Five Fabulous Caramel Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How long does it take caramel to reach 245 degrees? ›

With my perfectly calibrated thermometer, I cook these perfect vanilla caramels to exactly 245 degrees. This will take about 30-45 minutes, depending on your stove and how you moderate the heat. At this temperature, they are soft but not stick-to-the-paper soft.

You can leave the caramels out at room temperature, tucked away from heat or light, and they'll stay fresh for six to nine months. If you'd prefer to put the caramel candies away in the fridge to keep them from getting too warm at room temperature, you certainly can.

The main ingredient in caramel is sugar. However, depending on the recipe you use, you may have to incorporate butter, heavy cream, water, or corn syrup as additional ingredients. High-quality, real caramel is always made with three basic ingredients and those are sugar, heavy cream, and butter.

Swirl the pan occasionally, until the sugar melts and begins to caramelize and turn a deep amber color. This will take about 5 to 6 minutes, depending on your pan and stovetop.

The caramelization process happens quick, and you want to be there when it's time to remove it from the heat. From golden, the mixture will continue to darken. Pull you pan off of the heat when you see the mixture turn to the color of a shiny copper penny. That's how you know it's done!

Homemade caramel typically lasts about 2 weeks when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Refrigerating homemade caramel can extend its shelf life to about a month, and freezing it can further prolong its usability up to a year. However, the texture may change slightly upon thawing.

Spread hot caramel to the edges of the pan and allow to cool to room temperature. Wrap with plastic wrap (or put on the lid if your pans are lidded) and store all day or overnight in the fridge.

Swirl, don't stir: While slow, deliberate stirring will help the sugar dissolve evenly, you want to stop stirring once it has fully melted.

Explanation: The typical formula for caramels is C24H36O18 , so the elements of water have been removed from the sucrose.

Caramel can be produced in so many forms such as, sauce, a chewy candy, or a hard candy because of how much of an ingredient is added and the temperature it is being prepared at.

How do you make Ina Garten caramel? ›

Overheating the mixture

Once it gets a burnt or bitter flavor, it can't be saved. Luckily, sugar is inexpensive, so you can always start over!

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.

Clip a candy thermometer to pot and continue to cook, over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the temperature climbs to 240 F. This will take about 30 minutes. Once the temperature is reached, add the vanilla and stand back because the mixture will bubble up when you do so.

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.

Give your caramel at least two hours to set, or overnight if possible. You can also pop caramel into the fridge to help it set up faster. The caramel will sweat a little when brought out of the fridge, but will still taste fine. If you don't eat it right away, here's how to store caramel.

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.