Cookbook:Glucose
| Glucose | |
|---|---|
| Category | Sweeteners |
Cookbook | Recipes | Ingredients | Equipment | Techniques | Cookbook Disambiguation Pages | Ingredients
Glucose or dextrose is a kind of simple sugar sweetener.[1][2] The exact terminology used will depend on the degree of processing and regional preference.[3] Some glucose syrups may be named for the starch they are produced from, such as corn syrup, wheat syrup, tapioca syrup, rice syrup, etc.[2][4][5]
Production
[edit | edit source]Glucose syrup
[edit | edit source]To make glucose syrup, starch obtained from sources like corn, wheat, potato, rice, tapioca, and sorghum is mixed with water.[4][6][5][7] The starch is then broken down by the addition of acids and/or enzymes.[2][5] This results in a syrup with a high concentration of glucose as well as other carbohydrate byproducts of the starch breakdown. This syrup is often further refined to reduce color and flavor and yield a neutral product.[4] The concentration of glucose in the syrup is what determines the syrup's grade (called the Dextrose Equivalent or DE)[5]. This syrup can be dried to make what is called powdered dried glucose syrup.[2][4]
Dextrose
[edit | edit source]To make pure powdered glucose (often commercially called dextrose),[4] the starting starches must be fully broken down into their glucose subunits. The resulting product is then crystallized and dried to make the refined dextrose powder.[8] It may have an anti-caking agent added.[2]
Characteristics
[edit | edit source]Though it is a sugar, glucose has several different characteristics from sucrose or table sugar. Glucose is less sweet—70–80% as sweet as the same weight of sucrose[8][9]—and less soluble, and it crystallizes much more slowly.[8] Especially with refined glucose products, the flavor is fairly neutral.[2]
Syrup
[edit | edit source]Glucose syrup is clear, viscous, and mildly sweet.[4][7] They are produced with different specifications (e.g. sugar and other carbohydrate concentrations),[4] and these will largely determine its precise characteristics.[5] Low-conversion syrups (low DE) have more larger carbohydrates and are therefore thicker, less sweet, and less likely to crystallize and brown;[4][5] high-conversions syrups are the opposite. Most syrups have a DE of 35–65,[1] with medium-conversion syrups playing the largest role.[5]
Some syrups are enzymatically processed to convert some of the glucose into fructose. These are called high-glucose syrups, glucose-fructose, or isoglucose.[4][5][9]
Powder
[edit | edit source]Dextrose powder is a white solid and is sweeter than glucose syrup due to the higher sugar concentration.[2] Because it is pure glucose, it has a DE of (or close to) 100.[1] It is typically sold either as crystals or a powder.[2][3][4]
Selection and storage
[edit | edit source]When selecting glucose, you want to be certain which kind you need (i.e. syrup or solids), as well as what DE you require.[5] The degree of refinement may also be relevant. Syrup with a DE of 42 is generally all-purpose, and it can usually be safely used if a recipe doesn't specify a specific DE.[4] Many confection recipes, especially those targeted to professionals, will use lower-conversion syrups with a DE of 20–37.[4]
No matter the type, glucose products should be stored at cool room temperature (≤68°F/20°C) to prevent yellowing over time;[7] the less refined the product, the faster it will become discolored.[4] Note that discolored glucose is still fine to eat.
Use
[edit | edit source]Glucose is used in a variety of applications, for both its flavor and textural properties. Like other sugars, glucose adds sweetness and increases tenderness, moisture retention, and browning.[2][4] It can also be used to inhibit crystallization in saturated sucrose solutions, such as when making candies and cooking caramel, because it is less likely than sucrose to crystallize and because the larger carbohydrate chains interfere with the sucrose crystallization;[4][5][7] similarly, it lowers the freezing point and retards ice crystallization in frozen desserts,[2] though this is just because the carbohydrate chains make it harder for the water to move and aggregate into shards.[4] Low-conversion glucose syrups' higher proportion of the large carbohydrates makes them especially suited for thickening (e.g. sweet sauces) and increasing candy pliability.[4] Because it is less sweet than sucrose, glucose can be used as a substitute in recipes without outright reducing the sugar content.[4] Conversely, if glucose is used for its other properties, a very sweet sugar like fructose may be added to bring the overall sweetness up.[1]
Solid glucose or dextrose is usually used the same way as the syrup, but in applications where the extra water would cause issues.[4][9]
Substitution
[edit | edit source]Refined corn syrup,[6][7] potato syrup, and wheat syrup can all be used if a recipe calls for glucose syrup, since there's not much difference between them.[5] If a recipe calls for a specific DE, try to seek out a syrup with the same DE.
Recipes
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ a b c d The Chefs of Le Cordon Bleu (2011-12-02). Le Cordon Bleu Patisserie and Baking Foundations. Cengage Learning. ISBN 978-1-4390-5713-1.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j "Glucose | Baking Ingredients | BAKERpedia". 2015-06-10. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
- ↑ a b Research Chefs Association (2016-02-29). Culinology: The Intersection of Culinary Art and Food Science. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-470-48134-9.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Figoni, Paula I. (2010-11-09). How Baking Works: Exploring the Fundamentals of Baking Science. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-470-39267-6.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k Greweling, Peter P.; America (CIA), The Culinary Institute of (2012-11-06). Chocolates and Confections: Formula, Theory, and Technique for the Artisan Confectioner. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-470-42441-4.
- ↑ a b Labensky, Sarah; Martel, Priscilla; Damme, Eddy Van (2015-01-06). On Baking: A Textbook of Baking and Pastry Fundamentals, Updated Edition. Pearson Education. ISBN 978-0-13-388675-7.
- ↑ a b c d e Friberg, Bo (2016-09-13). The Professional Pastry Chef: Fundamentals of Baking and Pastry. Wiley. ISBN 978-0-470-46629-2.
- ↑ a b c Amendola, Joseph; Rees, Nicole (2003-01-03). Understanding Baking: The Art and Science of Baking. Wiley. ISBN 978-0-471-44418-3.
- ↑ a b c Zhou, Weibiao; Hui, Y. H. (2014-08-11). Bakery Products Science and Technology. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1-119-96715-6.