Sugar is one of the favorite ingredients for those with a sweet tooth. And not only in its pure form. It is also the main ingredient in the preparation of caramel sauce, used to decorate desserts and dishes. Essentially, it is a product of caramelization of sugar. It is worth noting that making caramel is quite simple. All preparation takes a few minutes.
This material will describe in detail how to carry out this process in several ways for different purposes.
Method for making caramel in water
This option for caramelizing sugar is extremely popular among housewives. It is quite easy to implement, and also makes it more likely to prevent the main component from burning. At the same time, it takes a little longer to prepare. However, the result is much better.
Required Ingredients
To caramelize sugar using this method you will need:
- white granulated sugar - 2 cups;
- water - half a glass;
- lemon juice - a quarter teaspoon.
If you do not plan to prepare a large amount of sauce, you can use the following ingredients:
- one glass ;
- a quarter of a glass of water;
- 1/8 of a teaspoon of lemon juice.
Attention! If there is a need to change the consistency of caramel (more liquid or thick), you need to change the ratio of sugar to water. The more water, the more liquid it is.
The process of creating caramel
For cooking, you must use a high-quality pan made of metal or stainless steel (this will allow you to see the color changes of the product). It should have high walls and a thick bottom. If the bottom is thin, the sugar will definitely burn at one of the so-called “hot spots”, which will immediately ruin the caramel.
Now you can move on to the cooking process itself:
- Mix sugar and water in a saucepan. Set to medium heat.
- Stir the mixture constantly wooden spoon.
- The standard temperature for caramelizing sugar is 160 degrees.
- It is necessary to cook the contents until it turns transparent.
- At this point you can add lemon juice. Its use will help avoid sugar recrystallization.
- Now the contents must be cooked until it boils. After this, stop stirring.
- IN this moment It is worth slightly reducing the flame and cooking the sauce for another 8 to 10 minutes. It is noteworthy that the caramelization of sugar should take place over low heat, and not boil. It is also worth noting that depending on how much water was used, the duration of cooking the caramel will depend.
Important! At the moment when the water begins to evaporate from the dishes, do not stir the contents. Otherwise, the caramel will be enriched with air and the mixture will not take on the desired color.
Also, you should not leave the pan unattended. The color change from white to dark occurs quite quickly. If the caramel is burnt, it must be thrown away. This result is absolutely inedible.
During cooking, you need to watch how the color of the contents of the pan changes. If it appears unevenly, simply lift the pan carefully by the handles and rotate the pan, thus allowing the product to cook evenly.
Under no circumstances should you try the caramel being prepared. Its temperature at this stage reaches 170 degrees and can leave serious burns on the skin.
It is necessary to ensure that the color of the mixture is uniform. As soon as it becomes a little thick, you can finish cooking.
It is necessary to remove the dishes from the stove immediately after cooking. Otherwise, caramelization of the sugar will not succeed and the product will burn.
To avoid burning the sauce from residual heat, the pan must be placed in cold water so that the bottom cools down properly. Hold for no more than 10 seconds.
The prepared sauce must be used immediately after it has been removed from the stove. The problem is that as it cools, it hardens extremely quickly, and therefore it cannot be poured or sprayed.
If hardening has begun, simply place the bowl over low heat and melt the caramel. In this case, it is better not to stir with a spoon, but simply rotate the pan.
Dry preparation of caramel
Cooking using this method is most relevant among those involved in the production of sweets. This option takes much less time than the previous one.
What is needed for cooking
To make caramel you only need granulated sugar. Depending on how much caramel is needed, the volume is calculated. Often this is two cups.
For cooking, you also need a stainless steel pan with a thick bottom and high walls.
How to make caramel
Before starting cooking, the sand must be evenly distributed over the bottom of the dish.
Heat the sugar over low heat. At this time, the contents should begin to melt around the edges, acquiring a golden color.
As soon as a change begins to occur, stir the contents with a wooden spoon. During this process it is necessary to move it from the walls to the center. If the layer of sand is dense enough, you need to make sure that it does not burn to the bottom.
The product will melt unevenly, so you just need to reduce the heat and continue stirring. During this process, the resulting lumps will melt.
Do not stir the contents too much, otherwise the sugar mixture will seize into a lump and will not have time to melt.
You need to watch the caramel as it cooks very carefully. It should reach an amber color.
It is necessary to remove the product from the stove exactly at the moment when it begins to smoke.
