Sugar color, or E150 additive, is a food coloring that dissolves in water. In everyday life, it is known as burnt sugar and is used in the manufacture of confectionery. It tastes like caramel, slightly bitter, and smells of burnt sugar. The color of the color scheme can be from light yellow to brown.

Kohler has been used for a long time. This is one of the oldest dyes. The additive is found in almost every type of industrial product: chocolate, sweets, black bread, alcohol, dough and many others.

Why do you need a supplement?

The main function of the natural sugar color dye is to color the products. But the E150 additive has another purpose as well. It is added to soft drinks as an emulsifier - it prevents the formation of flakes and clouding of the product. Light-protective substances prevent the components of the drink from oxidizing.

The dye called "sugar color" is divided into 4 classes.

The classification is based on the methods of preparation and properties of the additive:

• Additive E150a (I). This is a simple caramel that is obtained by thermal processing of carbohydrates. In this case, third-party substances are not used;
• Additive E150b (II). It is made using alkaline sulfite technology;
• Additive E150c (III). This caramel is produced using ammonia technology;
• Additive E150d (IV). It can be made using ammonia-sulphite technology.

The preparation of E150 sugar color is called "caramelization". Alkalis, salts and acids are present during processing. The main component in the manufacture is fructose, dextrose, sucrose, molasses, starch - all sweeteners are inexpensive and affordable.

Sulfurous, phosphoric, acetic, citric, sulfuric acids can be used as acids. Sodium, ammonium, calcium, potassium act as alkali.

Depending on which reagents are used, the dye charge can be negative or positive. To avoid the formation of a precipitate, it is important to select the correct class of dye. For this, the physicochemical characteristics of the product are taken into account.

Features of use

Natural dye has microbiological stability - it is produced at high temperature values, and the density does not allow microorganisms to develop.

Glucose is obtained from wheat, malt syrup is obtained from barley, and lactose is obtained from milk. This explains why color can cause allergic reactions. All people who have a reaction to these substances should be wary of the additive - the sugar color can harm them.

If the sulfite method is used, sulfites or traces of sulfites may be present in the final product. However, this figure is very small and rarely causes allergies. Therefore, its presence is not always indicated on the packaging.

The JECFA organization has determined that 160-220 mg / kg of body weight can be consumed per day, depending on which class the supplement belongs to. E150a is considered safe for the body, therefore its daily dose is not regulated.

Is there a color scheme in cognac?

Ordinary cognac is made from alcohol that has been aged for 2-3 years. For this drink to be called branded, the aging must be at least 5 years. There is a special technology, alcohols are blended. But the composition of cognac includes not only alcohols.

The label must state that the drink contains water, sugar color and syrup. Sugar color is present in cognac in order to give it an intense color. Almost all manufacturers add it.

If the drink is prepared without this additive, it is easy to "declassify" it. Cognac will have a light, yellowish tint, unsaturated and shallow. As a rule, this scares off the buyer, so such drinks are rare.

The color scheme production technology is very complex, problematic preparation requires some experience and includes the following main stages:

The additive gives a rich color, but does not affect the taste and aroma. In addition, it is found in small quantities in cognac.

Kohler is widely used in the food industry to make unattractive and unappetizing products marketable.

Thanks to him, they look bright, lively and interesting. E150 belongs to a safe class, so there is no need to be afraid of this additive, it will not harm your health.

Even good pure moonshine can be improved by giving it a noble dark color. This will make it look like cognac or whiskey and will add variety to the appearance of the drinks consumed during the feast. For this purpose, specially prepared caramel is added to the moonshine, which is called color. And giving the homemade drink a new look is the caramelization of moonshine. Correctly prepared color does not affect the taste of alcohol, but only changes its color.

Making caramel is the process of thermal decomposition of sugar. The result is a natural colorant that is immune to sunlight and can be stored for a long time. Added to strong alcohol, it does not impart a sweet taste to alcohol, but intensely colors it into a noble color.

Caramel for moonshine

Do not think that there is something reprehensible in this. Caramel coloring is used in the manufacture of natural cognacs. Even long aging in oak barrels does not always give the drink the required richness. Therefore, light yellow cognac is tinted with a caramel-based color scheme. So giving the same color to home brew is all the more permissible.

