Aunt Val's Caramel - the Best Ever Homemade Caramel Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the trick to making caramel? ›

“It's best to start a wet caramel over low heat until the sugar has dissolved, then increase the heat to medium for caramelization,” says Mel. “As the water evaporates, the sugar eventually caramelizes.” The wet method is used to take the caramel to various stages, including soft ball, firm ball, hard ball, etc.

The water evaporates, leaving sugar crystals behind. If even one sugar crystal falls back into the pan of cooking caramel, it starts a chain reaction of sugar crystals and the entire pan will harden. The result? Gross, grainy caramel that is unusable in most recipes.

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.

To make a perfect easy caramel every-time, simply add one or two drops of vinegar and just enough water to wet the sugar. The idea is to lower the PH. you can also use a small pinch of citric acid or cream of tartar if you have.

Generally, we add liquid and fat to cooked sugar, such as cream, milk, water and butter, to give it the mouthfeel we enjoy in items like Caramel Sauce and Salted Caramel Ice Cream.

Stirring the sugar

That can set off a chain reaction that can cause caramel to seize up, ruining the entire batch. Instead, gently swirl the pan as you go and use a wet pastry brush to wipe down any sugar that sticks to the sides of the pot. Read up on more tips for preventing crystallization, too.

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.

Acid ingredients (like vinegar or lemon juice) can help prevent re-crystallization which causes caramel to become grainy.

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.

Does cream of tartar help caramel? ›

While you can make a meringue without it, using cream of tartar is a good insurance policy that it won't weep. You can also use a pinch in whipped cream to help avoid it from deflating. Cream of tartar is used in caramel sauces and fudge to help prevent the sugar from crystallizing while cooking.

Sure, there are additional ingredients that add flavor like vanilla extract, butter, and heavy cream, but the real star of the show is the cooked sugar. This means that in order for your caramels to develop a robust flavor, the sugar needs to be cooked until it's deeply caramelized.

Try milk instead.

If you don't want to make a special trip to the store, you can use whole milk with an extra tablespoon of butter in place of the heavy cream. It may not be quite as thick, but it will work in a pinch!

It makes sense to stir your pot, but you have to resist the urge. The reason that caramel turns back into sugar crystals and becomes grainy is because too much moisture has been lost in the cooking process. When sugar is dissolved in water it loses its structure and becomes the liquid that develops into caramel.

If you're really worried about crystallization, you can also add an acid like lemon juice into your caramel. This will turn the abundant sucrose molecules into a mixture of fructose and glucose which will not crystallize as easily. Caramel is fussy, but absolutely worth making on your own.

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.

Cut waxed paper for caramel wrappers -

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.