Depending on what the resulting caramel is used for, you must either immediately remove it from the stove and place it in ice water for 10 seconds, or immediately use it for pouring or sprinkling.
Caramel for mash
This process is used when there is a need to replace yeast, which is not able to process sugar in the form in which it is. This option has the following advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages
Among them are:
- reduction of drink preparation time;
- caramelization of sugar for mash allows you to clean the component due to processing at high temperatures;
- cooking in this way radically changes the taste of the final product;
- when using classic moonshine still the final product is of higher quality;
- if caramelized sugar is used, the finished product will have a pleasant aroma, the latter will be especially noticeable if fruit is added during production.
Flaws
This includes the following points:
- due to the additional process, it takes a little more time than without caramelization;
- the product yield will be several percent less, but at the same time, this loss will include that part that can spoil the taste;
- furfural is released.
What to make caramel from
To prepare this component you will need:
- 3 kilograms of sugar;
- 1.5 liters of water;
- 12 grams citric acid.
How to make caramel according to this recipe
For cooking, you must use deep stainless steel dishes with high walls and a thick bottom.
- The water poured into the pan must be heated to 80 degrees.
- It is necessary to pour sugar into the boiling liquid in portions and very slowly so that the sand has time to dissolve. At this time, it is necessary to stir the contents of the pan.
- After all the sand has been poured in, you can bring the water to a boil. Because of this, white foam will begin to appear on its surface. It must be removed regularly. Continue this process for no more than 10 minutes.
- Next, without ceasing to stir, citric acid is added to the pan. This is done in small portions. Then cover the dish with a lid and reduce the heat to minimum intensity.
- It is necessary to maintain the temperature in the same range. For normal caramelization of sugar - set to 80 degrees. Continue this process for an hour. Keep the pan closed.
- As soon as the time is up, turn off the fire and cool the contents of the dish to 30 degrees.
- It is recommended to stick to low temperature conditions. This will give you better control over the cooking process.
- At the end of cooking, you need to make sure that the caramel does not burn. This can happen extremely quickly.
- Adding lemon juice will give the product an unusual flavor and also prevent hardening.
It's time to talk about the technology of sugar caramelization as such. There are a lot of recipes that require it, so let’s sort out the information and understand the methods and stages of sugar caramelization.
So. What does it mean - sugar caramelizes? Discarding the technical terminology, let's just say - it melts. This happens at different temperatures and is achieved in different ways.
To begin with - a few simple rules.
- The dishes (frying pan, saucepan) and steel spoon - or wooden, silicone spatula - for stirring must be absolutely clean. Because the smallest particles of leftover food or trash will immediately begin to re-crystallize the melting sugar around them.
- We do not use dishes with Teflon or other coatings that are not scratch-resistant, since grains of sugar will cause scratches.
- And be careful! Hot syrup has a temperature of 150-190°; it will take a long time to treat even small burns. And if you need to add, for example, cream or other liquid to the syrup, be doubly careful: the foam will be violent and may splash out. We heat the liquids in advance and pour them in a thin stream at the edge of the dish, not in the middle.
Sugar can be caramelized dry and wet methods.
Dry method.
Heat a saucepan (frying pan) with a wide, thick bottom and high walls over medium heat. Add some sugar and let it melt. Next add sugar in small portions, each after the previous one has melted. Don’t forget to stir and cook until the color you want.
Wet method.
Place the sugar in a bowl all at once, add water and mix. After mixing, the sugar should have a consistency similar to wet sand. The maximum amount of water is 30% by weight of sugar. In order to prevent the melted sugar from crystallizing again, you can add a little lemon juice, or citric acid, or vinegar, or corn syrup. Moreover, literally 1-2 drops of lemon juice per glass of sugar is enough.
Place the saucepan (frying pan) over high heat and constantly stir the wet sugar until it boils and dissolves completely. As soon as the mixture boils, stop stirring it and remove all possible impurities from the surface.
To make caramelization more even, take the pan by the handle, slightly tilt the pan and rock it in a circular motion.
In advance, place a mug with cold water and a culinary brush, preferably a silicone one, next to the stove. While the sugar is melting, periodically run a moistened brush along the walls of the frying pan or pan. On the hot walls, the liquid from the syrup quickly evaporates, and new sugar crystals form. We don't need this, so we use a brush to keep the walls clean until the end of the process.
Caramel color changes - depending on the duration and temperature of heating - from light yellow to brown. The darker it is, the more the burnt sugar taste is felt.
