Caramelizing sugar is a term most often applied to melting sugar until it becomes a caramel color liquid. Caramelized sugar is simply a mixture of sugar and water cooked until it becomes syrupy and darkens, and reaching a temperature from 340 to 350 degrees F.

What happens when sugar caramelizes?

Caramelization is what happens to pure sugar when it reaches 338° F. A few tablespoons of sugar put in a pan and heated will eventually melt and, at 338° F, start to turn brown. At this temperature, the sugar compounds begin to break down and new compounds form. ... Try caramelizing sugar yourself—it's easy!

At what stage does sugar caramelize?

The caramelization process begins around 320°F, when crystalline sugar melts into clear molten sugar. At 340-350°F, the color changes to light straw or pale caramel brown.