Content

• Method 2 of 3: Dry Caramelization Method
• Method 3 of 3: Colored Caramelized Sugar
• Tips
• Warnings
• What do you need

1 Prepare your ingredients. To make caramel using the wet method, you will need two glasses of white granulated sugar, half a glass of water, and a quarter teaspoon of lemon juice or tartar.

• If you require a small amount of caramel, use half the ingredients listed above: one glass of sugar, a quarter glass of water, and 1/8 teaspoon of lemon juice or tartar.
• Depending on the desired thickness of the caramel, the ratio of sugar to water will vary. The thinner you want the sauce, the more water you need to add.

2 Combine sugar and water in a saucepan. Use a high-quality, high-sided, thick-bottomed metal saucepan.

• Cheap, thin-bottomed pots have hot spots that can burn sugar and ruin caramel.
• Also, it is best to use a saucepan made of light colored metal such as stainless steel. This will allow you to see if the caramel darkens properly.

3 Place the saucepan over medium heat. Stir the mixture constantly with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula until the sugar begins to dissolve.

• To turn sugar into caramel, it must first dissolve or melt, which happens at 160 ° C.
• At this stage, the sugar syrup should be clear.

4 Add lemon or tartar. Add lemon juice or tartar (which you must dissolve in a little water first) to the sugar syrup. This will prevent the sugar from recrystallizing.

5 Bring sugar and water to a boil. Once the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture starts to boil, stop stirring.

6 Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 8-10 minutes. The sugar syrup should be simmered, not simmered.

• Cooking times will vary depending on the proportion of water to sugar, various culinary and other factors.
• Therefore, when you are caramelizing sugar, it is best to use the color of the mixture as a guide.

7 Do not stir. It is important not to stir the mixture when the water evaporates and the sugar begins to caramelize.

• Stirring will enrich the syrup with air. This will lower the temperature of the syrup. This way the sugar will not brown properly.
• Plus, hot caramel will just stick to a spoon or spatula, which is very difficult to peel off.

8 Watch the color. The best way to gauge the progress of a candy is to look very closely at the color. The mixture will turn out from white, light golden to dark amber. This can happen very quickly, so do not leave the pan unattended! Burnt caramel is not edible and should be discarded.

• Don't worry if the dark amber color appears to be acquiring in pieces. All you have to do is gently lift the pan by the handle and rotate the contents to distribute the color.
• It's also important to refrain from touching or tasting the caramel while cooking. Caramel, as a rule, reaches a temperature of about 170 ° C, and if it comes into contact with the skin, it will burn it.

9 Understand when the caramelization is complete. Watch the mixture carefully until it reaches an even, rich, brown color. When the entire contents of the pan reaches this even tone and the consistency becomes slightly thick, know that the caramelization process is complete.

• Once the caramel has reached the desired color, immediately remove it from the heat.
• If you keep the caramel on the fire for too long, it will turn out almost black in color and will have a burnt, bitter smell. If this happens, then you need to throw it away and start preparing a new one.

10 Stop the caramelization process. If you want to make sure that the cooking process has stopped and the sugar in the saucepan has not burnt out from the residual heat, place the bottom of the saucepan in ice water for about 10 seconds.

• However, if you took the pot off the heat too early, just let the caramel continue to cook for a minute.

11 Use cooked caramelized sugar for dessert immediately. Caramel the top of a fruit pie, make candy canes, sugar floss, or just drizzle onto ice cream!

• After cooling, the caramel hardens very quickly. If you wait too long to garnish the dessert with caramel, it will be too hard to pour or sprinkle.
• If this happens, simply place the pot back on low heat and wait for the caramel to melt again. Rotate the caramel pot rather than stirring with a spoon or spatula.

