It hasn't been discussed on this forum that I have seen, but the maximum temperature of a sugar solution is directly related to the amount of water in the solution. Water boils @ 212 degrees f. at sea level. Sugar melts @ 350 degrees and carmelizes @ 356 degrees. You desired state of sugar solution is a mixture of these. Less water=higher temperature. In other words what is happening when you go from soft ball to hard crack is you are evaporating more water to raise the temp. which detirmines the final structure of the sugar. You can add "cups" of extra liquid to a sugar solution, but you will not achieve your desired temp. until the water has evaporated. The only mistake you could make is to add too little water at the beginning in which case your solution may jump past your desired final temperature too quickly for you to react. The type of sugar you use should have little effect on the final product other than taste. Maple syrup, honey, palm sugar, mollassas, etc... It is possible that some sugar types may be more prone to granular crystal formation than others. Some glucose shoulld be added to reduce the formation of undesireable crystals which make the final product gritty or granular. When you are boiling a sugar solution stirring can cause crystals to form on the stirring instrument as well as the side of the pot. It is a good idea to wipe down the sides of your pot with water on a pastry brush as you go to eliminate the solid sugar on the sides from creating crystals as you pour the solution out of the pot. Think of these particles of solid sugar as "seeds" ready to grow crystals. I have found that it is a good idea to use a clean spoon, spatula to scrape the sugar out of the pot as you move to the next step in your recipe. I see many comments about caramels too soft to keep their shape. I can think of several possible causes. Not reaching the final temperature. Any thermometer must be calibrated. Some can actually be adjusted. Others cannot be adjusted but you can make a mental note to adjust the reading in use. Put your thermometer in an ice bath with at least 50% ice. Does it read exactly 32 degrees? Put it in boiling water. Does it read 212? Remember to add 2 degrees to the reading for every 1000 feet you are above sea level. In other words the boiling point will be 210 degrees @ 1000 feet. If you are @ 2000 feet and your recipe calls for 256 degrees you need to be closer to 260 degrees due to the elevation difference. 2 degrees per 1000 feet above sea level. Too much water/moisture in the final product. This can be caused by the type of cream that you use. Light cream/half & half is about 12% fat. Light whipping cream is about 28-32 % fat Heavy cream is about 36% fat Manufacturing cream is about 40 % fat The rest is mostly water. So the type of cream may affect the final result. If you want to stiffen your caramel you could simmer the cream to reduce the amount of water. If the recipe calls for 1/2 cup, start with 3/4 cup and simmer it down to 1/2 cup. This much easier than trying to cook the caramel down after you add the cream. Look at me ramble on. I hope this helps Darrell
