Page "Honey" Paragraph 23

Like all sugar compounds, honey will caramelize if heated too much, becoming darker in color and eventually burning.

However, honey contains fructose, which caramelizes at lower temperatures than the glucose.

Honey also contains acids, which act as catalysts, decreasing the caramelization temperature even more.

Of these acids, the amino acids, which occur in very small amounts, play an important role in the darkening of honey.

The amino acids form darkened compounds called melanoidins, during a Maillard reaction.

The temperature at which caramelization begins varies, depending on the composition, but is typically between and.

The Maillard reaction will occur slowly at room temperature, taking from a few to several months to show visible darkening, but will speed-up dramatically with increasing temperatures.

However, the reaction can also be slowed by storing the honey at colder temperatures.