Eat good welcome: no matter what method of caramelization we use, a little before the caramel reaches the color we need, remove the dishes from the heat and place them in cold water with ice. The fact is that sugar holds temperature well, and if the process is not stopped by such a radical method, the sugar may darken too much or even burn.
In any case, we remove the dishes from the heat a little earlier than the syrup acquires the color we need - it will be achieved due to residual heat.
Sugar liquefies when heated and changes its texture. Those. At first it becomes sticky ("threads" stretch behind the spoon), and later it forms "balls". Below we present detailed description stages of syrup change during caramelization and its use at each stage.
Simple syrup (not particularly related to caramelization, but good to know) .
Just a mixture of sugar with enough water, which we heated until the sugar completely dissolved. You can add any alcoholic drinks to your taste, spices and let it stand covered for 15-20 minutes. This syrup is good for boiling fruit, soaking biscuits, and coating puff pastries.
Envelopment.
This stage of caramelization occurs at 100°. Transparent syrup, almost boiling. By quickly dipping a slotted spoon into it and immediately removing it, we will see that the syrup has “enveloped” its entire surface. If we are going to cook fruits in syrup, this is what we need..
Stage "little thread" - this is a temperature of 103-105°. We can repeat (carefully!) the technique of the professionals: dip the thumb and forefinger folded together in cold water and then very quickly into the syrup. You can just take a little in a spoon. Slowly spreading your fingers, we will see that short threads approximately 3 mm wide stretch between them. They tear quickly. This syrup is needed for preparing, for example, almond pastes.
Big thread (at 106-110°).
It is, of course, stronger and wider - about 5 mm. We prepare this syrup if the recipe simply states “sugar syrup” - without further details. It is needed for icing and buttercreams.
Little pearl (110-112°).
The stage that occurs a few minutes after the previous one, when bubbles begin to appear on the surface of the syrup. We put a little into a spoon, grab it with wet fingers - a wider thread forms between them. Used for some types of nougat.
Big pearl , or soufflé (113-115°).
At this stage, the thread between the fingers is up to 2 cm wide. And if you lower a slotted spoon into the syrup, take it out and blow on it - with reverse side we get bubbles. This type of syrup is needed for making jam, preparing candied fruits and chestnuts, and icing.
Small - or soft -ball(116-118°).
Our syrup has clearly thickened; if you take it into a spoon and put it in cold water, it will curl into a small ball. Syrup at this stage is also good for jams, and also for jellies, soft caramel and nougat.
Large - or hard - ball (121-124°). The temperature is slightly higher, and therefore a harder ball is formed. Jams, sugar decorations, fondants and caramels are the purpose of syrup.
Light - or soft - crunch (129-135°).
At this stage, drops of syrup dropped into cold water harden instantly. We bite it and the fragments of the ball immediately stick to our teeth. But what kind of toffees you get!
Hard crunch (149-150°).
Now the bitten ball no longer sticks to the teeth. The syrup begins to turn pale yellow around the edges of the dish. If we are going to make candies, decorations from “twisted” sugar, icing - it’s time to remove from heat and put in cold water, otherwise it will become caramel.
Light caramel (151-160°).
There is practically no water left in the syrup; it quickly begins to turn into candy and caramel. The syrup turns from pale yellow to golden and brown. Perfect for caramel cream, sweets, puddings, icing.
Brown - or dark - caramel (166-175°).
Last stage. Oddly enough, dark caramel loses its sweet taste. Therefore, when cooking with dark caramel, you have to add sugar. Burnt is used most of all for coloring sauces, broths, baked goods and confectionery products.
At 190° sugar begins to burn and smoke.
If we have prepared caramel for homemade sweets, pour it into greased molds and let it harden.
We hope that this description will help those who are not yet familiar with the process of sugar caramelization to navigate.
There are recipes in which sugar for caramelization is mixed not with water, but with butter or vegetable oil. This is how meat, fish, pieces of vegetables and fruits are often caramelized, especially for Tarte Tatin pies.
Some juicy fruits caramelize in a heated frying pan without oil, just stir constantly so that the sugar does not burn. This caramelization lasts 5-7 minutes, and the pieces of fruit acquire a golden hue and caramel taste.
Finishing the topic of caramelization, I will only add that any theory, as is known, is verified by practice. So let's get up to the stove and try it. And everything will work out - even if not the first time.
