Easy Salted Chewy Caramels Recipe – Must Love Home (2024)

FAQs

What is chewy caramel made of? ›

The ingredients for these caramels are very simple. Butter, sugar, karo syrup, evaporated milk, and vanilla extract. However, the key to creating magic–that amazing rich caramel taste and texture–is in the cooking process.

At room temperature, soft caramel candies will last for as long as nine months. You can also store your caramels in the freezer in a container or bag to further extend their shelf life; there, they will last as long as a year.

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).

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.

Salted caramel is often used as a topping for desserts or as a filling for candies and chocolates. In summary, the main difference between caramel and salted caramel is the presence of salt in the latter. Caramel is sweet and has a rich, buttery flavor, while salted caramel has a slightly savory edge to its sweetness.

After the caramel cools down, pour it into a glass jar or container. 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.

This sweet sauce can be left out at room temperature for a few days, but because of the dairy incorporated into the sauce, it's best kept refrigerated. Plus, popping it in the fridge will keep your caramel sauce fresher for longer.

Technically caramels don't need to be refrigerated; but for ease of cutting and longest shelf life I always refrigerate. You'll get a bit of sweating when you take them in and out of the refrigerator, but that's OK. I like to place a layer of waxed paper, and then a layer of foil over the caramels before refrigerating.

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 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. If caramels are too soft, that means the temperature didn't get high enough.

What thickens homemade caramel? ›

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.

Just a half teaspoon of lemon per cup of sugar will prevent crystals from forming and ensure that your caramel remains smooth and velvety. You can add the lemon juice to the dry sugar when you put it in your melting pot.

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.

Heat until the syrup reaches 240 to 245 degrees Fahrenheit. The lower the temperature, the softer the resulting caramels will be.

When creating caramel, there are typically two different versions: wet caramel and dry caramel. Wet caramel refers to caramel that has been made by adding water to the sugar during the heating process.

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.

If the caramel forms a pliable soft ball, for instance, it's around 240°F. If it forms a hard ball, it's between 250°F to 260°F, etc. Sometimes recipes will even use the descriptors below to specify the stage your caramel should be cooked to.

Many recipes call for caramel, but if you don't have the time to make it from scratch, the easiest thing to do is to melt some caramel candies. The key to getting it right is to use soft caramels as opposed to hard. You must also add some sort of liquid, such as milk or cream, to prevent the caramels from drying out.