Caramel color is added to alcohol in small quantities. Therefore, its sweet taste is not felt in strong moonshine. Of course, if you introduce caramel into low-alcohol drinks, then its presence can be felt. The addition of large doses of color leads to a sweet drink like a balm.

However, there are amateurs who strive not only to color the prepared moonshine, but also to give it a bit of sweetness. In this case, it is recommended not to darken the color. Light colored caramel has a sweeter taste.

Basic cooking rules

Caramel color is obtained by melting sugar grains to a liquid homogeneous mass and bringing it to a boil. But there is one subtlety. When molten sugar is heated, different caramelization products are formed in succession. Carmelan and Carmelin are what you need. They are formed at temperatures of 160–190 ° C.

But at a temperature of 200 ° C, carmeline is formed. It is not suitable for coloring alcohol, since it does not dissolve in water, and when added to moonshine, it can give it a cloudy color. Of course, no one controls the preparation of caramel with a thermometer. You have to monitor the consistency and color of the melted sugar. Here the experience of the pastry chef is more needed.

There are two methods for preparing color schemes - with the addition of water and without it. It is believed that caramel cooked without water is better for coloring moonshine. But its preparation requires more care and experience in determining readiness. When water is added, the likelihood of burning the sugar mass is not so great. How to prepare a color scheme, everyone decides for himself. Both options require pans with a thick bottom.

Wet method

According to this method, sugar is dissolved in water in equal proportions before heating: 100 ml of water is poured per 100 g of sugar. The quality of the liquid is important, so tap water is not good, you need spring or bottled water.

1. Sugar is poured into a frying pan or saucepan and poured over with water. The whole process takes place with continuous stirring with a wooden spatula.
2. On fire, it is brought to a low boil, and when foam forms, the fire is reduced to a minimum.
3. When the water has almost evaporated, the sugar mass will begin to darken and become thick. It is important not to overheat it. Readiness is determined by color and density. The finished caramel will become the color of strongly brewed tea, and thin threads should drain from the spatula. From the moment of boiling until cooked, it takes about 15 minutes.
4. The finished mass is removed from the heat and cooled to room temperature. At the same time, it hardens.
5. The next step is to dissolve the caramel mass in alcohol. It is clear that it is better to take alcohol exactly what color is made for tinting. But it should be noted that caramel dissolves best in alcohol with a strength of 40–45 °. If the moonshine is stronger, then you can slightly dilute it.
6. Moonshine is poured into a bowl with hardened caramel. Its volume corresponds to the amount of sugar. We took 100 g of sugar - pour 100 ml of moonshine. It is recommended to put a few grains of citric acid on the hardened caramel before adding alcohol. It is believed to contribute to the uniformity of the finished color scheme. But that doesn't have to be done.
7. The poured alcohol is shaken and stirred until the caramel dissolves in it. Be patient, this won't happen quickly. Perhaps a little color scheme will not dissolve - it's not scary.
8. If the dissolution goes very badly, then you can warm up the saucepan a little. This must be done carefully, as you can burn the caramel, and the solution will turn out to be bitter. And strong alcohol can catch fire.
9. A little water is added to the caramel solution in the moonshine to bring the final strength of the color to 20-25 °.
10. The finished drink is poured into a container with a sealed stopper and sent to storage. You can keep it in the refrigerator, but, they say, it is not worse without it.

Dry method

This method requires constant attention to the power of the fire and the state of the molten mass. Since the process is carried out in the absence of water, there is a risk of burning the caramel. All the time you have to stir the sugar mass, so you need to take the dishes wide, convenient for stirring. Apart from sugar, nothing else is required, so you do not need to specify any proportions. Sugar is taken in the amount required to prepare the desired volume of color.

1. The dishes are put on fire and sugar is poured into it in portions. You don't need to add all the sugar at once.
2. Stirring continuously, wait until the sugar melts to a thick liquid. Add the next portion and melt again. And so - several times.
3. In the process, when you melt the sugar, foam will form. It should not be allowed to be thick and high. Stir vigorously, reduce heat if necessary.
4. With an increase in the temperature of the molten mass, the foam will cease to form, but bubbles will appear - the thick liquid boils. At this stage, the fire is reduced so that the boil does not stop, but is not violent.
5. Wait until the boiling liquid acquires the color that is desirable for the moonshine dye, and turn off the heat.
6. Pour the finished color into the prepared dishes.