The essence of the caramelization process is simple: cockerel on a stick. When heated, any sugar turns into caramel. The more glucose sugars in the heated mixture, the longer the caramel remains liquid. By precisely dosing the addition of glucose, you can obtain a caramel mass of any required thickness and viscosity. The caramelization technique is especially often used in confectionery. But today we are talking about caramelizing vegetables.
To work with confectionery caramel at the highest level requires many years of daily practice, Mt. special equipment and knowledge of some areas of chemistry is desirable. In non-confectionery areas of cooking, everything is much simpler. You need to take a product and make sure that the sugar it contains takes a free form - then it can be felt independently of other elements of taste. And this is not difficult to do, you just need to heat this product correctly. And by the way, there is sugar even in such a simple vegetable as onion, in bulk. More even than in the sweetest apple.
Caramelizing vegetables for the benefit of soup
Every housewife encounters the process of caramelization when she overcooks the eternal onions and carrots for soup. Most likely, she doesn't even know about it. Some professional chefs are also unaware of this, often completely unable to properly prepare a dressing for soup - in most restaurants it is absolutely impossible to eat traditional soup. By the way, it is for this reason that many establishments include oriental soups, creamy soups and soups without cooking at all, for example, gazpacho, on their menu. But simple but well-cooked cabbage soup, minestrone or onion soup are difficult to find.
Let's try, however, to understand what they are all doing wrong. First of all, where did this manner come from - taking a couple of some inconspicuous vegetables, chopping them, frying them and considering them the basis of the dish? Like many other things in cooking, from Italy. There, lectures and practical lessons in culinary schools. This type of base is called "soffritto". In Italy, the choice of vegetables is somewhat wider than in Russia, but the same onions and carrots are used for soffritto. Well, maybe only the onion is not yellow, but white, sweeter. Garlic, stalked celery and fennel are often added there. The oil for frying is selected depending on the nature of the dish and the region. In the north - creamy, in the south - olive.
Secret trick: making soffritto
Carrots, onions and celery need to be peeled and cut into 2 mm cubes. The garlic must be cut, the inner green sprout removed (the substances it contains are very biologically active; it is good for health if they enter the body fresh, but extremely harmful to the taste of the dish if this sprout is cooked in it) and finely chop. Yes, when peeling an onion, you need to quite generously cut off part of the onion with the roots - it sometimes tastes very bitter. It’s difficult to say exactly how much you need. The approximate ratio is one volume of oil to three volumes of prepared vegetables (1:3)
It is recommended to pay some attention to the pan in which the vegetables will be fried. It is best if it is cast iron. Because you first need to heat it properly over high heat, then reduce it to medium and only then add oil. When it melts, add the vegetables, quickly mix them with the butter and reduce the heat to low. The main thing that should not be is crusts. Moreover, even the color should not change. The onion should just become transparent and all the vegetables should be soft. During frying, the vegetable mixture must be stirred carefully and often. Since the vegetables are cut quite finely, the process is underway very quickly and requires constant attention.
What does caramel have to do with it, it would seem? But here's what it has to do with it. By thermally processing vegetables, we release the sugar they contain, that is, we make it more accessible to taste buds. At the same time, not being able to stop the process exactly at the moment of sugar release, we continue it. And the sugar caramelizes. That's why The perfect soffritto is a hot mixture of caramel, water, fat and some fiber.. The combination is delicious and extremely natural. It is this (let's make a reservation - also a good broth) that makes any soup tasty - you can add any other ingredients, ordinary and exotic, the soup will still feel like “homemade”. The main thing is not to oversalt.
We continue caramelization: prepare onion soup...
There are dishes, primarily soups, that are based almost exclusively on properly caramelized caramelization. First of all this onion soup. We know two types of it: classic French (more precisely, Parisian) and Louisiana (both Cajun and Creole cuisines count it among their assets) - it is spicier. Who knows, let him tell you more. In any case, onion soup is one huge soffritto made from three ingredients - onions, butter and a small amount of garlic, to which wine and broth are then added. Spices, herbs, croutons with cheese - these are already details. Butter is recommended because it serves as a catalyst. Simply put, such a mountain of onions is fried in butter faster than in vegetable oil, even over low heat.
and minestrone
For some species minestrone, mostly winter, thick, soffritto is prepared in a very large volume. Then a little flour with broth or even bechamel with broth is mixed into it, and the whole mixture is quickly heated, and then partially ground into a very liquid puree. And then almost ready-made ones are added to this puree ( white beans, pumpkin, potatoes) or raw vegetables (zucchini, cherry tomatoes, spinach), warm up and serve.
