Why do you add sugar last when boiling soups?
When I read recipes involving boiling a soup/dessert and adding sugar, they often say to add the sugar towards the end of the boiling. Why is that? Are there consequences of adding sugar early?
Best Answer
To add onto Walter's answer, adding sugar towards the end for taste when boiling ensures that the sugar dissolves faster so that the results of your addition are more accurate and immediate.
If you added the sugar before boiling, you run the risk of adding too much sugar because you tasted it before all the sugar dissolved and you added more as a result.
Pictures about "Why do you add sugar last when boiling soups?"
Quick Answer about "Why do you add sugar last when boiling soups?"
2 Answers. Show activity on this post. To add onto Walter's answer, adding sugar towards the end for taste when boiling ensures that the sugar dissolves faster so that the results of your addition are more accurate and immediate.Can I add sugar to my soup?
Only if you like sugar in soup although, Sometimes a little sugar (or other similar sweetener) is exactly what a soup needs in order to bring out its best flavor. On the other hand, if you add too much sugar, the sweetness can overpower the soup's natural flavors.What is the secret to making good soup?
10 Tips for Making Good Homemade SoupsHow do you make soup not taste watery?
Depending on what kind of soup you've made, these are six of the easiest ways to make it thicker.How do you get the sugar taste out of soup?
If your soup becomes too sweet for your taste, try adding a little salt to tame down the sweetness or 1 teaspoon of apple cider or white vinegar. Be sure to taste test after each addition so that you do not change the taste of the soup too much or make it too salty. See below for more soup tips.Is Bone Broth Good For You? – Dr.Berg's Opinion
More answers regarding why do you add sugar last when boiling soups?
Answer 2
There might be a chemical reason for the delay in adding sugar. The properties of sugar change dramatically with exposure to heat, which is how caramel and other candies are made. While caramel usually requires high heat (well above boiling - 300 degrees F and up) over a short period of time, the same chemical reaction can occur at lower tempuratures when the sugar is cooked for a long period of time. This could dramatically affect the flavor of the soup/dessert you are cooking.
An interesting article on sugar/caramel cooking experiments that explains what's going on: http://www.curiouscook.com/site/sugar/
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Mikhail Nilov, Katerina Holmes, Monstera, Tim Douglas