Expert opinion

Dmitry Levandovsky

Moonshine expert

The crucial moment is the boiling of the melted mass. This means that the temperature is approaching 200 ° C. It is important to turn down the heat in time so as not to cross this point.

How to add color to moonshine?

A common recommendation is a few drops of color per liter of strong alcoholic beverage. But this is an average value, not necessary for strict adherence. The color intensity is influenced by both the color quality and the quality of the moonshine. So you need to focus on your own wishes and feelings. The color change does not occur immediately: the staining of the entire volume takes several minutes. For the first time, of course, you need to start with a small amount, with the possible addition. And then the acquired experience comes to the rescue.

Having learned how to make caramel for moonshine, you can always turn a banal drink into a beautiful alcoholic beverage.

Caramel for moonshine is the final stage of making a drink. This process is no longer required for the taste, but for the type of alcohol. Moonshine with brown shades looks noble and is somewhat reminiscent of cognac, whiskey and other expensive drinks. Sometimes it will be difficult to distinguish correctly and qualitatively distilled moonshine from cognac to taste.

But even after a long aging on oak chips or in barrels, the color of the drink remains light yellow. To achieve aesthetics, you can additionally color the moonshine. The procedure is used not only in relation to this type of alcohol. Sometimes they also paint over cognacs in large factories. Moreover, most of the methods do not harm the taste, and even add additional charm and aroma.

Making caramel for moonshine

Drinks can be colored using herbs, decoctions and teas. But an interesting and easy way of coloring is with caramel. It is even added to French cognacs. The dye made from caramel is called a color scheme. If prepared correctly, it will not affect the taste of the moonshine and will not make the drink cloudy. The procedure is easy to carry out at home, and the raw materials are always at hand.

And caramel color is a substance that does not fade even in the sun over time. The taste of caramel is felt in drinks only at high concentration or in low-alcohol products like beer. The technology is used not only for moonshine, but also for other types of home drinks.

Sugar color recipe

To prepare caramel, you will need the following products:

• Sugar - 100 grams.
• Bottled water - 130 milliliters.
• Vodka (distillate, alcohol 40 degrees) - 100 milliliters.
• Citric acid - 5-6 grains. This ingredient is optional.

The essence of citric acid is that it makes the structure of the caramel more uniform. The quantity should not be large. Citric acid is more relevant for inverting sugar than for making color.

The algorithm of actions and caramelization of the drink is as follows:

• Sugar is mixed in a saucepan with water in equal proportions (100 grams of sugar per 100 milliliters of water).
• The contents of the saucepan are brought to a boil. It is important that the caramel container is non-stick.
• As soon as the sugar began to melt, and the first bubbles appeared, and the consistency of the liquid became viscous, it is necessary to reduce the heat to a minimum.
• After the water has evaporated, the desired caramel shade will appear. The main thing at this stage is not to burn the sugar.
• The required color temperature is 190-200 degrees Celsius. If this figure is higher, then the moonshine after adding caramel will become cloudy or darken too much.
• As soon as the sugar reaches the color of the brewed tea, it must be removed from the stove. It takes about 15 minutes from the moment the water evaporates to the required consistency and color.
• The liquid must be cooled to room temperature, while it is important to stir the contents of the pan. The sugar will harden slightly in the process. If the caramel hardens completely, it will not be suitable for adding to moonshine, since it will not want to dissolve. You can also add a couple of tablespoons of boiling water, then the caramel will not harden even without stirring.
• Citric acid is added to the color if desired.
• Along with the acid, a small part of the alcohol is added (about 100 milliliters). It is important to add exactly the type of alcohol that will be mixed in the future. If you add another distillate or drink with a different strength, then the moonshine will become cloudy after tinting.
• Next, stir the caramel with a spoon until the liquid with alcohol becomes a homogeneous mass. This is a long stage.
• If the caramel is very hard and does not want to dissolve, you can put the container back on the stove and heat it up a little. The main thing is to remember that alcohol with a high strength is warmed up with it. Therefore, it is important to do everything in moderation and carefully.
• When only small caramel particles remain at the bottom, which is the norm, add 30 milliliters of water. This is done in order to reduce the strength of the color scheme to 40-45 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.
• As soon as the liquid stops dissolving the caramel remaining at the bottom, pour the finished color into a storage container (preferably a glass jar). The remains of burnt sugar can be crumbled if desired and thrown into a container with a color scheme.