Long before the Europeans, the Chinese began to use caramelization. They are known for their penchant for prepping as much as possible and have extended this principle to caramel. In Chinese cuisine, caramelized sugar exists in the form barley molasses. We can’t say for sure when they invented it. Presumably, at the same time as soy sauce, because they mix the first and second all the time. Sometimes this mixture is also boiled to a very high degree of thickness. A variety of spices are added to it. It is to her that she owes her fame Peking duck. If you fry fish or pork in this mixture, the dish will turn out very tasty. But don't be sad if you suddenly can't buy barley molasses in the supermarket. Instead, you can use liquid honey, And syrup made from brown sugar , - it’s not difficult to buy it now.
The word “caramelization” often comes up in recipes. But not everyone knows how to do it and why. Why caramelize fruits? Should vegetables be caramelized? How to caramelize correctly?
Let's take things one by one, because this process can take your dishes to the next level and bring out many new flavor perspectives from common foods.
Caramelization is the process of melting sugar contained in foods, or added sugar, when heated. The caramelization process improves the taste and appearance of the product. Today it is fashionable to decorate desserts with bright elements, but in Lately the prevailing tendency is to move away from bright, unappetizing and harmful mastics to more healthy nutrition, so caramelized fruit is the solution. Caramelized fruits are preserved longer due to the natural preservative sugar, syrup gives them shine, and of course they have a sweeter taste.
Vegetables often contain some amount of sugar, and to improve the taste of a soup or other dish, vegetables can be caramelized, which is why vegetables are fried. Vegetables can be combined and simmered in one bowl.
How to properly caramelize fruits and vegetables?
Caramelization is carried out in dishes with a thick bottom, mainly cast iron frying pans. It is cast iron cookware that helps create the simmering effect when high temperature, which means to melt more sugar and create more caramel.
Caramelize apples, pears, pumpkins, carrots, onions, garlic, meat and even nuts. In other words, almost all vegetables, fruits and berries. They emphasize and shade the taste of caramel with all sorts of spices. For example, it is ideal to caramelize apples, pears, and cherries with cinnamon or star anise; sugar and wine vinegar will help make onions sweet and sour.
Additional ingredients for caramelization can be butter or sunflower oil, sugar or water. They can be used both together and separately. For example, butter and vegetable oil in a 1:1 ratio will create an amazing effect: butter will give a delicate taste, and vegetable oil will give a golden color. Often only water and sugar are used; water is taken three times more than sugar.
There are several ways to caramelize
Method No. 1: Heat oil in a frying pan, fry fruits or vegetables until golden brown, then add sugar and continue caramelizing until the sugar melts. Depending on the size of the products, caramelization time can be 5-10 minutes.
Method No. 2: Pour water into a frying pan, add sugar, bring to a boil and lower the food into boiling sugar syrup. Fruits can be simmered in this syrup for 10-20 minutes; the finished product is considered when heat treatment has penetrated it, and this always changes color, giving slight transparency to the slices.
The only rule is not to use a grater when preparing food, but to cut it into pieces. If you chop fruits or vegetables in a blender or on a grater, most of the juice will be lost, but we need juice in order to create the right caramel crust, the sugar will melt and together with the juice we will get a sweet syrup.
And for those who want to quickly try to cook something using caramelized fruits or vegetables, we offer a recipe for carrot cupcakes with decorative edible carrots. By analogy, various figures, symbols and letters are cut out from bright vegetables and fruits for decoration.
Caramelized vegetables are simply too good not to know their ins and outs. proper preparation and deprive yourself of all chances to enjoy this wonderful taste.
Caramelization not only gives vegetables a precious shine, but also concentrates their flavor. Another plus is that caramelized vegetables go well with all types of main dishes, from beef tenderloin to roast goose. Of course, such vegetables can take on the role of an independent dish, but it seems to me that they will look too lonely...
Caramelizing means cooking vegetables in a small amount of liquid, such as water or broth, with butter and sugar in a partially covered pan/saucepan. As the vegetables cook, they release their own juices, thereby increasing the volume of liquid in the pan. During the cooking process, these juices become concentrated and turn into a light natural syrup. By the time the vegetables are soft enough, the liquid will have almost completely disappeared, and the vegetables will be coated in a shiny, salty glaze that seems to capture the sweet bite of the vegetable.
