APPLICATION
Application of a caramelized sugar coating onto nuts
A caramelized praline shows a dark brown glassy transparent aspect. It is a traditional marketplace process sometimes brought to an industrial scale.
BASE
Core products
The core is a nut, generally a peanut or an almond.
RECIPE
Ingredients
The ingredient list used in the application is fairly short:
- Caster sugar
- Vegetable oil
PROCESS
How does it work?
The ingredients do not need any preparation and are used readily. It is usually a batch operation although a larger production can be made on a continuous gas-fired rotating tumbler. The coating operation itself runs as follows
1.
Pour the nuts in a gas-fired rotating pan
2.
Add a spoon of oil to prevent agglomeration
3.
Pour a ladle of caster sugar onto the nuts and disperse
4.
Carry on mixing and heating to melt the sugar
5.
Carry on until it turns into a darker colour
PROCESS
Coating system
The coating occurs typically in a coating pan equipped with a source of intense heat, usually a gas burner.
The sugar is measured and added manually.
Other types of equipment can be used such as a fixed heating pan fitted with a scraping blade on a rotary arm.
PROCESS
Coating system
Coating pan – traditionally made of copper now replaced by stainless steel.
PRODUCT EVALUATION
How do you measure your success?
Key quality features
The process typical factor is the control of the heating to achieve the browning of the sugar without generating dark spots or fines.
Core
Nut or almonds should not peel, split or crack
Sugar
Browning (Maillard reaction) without burning
Product integrity
The product is brittle and must be handled gently
Key quality parameters
The control focuses on cooking but not only
Core product
Standard nut size for an even coating
Design
Scaling up the process should reproduce the hand made operations
Operation
Control of the temperature over time