Method 2 of 3: Dry Caramelization Method

1. 1 Pour sugar into a thin-bottomed saucepan. Add an even layer of white, granulated sugar to a light-colored saucepan or heavy-bottomed skillet.
   • Since this method does not require any other ingredients, the exact amount of sugar is irrelevant.
   • Take one or two cups, depending on how much caramel you need.
2. 2 Heat sugar over moderate heat. Watch the caramel carefully as it heats up - it should begin to melt around the edges, turning from a clear liquid to a golden brown.
   • When the sugar starts to turn brown, use a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to move the melted sugar from the edges of the pot towards the center.
   • This will ensure that the sugar on the sides of the pot doesn't start to burn until the sugar in the middle has melted.
   • If the pan has a very thick layer of sugar, be careful not to burn the sugar in the bottom of the pan.
3. 3 Deal with the lumps. The sugar will probably melt unevenly, so don't worry if it looks lumpy in some parts and liquid in others. Just reduce heat and keep stirring. This will ensure that the caramel does not burn, as stirring will cause the lumps to melt.
   • It doesn't matter if you're having trouble melting the lumps, just strain the caramel to get rid of them.
   • Be careful not to stir the caramel too much, otherwise the sugar may clump before it melts.
   • Don't worry though. If this happens, just turn on a very low heat and refrain from stirring until the sugar begins to melt again.
4. 4 Watch the color. Watch the caramelizing sugar closely until it is exactly the right color - no more, no less. Ideal caramelized sugar should be a dark, amber color - much like the color of an old copper penny.
   • You will know the caramel is ready when it smokes. If you remove it before it smokes, the caramel will be a little undercooked.
   • You can also determine the readiness of caramel by smell - it should be deep and rich, with a light nutty aroma.
5. 5 Remove caramel from heat. Once the caramel is cooked, don't waste time and remove it from the heat. The caramel can be burnt very quickly, and the burnt caramel is bitter and cannot be used.
   • If you are using caramel for a pie or cream caramel, you can pour the caramel directly from the pan into the molds.
   • If you're making sugar floss, it's important to stop the caramelization process by dipping the bottom of the pot in ice water. Otherwise, the residual heat from the pan will burn the caramel.
   • If you are making a caramel sauce, add the butter or cream to the caramel right away. This will stop the caramel from cooking and create an amazing creamy top for ice cream and desserts. Just be careful, as the melted caramel may splash when dairy is added.
6. 6 Ready.

Method 3 of 3: Colored Caramelized Sugar

1. 1 Pour organic sugar into a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Place the saucepan over medium heat.
2. 2 When the sugar is hot, add a drop of food coloring. Drip every 5 minutes.
3. 3 The sugar should darken a lot and become a sticky mass.
4. 4 Add hot water to the sticky mass. For each part of the sugar, you need 5 glasses of water.
5. 5 Cook until caramelized. The color will be richer after the process is complete.
6. 6 Ready.

Tips

• Use the lowest temperature setting that will caramelize the sugar. This gives the greatest level of control and prevents the caramel from burning or burning.
• When you cook the caramel sugar and the process comes to a close, the caramel can burn very quickly. Keep a close eye on the caramel mixture and when it's done (or nearly done), immediately remove from heat.
• Add some lemon juice to the water / sugar mixture. This will give the caramel a subtle flavor and prevent the caramel sauce from hardening.

Warnings

• Caramelized sugar can reach very high temperatures and can burn the skin if splashed. Wear gloves and a long-sleeved shirt when cooking, or keep a bowl of ice cold water nearby so you can dip your hand in the water in case of a burn.
• Do not cook in a saucepan that has not been thoroughly cleaned. Any remaining particles on the bottom of the pot may cause crystallization.
• Caramelizing sugar requires full concentration. Do not cook other dishes that require your time and attention while making the caramel, or this will most likely cause the caramel to burn.

What do you need

• Beaker
• White granulated sugar
• Water
• Lemon juice (optional)
• Heavy Bottom Casserole
• Silicone spatula or wooden spoon
• Ice water (optional)