Caramel is the result of melting and browning sugar. Heat granulated sugar and water on medium heat until the sugar dissolves, swirling the pot if you notice any sugar clumps forming. Because cookware and stoves do not always distribute heat evenly, it is important that you stand over the caramel during the entire process. Once burnt, it cannot be saved. I make a lot of caramels for dipping that I take up to 245 and then pour into silicone molds to set. While perfecting caramel takes practice, sugar is cheap, so mistakes aren't costly. The acidity of the jam works really well I think. It is flowing at room temp, spoon-able when cold but can separate after a few weeks at room temp. off the heat, and then using it), you don’t have enough liquid in your caramel. But I don't think the explanation makes sense, and I remain puzzled. http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2008/01/ten-tips-for-ma-1/, http://www.thefreedictionary.com/recrystallize, http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/nov/14/how-to-cook-caramel, http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2008/01/how-to-make-the/, http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/oct/19/kitchen-tips-how-to-make-caramel, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow, Any impurities in your pot or on your cooking utensil (spoon, spatula) can cause an unwanted reaction called. If you are too late and the heavy-duty pan has crystal on it, then soak it in warm water for 30 minutes and then clean it. Best of all, it is something fun you can do together. Get a good thermometer and make sure it is calibrated properly - boil some water and see what the thermometer reads - it should be 212F  - if not note the temperature and increase or decrease your final temp as needed. Two important criteria for a good caramel are color and flavor. The consistency of caramel comes down to the cooking temp. do you find it reaches an amber colour at this temp? 17. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Watch the caramel at all times as it is easy to burn it. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. I have only recently come to the conclusion that what one is doing when adding the butter is making an emulsion--blending what is mostly fat into what is mostly liquid (though each element contains the other as well). Then adding in a bit more water with the butter (which is usually around 18% water). Keep a deep bowl of cold water nearby to plunge your hand in if caramel lands on it. Make this cake. Current recipe - 200g sugar, 180g cream, 40g butter - tastes beautiful but sets too hard! Once you know what end purpose you need the caramel for, it's time to get started making your own caramel. Choose between wet caramel (used for sauces and dipping apples) or dry caramel (firmer in consistency, it is made with melted sugar only and is used for making pralines, brittles and flans). We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Since it's the same proportions as for other caramels I make, the only explanation I have come up with is that it has to do with using jelly plus cream (so more liquid than using just cream). In my opinion if you're getting fat separate out you either need an emulsifier in the recipe or you've just got too much fat. Learn more... Caramel is the result of melting and browning sugar. I am incredibly frustrated when the problem occurs because sometimes--using exactly the same recipe--all goes well. By using our site, you agree to our. Thanks Bentley, from my experiments I think it must be that I need more liquid in my recipe, I tried the heating after adding cream method, however as soon as I added the cream it was already at 225F! By the time your sugar caramelizes there’s probably not much if any of that initial water left. I am incredibly frustrated when the problem occurs because sometimes--using exactly the same recipe--all goes well. So the temp you cook too in the second stage will depend slightly on how much butter you're adding, but I imagine somewhere in the 104 area will get you close to a runny caramel. If you don't want to make caramel from scratch, you can take a shortcut by. Keep lowering the temp to get the consistency you want. Pear cake with salted caramel sauce and caramel shards – feel the need to impress? {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/a\/a6\/Make-Caramel-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Make-Caramel-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/a\/a6\/Make-Caramel-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/aid188406-v4-728px-Make-Caramel-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>


\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/9\/9c\/Make-Caramel-Step-2-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Make-Caramel-Step-2-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/9\/9c\/Make-Caramel-Step-2-Version-3.jpg\/aid188406-v4-728px-Make-Caramel-Step-2-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>


\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/b\/b1\/Make-Caramel-Step-3-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Make-Caramel-Step-3-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/b\/b1\/Make-Caramel-Step-3-Version-3.jpg\/aid188406-v4-728px-Make-Caramel-Step-3-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":344,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"545","licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>


\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/3\/3f\/Make-Caramel-Step-4-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Make-Caramel-Step-4-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/3\/3f\/Make-Caramel-Step-4-Version-3.jpg\/aid188406-v4-728px-Make-Caramel-Step-4-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>


\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/2\/23\/Make-Caramel-Step-5-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Make-Caramel-Step-5-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/2\/23\/Make-Caramel-Step-5-Version-2.jpg\/aid188406-v4-728px-Make-Caramel-Step-5-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":344,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"545","licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>


\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/8\/80\/Make-Caramel-Step-6-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Make-Caramel-Step-6-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/8\/80\/Make-Caramel-Step-6-Version-3.jpg\/aid188406-v4-728px-Make-Caramel-Step-6-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":344,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"545","licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>


\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/d\/d3\/Make-Caramel-Step-7-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Make-Caramel-Step-7-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/d\/d3\/Make-Caramel-Step-7-Version-2.jpg\/aid188406-v4-728px-Make-Caramel-Step-7-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>


\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/9\/93\/Make-Caramel-Step-8.jpg\/v4-460px-Make-Caramel-Step-8.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/9\/93\/Make-Caramel-Step-8.jpg\/aid188406-v4-728px-Make-Caramel-Step-8.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>


\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/c\/ce\/Make-Caramel-Step-9.jpg\/v4-460px-Make-Caramel-Step-9.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/c\/ce\/Make-Caramel-Step-9.jpg\/aid188406-v4-728px-Make-Caramel-Step-9.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>


\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/b\/b5\/Make-Caramel-Step-10.jpg\/v4-460px-Make-Caramel-Step-10.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/b\/b5\/Make-Caramel-Step-10.jpg\/aid188406-v4-728px-Make-Caramel-Step-10.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"