Tips for Making Caramels (2024)

FAQs

What are 3 key ingredients that are added to caramels to prevent it from crystallizing? ›

Adding an acid like lemon juice is another way to prevent sucrose from crystallizing. The cream and butter also act as “interfering agents” as the milk proteins in both help to prevent crystal formation. Ingredients such as vanilla, flavorings, salt, and nuts (or baking soda for caramel corn) are all added at the end.

Just keep the flame low to keep it from going too far. If the temperature gets too hot and the caramel becomes too hard as it cools, you can put it back in the pan with a couple of tablespoons of cold water to try and save it.

Should you stir caramel as it cooks? Stirring caramel as it cooks isn't necessary—and it can even be detrimental, as it can cause the sugar solution to splash onto the sides of the pan, where the water will evaporate quickly and the sugar can form back into crystals.

The purpose of baking soda in the caramel is to react with the acid (the brown sugar and corn syrup), which creates tiny carbon dioxide air bubbles. Hence, the foaming you see in the photo above. Once the caramel has cooled on your popcorn, the air bubbles inside the caramel create a softer texture.

The process of making wet caramelized sugar is very simple. Sugar is combined with water and heated. The mixture should be stirred together until the sugar is completely saturated and beginning to dissolve. Once the sugar/water mixture comes to a boil it is then left alone to cook, without stirring it.

Once the sugar has all dissolved and turned brown, we add butter. The heat of the caramel will melt the butter and create even more wonderful flavors. Finally, after the butter has melted, we add heavy whipping cream. This will allow the mixture to be loose enough to be used as a sauce.

There are two basicmethods of making caramel – dry and wet – each have pros and cons. Dry caramel is simply sugar, melted and cooked to a deep gold colour. It's quick to make, but easy to burn. A "wet" caramel uses water and sugar; it cooks more slowly, but is prone to crystallising.

Heat the caramel to 245°F to 250°F.

Let the caramel come to a boil without stirring. It will start off as a soft buttery yellow and eventually darken to reddish-brown caramel. Remove from the heat when the caramel reaches 245°F to 250°F.

If caramels are too hard, you can try placing them back in a saucepan, adding a couple tablespoons of water and stirring until the thermometer reads 242°F. Pour back into a prepared buttered pan.

To really keep your caramels cool, dry and away from light, they can be stored in the freezer. Be sure the caramel candies are wrapped, and keep them stored in a plastic storage container or a plastic freezer bag. Write a date on the storage bag or container, and keep your caramels in the freezer for up to one year.

How do you keep homemade caramels from crystallizing? ›

The easiest way to prevent crystallization is to avoid stirring the caramel. Instead, swirl the pan gently to help the sugar melt evenly. If any sugars do splash up onto the sides of the pan, use a wet pastry brush to remove them.

Caramel is created using white granulated sugar, whereas butterscotch is made with brown sugar. Butterscotch is cooked to a lower temperature of 289 degrees Fahrenheit, compared to caramel's 340 degrees.

The high temperatures in your pan can cause the mixture to sputter and splatter with savage ferocity. So you need to take precautions and remain extra vigilant during the caramel cooking process. For starters, this means turning off your TV and putting your mobile phone away! Use a deep vertical pan for making caramel.

To avoid burning the caramel, it's just a matter of being vigilant. The melted sugar should be cooked until it's a deep amber colour — it's done when it starts to smoke and begins to foam just a little bit. At this point, it should be removed from the heat immediately to stop the sugar from darkening any further.

Ginger has a sharp tang to it, but when you pair it with velvety caramel, it smooths everything out, making it cohesive and irresistible in whatever you may be making.

Step 3: Caramelize the Sugar Syrup

So just leave it alone while it comes to a boil and begins to bronze. Some recipes may call for you to “baste” the sides of your pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to prevent crystals from forming along the perimeter of your pot.

The main ingredient for making a caramel is sugar. A liquid caramel can be made using any quantity of sugar or water just as long as it follows the ratio of 2 parts sugar: 1 part water.

Place the unwrapped caramels into a medium-sized saucepan and add 2 tablespoons of water. Cook the caramels over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes.

The usual cause of crystallisation in caramel is impurities in the sugar or, more commonly, less-than-clean pans, so make sure your equipment is clean. Caramel can be made from superfine, fine or granulated sugar.

1 ½ tablespoons citrus juice or vinegar. 1 ½ cups warm cream. So much salt, to taste (when cool!). This wee amount of acid prevents any crystallization—from subtle graininess to total disasters.

What does caramel not stick to? ›

If you plan to place the caramels in a bowl, roll them in powdered sugar or cocoa powder as you would do with a chocolate truffle. The powder coats each piece of caramel and prevents it from sticking to the others.

The three most important elements to remember about caramelizing: Use a heavy, preferably light-colored pan. Once the sugar dissolves into the water, do not stir. Remove pan from heat immediately after caramel reaches the desired color.

Evaporated Milk: this is what makes a soft caramel candy instead of a hard one. Make sure you use evaporated milk and not sweetened condensed milk for this recipe.

Too short of a cooling time: Caramel sauce thickens significantly as it cools, so let the caramel cool for the appropriate time to achieve the right thickness. If the sauce is still too thin after cooling completely, place it back on the stovetop and reheat it on low heat for a few additional minutes.

