Easy Homemade Caramels Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why shouldn't you stir sugar when making caramel? ›

Like dry caramel, you want to gently move the sugar mixture in that same side-to-side paintbrush-like fashion until the sugar dissolves. Then, as soon as the mixture comes to a boil, it should not be stirred, as the agitation can cause crystallization.

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.

The best way to cut the caramels is when they are cold from the fridge. Use a super sharp knife, and mark out your cuts before you make them. I find it easiest to cut the whole pan into strips first with vertical cuts, then make the four horizontal cuts.

Temperature is key when making candy. The difference between a soft caramel and one that's hard and overcooked is all in the temperature. Candy thermometers—like this instant-read thermometer—let you know exactly what stage the caramel is in (thread, soft-ball, firm-ball, hard-ball, soft crack or hard crack).

This can take time, however, and if you stir the mixture too excessively early on, you may end up splashing the liquid up onto the sides of the cooking pot. There, the water left behind quickly evaporates and the sugar re-crystallizes.

Caramel crystallizes because there are crystals of sigar formed on the sides of the pan by evaporation. Brushing down the sides of the pan wirh water should prevent this. I usually add any butter or other fat in the recipe while the sugar is melting, so it is already combined as it caramelizes.

For each cup (240 mL) of caramel sauce that you need to thicken, run 1 tbsp (14.7 mL) of cold water into a measuring cup, and slowly stir in 1 tbsp of cornstarch. Pour the cornstarch mixture into your pot caramel sauce, and stir constantly. Keep the sauce on low heat until it begins to thicken.

For the "dry" caramel method, you simply heat the sugar in an empty pan until melted and caramelized. It's quick and direct, but the risk is that some parts of the sugar melt faster than others, and can burn before the rest had made it even to light amber.

you simply haven't cooked it enough-- possibly your microwave is less powerful (the original recipe doesn't specify a wattage for cooking the caramel) or the butter you used has a higher water content. You could try cooking the mixture for a little longer, and seeing if it sets up firmer.

Add acid. Acid ingredients (like vinegar or lemon juice) can help prevent re-crystallization which causes caramel to become grainy. Acid physically breaks the bonds between the glucose and fructose molecules that form sucrose and ensure that it stays apart.

What is the best thing to wrap homemade caramels in? ›

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.

In general the paper sold for home use is too light weight, the grain of the paper isn't made to withstand twisting (it tears), and the wax coating is too light to prevent the moisture from the candy from seaping into the paper and weakening it thus causing it to tear and stick.

Refrigerate until cooled and hardened. (Best if you refrigerate them overnight, or for several hours. They will be easier to cut and wrap). The caramel will seem hard in the fridge after they're set, but they should be soft at room temperature.

There are two basic methods of making caramel – wet and dry; the basic difference between the two methods being water. Essentially both methods are heating sugar, then adding fat (butter and cream, typically); but the wet uses water to dissolve the sugar faster.

Combine your sugar and water off the heat, and stir it just until the sugar is evenly moistened. Avoid stirring the sugar if at all possible once you put it on the stove. Agitation can cause the sugar to crystallize.

Stirring or jostling of any kind can cause the sugar to begin crystallizing. For this reason, it is important to avoid stirring the sugar as it cooks or while the temperature is raising to whatever candymaking stage you need.

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.

Stirring helps to increase the interaction between sugar molecules and water molecules, which causes sugar molecules to break away from each other. Hence they get dissolved faster. Q. When sugar is stirred with a spoon in a glass of water, more sugar is dissolved and faster.