approximately 60 sec, producing toffee-like candies of varying color and consistency.