There are two types of caramelization: light/white and golden/brown. The two types of caramelization are determined by how long the vegetables are cooked. Light caramelization means that the vegetables are cooked only until the liquid begins to evaporate and partially covers the contents of the pan. To achieve brown caramelization, vegetables are cooked longer - often without even opening the lid - until the glaze at the bottom of the pan thickens and turns brown. Then add no a large number of water or broth to dissolve caramelized juices; you want them to completely cover the vegetables. (If you add a little cream or sour cream at this stage, it will be no less tasty)
Pay attention to temperature and time
For the most even cooking, glaze the vegetables in a pan/pan large enough to accommodate all the pieces in a single layer. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 teaspoon of sugar per 0.5 kg. vegetables, then season lightly with salt and pepper. Pour in enough liquid to half cover the vegetables. Cover with a lid.
Steaming vegetables covered, like any other food, keeps them moist and flavorful. You can use a pan lid, or cut a piece of baking parchment (to fit the pan) and place it directly on top of the vegetables, inside the container.
Caramelization is a fairly simple process, but the type and size of vegetables, the volume of the pan/pot, the amount of liquid and temperature are also deciding factors and you need to take some subtleties into account.
Cook vegetables over moderate heat. If the temperature is too high, the liquid will evaporate before they become soft. But this is not a problem if you control what is happening - just add more liquid when necessary, the main thing is not to lose sight of this.
On the other hand, if the heat is too low, the vegetables will be overcooked before the liquid has evaporated into a rich glaze. If you find that the vegetables are already ready, but there is still a lot of liquid left in the pan, turn up the heat and remove the lid to get rid of excess steam.
Start checking for doneness at 15 minutes, depending on the type of vegetable, of course. They will be ready about the time all the liquid has evaporated, or in the case of brown caramelization, when a golden glaze has formed at the bottom of the pan. Now you will need to add a tablespoon of water to the pan and thoroughly stir the pieces of vegetables until they are covered with a shiny glaze. It's also a good idea to add finely chopped herbs such as parsley, basil, mint or chervil, as this will give the vegetables a little extra color, aroma and fresh taste...
And now briefly what you need to know:
1. Caramelizing vegetables requires a small amount of sugar, oil, liquid and of course time.
2. Vegetables should be cut into not too small pieces and distributed in a frying pan (of suitable size) so that they lie in one layer (this will ensure uniform heat treatment).
3. After this, add butter and sprinkle with sugar.
4. The liquid you pour over the vegetables should be enough to cover them halfway. And remember that it’s simple, pure water- this is, of course, good, but to get the full taste, you should pour broth diluted with water over the vegetables in a 1:1 ratio. Well, adding a small amount of wine or sherry at the end of frying will enhance and enrich the taste.
5. Cover the vegetables with parchment paper (or a pot lid), bring the liquid to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and cook the vegetables, covered.
6. Start checking for doneness at 15 minutes. The knife should easily cut through the piece of vegetable (with a little resistance; do not overcook).
7. Depending on readiness, adjust the liquid level.
Results of experiments (caramelization) with onions and root vegetables:
Beet acquires a subtle aroma. I like to use baby beets because they don't require peeling or pre-cooking. If you are using regular beets, you should boil them first, and then just chop and caramelize them.
Carrot - classic example caramelization.
Ordinary onion And shallot, just as tiny pearl bow They look beautiful and acquire an incredible sweetish taste during the caramelization process, but cleaning them is a very tedious process. When caramelizing the onions, I advise you to add a small amount of cream or sour cream to the main liquid, this will give the onions a little creaminess.
Parsnip needs less sugar, as it is sweet in itself. I sometimes don't use any sugar at all when caramelizing parsnips because too much sugar masks the natural subtlety of the flavor and the parsnip pieces begin to resemble candied fruit :) which will be unnecessary if you plan to use them as a side dish for meat or poultry.
If you want to glaze turnips, then I advise you to first clean it, cut it, and boil it in boiling water for 5 minutes. and only after that proceed to caramelization. Pieces of bacon will be an excellent addition to the bitter taste of turnips, and the fat obtained during the process of frying it can be completely or partially replaced with oil.
You can also caramelize several types of vegetables at the same time. You just have to take into account the cooking time of each of them and cut them into pieces of the appropriate size. All the flavors tend to merge and lose their boundaries, and to avoid this, I caramelize the vegetables separately, then mix and serve immediately.
