
It is important not to pass 320 degrees F (160 degrees C). Since we are passing this stage, the sugar syrup will start to “caramelize” and you will actually notice that the syrup will begin to take on an amber color.
#CARAMEL BITS CANDY RECIPES CRACK#
The “hard crack stage” is when the sugar syrup is between 300 and 310 degrees F (149 and 154 degrees C). According to the stages of candy making, this is past what is called the “hard-crack stage,” which means there is virtually no water left in the sugar syrup and if you were to drop a little of the molten sugar into cold water, it would become brittle and most likely crack when bent. In the first stage, we ask that you cook sugar, corn syrup and water until it reaches 320 degrees F (160 degrees C). Since this recipe has two stages, there are two temperatures to look out for: The temperatures matter.įirst, we cook the sugar syrup (sugar, corn syrup, and water), and then we add the cream and butter. Use a Candy Thermometerĭon’t try this without a candy thermometer. Do not use “whipping cream,” since that is only made up of 30%. So, use either “heavy cream” or “heavy whipping cream” since they contain 36% or more. For our caramels recipe we need cream that contains at least 36% butterfat. In our recipe, we call for “ heavy cream” or “ heavy whipping cream.” If you check the back nutrition panel of cream cartons, you will notice that the percentage of butterfat can vary. Make Sure You Use The Right Kind of Cream This is fine, but after that, there is no need to stir until you begin to add the butter and cream – even then, though, we only ask that you use the bottom of the candy thermometer to stir, not a spoon. In our recipe, we ask that you stir to moisten sugar before bringing it to a boil.

This traps steam and moisture in the pan and helps melt any sugar crystals that may have found their way up the sides of the pan. Once you have brought the water, corn syrup and sugar to a boil, we ask that you cover the pan and leave it be for one minute. With that said, even when we make our caramels, we will sometimes see a few rogue sugar crystals on the sides of our pan. It’s best not to allow the sugar to splash up the sides of the pan as this can cause crystallization. When making caramels, it is important to do everything you can to prevent crystallization, which can make your caramels grainy, ruining the texture.įor our recipe, when you’re adding the sugar to the pan, add it slowly and with control. Candy making can go by quickly and if you’re not ready, things can go from good to bad fast. Read the Recipe All The Way Through Before You Startīefore you begin making caramels make sure you you’ve read through the recipe a couple times and have all equipment ready and ingredients measured out. Here’s the deal: Making caramels at home is easy, you just need to know these 7 tricks. That’s how we can confidently share the following tricks as well as this new and improved salted caramels recipe. So, we went back to the drawing boards and did our best to learn more. In fact, some time ago, we published a salted caramel recipe on this very blog.

When we first made caramels, we admit, things did not always work out. It uses the same caramel base, but adds chocolate. We also have this chocolate covered caramels recipe.

These salted caramels are soft, chewy and perfectly melt away in your mouth. You probably have all the ingredients needed to make them in your kitchen right now. 7 Tricks for Making the Best Salted Caramels at Home
