caramelize

UK/ˈkaɹ(ə)məlʌɪz/US/ˈkaɹ(ə)məlʌɪz/

verbB2+Rare in speech; mostly a word you read · #14,964 of 15,258leans spoken

Other forms: caramelized

To caramelize is to heat sugar until it browns and turns syrupy. Caramelize the onions.

Onions caramelize because they contain sugar, which is why the process takes forty minutes rather than five. A few seconds too long and what you caramelize turns bitter.

Definitions of caramelize

1verbcaramelizeTo heat sugar until it browns and turns syrupy.B2+
“Cook the onions slowly until they caramelize and turn golden brown.”
- Said"Let the onions caramelize properly; I'll give you forty minutes, not ten."
- WrittenThe sugar caramelized at the edges of the tart and stuck to every tooth.
- UsedCaramelize the sugar over a medium heat without stirring until it turns amber.
- ContrastCaramelize, not melt. Melted sugar is still clear; caramelized sugar has gone brown and changed its taste. melt →
- Not thisBurnt shallots are not caramelized ones. Caramelized is golden; burnt is bitter and black.
- Exchange"Are they caramelized yet?""Getting there. Be patient."
- SimplyThe sugar caramelizes. It goes dark and soft.
Patterncaramelize + noun (onions, sugar) · caramelized + noun · caramelization · caramel

caramelize is a cooking.

Remember it

CARAMELize → turn it into CARAMEL

It is caramel + ize: heat the sugar until it turns into brown caramel.

hooks ontocaramel

Where it comes from

Medieval Latin
cannamellis
Latin
calamellus
Portuguese
caramelo
Spanish
caramelo
French
caramel
English
caramel
English, today
caramelize

Built from

calamus · Latin — reed

From caramel + -ize. caramel French caramel, from Spanish caramelo, from Portuguese caramelo, dissimilated from Latin calamellus, diminutive of calamus (“reed”) (and a a doublet of chalumeau and shawm). Alternatively from Medieval Latin cannamellis, which is a compound of canna + mellis.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practised in In the Kitchen

Practise this word

caramelize in the wild

Microwave ovens usually do not directly brown or caramelize food, since they rarely attain the necessary temperature to produce Maillard reactions.
Microwave oven
After this, they can continue to cook until the sugars caramelize, possibly with use of a slow cooker.
Fruit butter
The openings between the lattice allow fruit juices in pie fillings to evaporate during the cooking process, which can caramelize the filling.
Lattice (pastry)
Additionally, striped sections of chips frequently burn and caramelize, resulting in a bitter flavor.
Zebra chip
Slices of camote are coated with brown sugar and then fried, to cook the potatoes and to caramelize the sugar.
Camote cue

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From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

Related words

the caramel family

caramel

caramelize — used about once every 159,543 pages · #14,964 · point at the bar for the others

Definitions of caramelize

1verbcaramelizeTo heat sugar until it browns and turns syrupy.B2+

“Cook the onions slowly until they caramelize and turn golden brown.”

Said"Let the onions caramelize properly; I'll give you forty minutes, not ten."
WrittenThe sugar caramelized at the edges of the tart and stuck to every tooth.
UsedCaramelize the sugar over a medium heat without stirring until it turns amber.
ContrastCaramelize, not melt. Melted sugar is still clear; caramelized sugar has gone brown and changed its taste. melt →
Not thisBurnt shallots are not caramelized ones. Caramelized is golden; burnt is bitter and black.
Exchange"Are they caramelized yet?""Getting there. Be patient."
SimplyThe sugar caramelizes. It goes dark and soft.

Patterncaramelize + noun (onions, sugar) · caramelized + noun · caramelization · caramel

caramelize is a cooking.