To achieve caramelization—and flavor—we first have to cook the sugar to a temperature of at least 320°F (160°C). This is best accomplished by cooking the sugar in a pot over medium to medium-high heat and adding either some corn or glucose syrup to your sugar or adding up to 20% of the weight of the sugar in water.

Most caramels will need a little time at room temperature in order to cut more easily. Cut in squares and wrap in waxed paper or parchment paper. Wrapped caramels can also be frozen.

Keep in mind that when your caramel sauce cools, it will naturally thicken anyway. However, if it's really thin when hot, let it simmer for about 10 minutes in the pan while stirring it constantly. This will evaporate some of the water and make the sauce thicker.

You should avoid stirring caramelising sugar because you run the risk of flicking bits of it onto the side of the pan. These isolated bits cook faster and thus burn, then drop into the rest of the sugar. Result: bitter caramel. Stirring also promotes crystallisation, which is not what you want for a smooth sauce.

Melt the caramels over low heat, stirring frequently to combine the caramels with the milk and butter. Adding milk and butter to the caramels is what helps to keep the caramel soft after the turtles are finished.

Use a sharp knife to cut the caramels into your desired size. Wrap the individual caramels in waxed paper.

What's the best way to cut homemade caramels? ›

Spray a knife with cooking spray, and it'll cut right through the caramels. Or, do my favorite trick– cut the caramels into strips with a knife, then use a pair of new, clean kitchen scissors to snip them into bite-sized pieces before wrapping.

Increasing reducing sugars will add to the flavor and color of caramel – but too much can cause excessive stickiness. Check the pH of premix, water and other ingredients, including scrap, to identify excessive inversion as the problem. Caramel premix should have a neutral pH (6.8-7.0).

There are 2 important methods to ensure your caramel sauce doesn't crystallize when you don't want it to: Add an invert sugar like corn syrup or honey: The most common precaution to prevent crystallization in recipes for caramel sauces is to add an invert sugar to your recipe, like corn syrup or honey.

If the heat is too high, but butter might melt too quickly and can separate from the sugar. Toffee and caramel can also separate if the recipe calls for constant stirring and the candy isn't stirred often enough.

Refrigerate for up to 1 month. The caramel solidifies as it cools, but you can reheat in the microwave or on the stove so it's liquid again. You can freeze the salted caramel, too. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Sugar Note: Most chefs say that only granulated sugar can be successfully caramelized; other sugars — such as brown sugar and unrefined sugar such as cane sugar — contain impurities that can inhibit caramelization. It's those impurities that can burn before the sugar has time to caramelize.

This is a common question since both are cooked sugar concoctions. But the main difference is caramel is made with granulated sugar while butterscotch is made with brown sugar. At its simplest, caramel is sugar that's heated and melted until it's brown but not burned.

Should you stir caramel as it cooks? Stirring caramel as it cooks isn't necessary—and it can even be detrimental, as it can cause the sugar solution to splash onto the sides of the pan, where the water will evaporate quickly and the sugar can form back into crystals.

Overheating the mixture

Be very careful as you heat your caramel. Follow the recipe carefully, and never melt your caramel on your stove's highest setting—it will cause the caramel to scorch and taste burnt. Once it gets a burnt or bitter flavor, it can't be saved.

Another solution: Add some corn syrup. If you're trying to stabilize your candy, especially a big batch, corn syrup (basically liquid sugar derived from corn) can be a lifesaver. It won't completely get rid of the grainy-caramel issue, but the chemical structure of the corn syrup can help block recrystallization.

What is the ratio of sugar to water in making caramel? ›

The main ingredient for making a caramel is sugar. A liquid caramel can be made using any quantity of sugar or water just as long as it follows the ratio of 2 parts sugar: 1 part water.

Start off with high heat to kick the caramelization process off and then turn heat to low. Once cooking you'll continue the process low and slow. Add oil/butter to pan and once hot add food. Sprinkle food with a pinch of salt to help speed up the process and release the sugars.

Plain old white sugar is the best choice for crème brûlée

As the outlet explains, white sugar's small crystals easily melt under the heat of a blowtorch, meaning they'll caramelize quickly and leave the custard underneath nice and cool.

We're going to find out! You can easily turn sweet, white sugar, into a brown, almost bitter, product: caramel. All you need is heat. Once the sugar is hot enough, it will turn brown and change flavor.

If caramels are too soft, that means the temperature didn't get high enough. Again place the caramel back into a sauce pan with a couple of tablespoons of water and heat to 244°F. If you don't have a candy thermometer, you can test with a cold water test.

To avoid burning the caramel, it's just a matter of being vigilant. The melted sugar should be cooked until it's a deep amber colour — it's done when it starts to smoke and begins to foam just a little bit. At this point, it should be removed from the heat immediately to stop the sugar from darkening any further.

The mixture will start to bubble and thicken as the caramelization process begins, and it will turn from clear to golden brown to dark brown. This process will take a total time of 6 to 8 minutes. Once the mixture takes on a dark amber color, it has become caramel.

Caramel is, simply, burned sugar. We want to let it melt, darken to an amber color and take on a deep and bittersweet flavor. The best, most flavorful caramel starts with this step. You can caramelize sugar two ways— with the dry method or wet method.