The result is a sugar concentrate with a rich dark shade and a slight caramel aroma. You can store this substance both in the refrigerator and in a room at room temperature. Sugar dye does not deteriorate for a very long time, since microorganisms do not start in it. But it is best to immediately use the color for its intended purpose.

There are no proportions in terms of the amount of color for the distillate, it all depends on the desired shade and quality of alcohol, its original color. To begin with, you can use a color scheme of two or three drops per liter of drink, stir, wait 3-5 minutes, and then, if desired, tint again.

The use of the color scheme shows the skill of the distiller and the desire for the perfect alcohol. This procedure is carried out in the presence of time, as well as to surprise guests with the beauty of moonshine in a domestic environment.

Sugar color E150 was produced in ancient times, although it was not called, because in one of the forms it is simple burnt sugar... In small quantities, it can be obtained at home - it is enough to gently heat a certain amount of sugar without the presence of water, and it will begin to melt and darken. The stronger the heat, the darker and bitter the resulting caramel. It dissolves in water, giving a yellowish-brown hue, it can be tinted with drinks or added to baked goods.

In mass production, the same process can occur, but with features that allow the production of this dye in huge volumes, or this dye is synthesized, E150 in products can be both natural and synthesized, identical to natural.

It is made from glucose, fructose, sucrose or malt syrup.

In the industry, E150 is called a sugar color or caramel color, and there are four types of it:

1. E150а, sugar color I, plain caramel;
2. E150b, sugar color II, made using alkali-sulphite technology;
3. E150c, sugar color III, ammonia technology is used in its preparation;
4. E150d, sugar color IV, manufactured using ammonium sulfite technology.

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Benefit and harm

Sucrose and its derivatives are not very useful on their own, but they are not too harmful either. E150a can only harm those who are allergic to sugar, or diabetics. But additives used in the manufacture of other types of this dye can cause some harm to health, although they are found in trace amounts.

The most dangerous of all four types of sugar color is considered E150d, in some US states it is necessary to indicate if this type of color is contained in the product.

Due to the presence of melanin in E150, it can contribute to better tanning and protect against solar radiation, but E150d is considered, on the contrary. weak carcinogen, although this information is not confirmed.

In Russia, it is not necessary to indicate the E150 type on the packaging. Still, of the many dyes and flavors, any kind of E150 will turn out to be one of the safest, if not abused, it can be used by almost anyone. Moreover, this dye has such a long history and tradition, including in our country.

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 - color is used. The production of most French cognacs involves adding it. Correctly made caramel color does not affect the taste of the drink and does not cause cloudiness. In turn, the technology for preparing sugar color is simple and easily reproduced at home.

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

Sugar color can be used not only in homemade cognacs or whiskey, it is 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 caramel consistency more uniform, 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 bubbles become stringy, reduce heat to the very minimum. After evaporation of the water, 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 cooking temperature for caramel color is 190-200 ° C. If it is higher, then when the dye is added, the alcohol will become cloudy or darken very much.

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

It's time to take off the stove

5. Cool to room temperature. The sugar should be hard.

6. Add citric acid and alcohol to the thickened caramel. It is advisable to dissolve the color in the same drink that you plan to tint.

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

If the caramel does not dissolve, you can put it on fire for a couple of minutes and soften 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 (at the bottom there will be caramel residues, 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 dye into a storage container (preferably a glass one). Crumble the remains of crushed sugar and throw into a container with a color scheme (optional).

The result is a sugar dye (concentrate) of a rich black color with a light caramel aroma.

You can store the hermetically sealed color scheme both in the refrigerator and at room temperature. No microorganism processes caramelized products, so the sugar dye practically does not deteriorate.

There are no clear proportions of 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, stir, wait 3-5 minutes, and then, if desired, tint again.

The complete technology is shown in the video.