The Zen of Wrapping Caramels

[alanamoana]

a little late on the chiming in, but i usually skip the fridge-ing part and just wrap with no problems. roll the sucker up in the cello square and place your thumbs pointing inward against the caramel. you should have one thumb up and one thumb under and simultaneously twist the wrapper in opposite directions (one side toward you and one side away from you). repeat to secure the twist and you should be fine. it might loosen a little, but the double twist usually works fine.

i'm sure i made something completely simple sound much more difficult than it is!

good luck kerry!

[prairiegirl]

Kerry,

Did you use a Canadian source?

[Kerry Beal]

Kerry,

Did you use a Canadian source?

←

No, couldn't find a Canadian source, so I went with the Glerup Revere Group because the price was good.

[John DePaula]

Ok, 'tis the season and I'm wrapping a lot of caramels.

This task kinda drives me crazy!

Lately, I've been putting on old French language tapes (French in Action by Capretz). I love that stuff and it helps slow the loss of a 2nd language for me.

What do you do to combat the tedium when you're working long hours at mundane tasks?

[mrose]

Ok, 'tis the season and I'm wrapping a lot of caramels. 

This task kinda drives me crazy! 

Lately, I've been putting on old French language tapes (French in Action by Capretz).  I love that stuff and it helps slow the loss of a 2nd language for me.

What do you do to combat the tedium when you're working long hours at mundane tasks?

←

I listen to a lot of books on tape since I always work alone & a session is at least 4 - 5 hours

[Kerry Beal]

I put the caramel on a baking sheet on my lap, sit on my big old comfy chair in the kitchen in front of the idiot box.

[John DePaula]

I do have the idiot box on quite a lot but eventually, I just can't stand it anymore. 500 channels and nothing to watch! What's up with that?

I have done books-on-tape before and that's enjoyable, too. We have a really good library system here in Portland. I can get online and find books; they'll ship them to my local branch for checkout. I need to do more of that for audio books.

[mrose]

I do have the idiot box on quite a lot but eventually,    I just can't stand it anymore.  500 channels and nothing to watch!  What's up with that? 

I have done books-on-tape before and that's enjoyable, too.  We have a really good library system here in Portland.  I can get online and find books; they'll ship them to my local branch for checkout.  I need to do more of that for audio books.

←

It's amazing for such a rinky dink city Battle Creek library is excellent for books on tape. You should also check out Audible. You have to buy these but if you buy a subscription it costs under $10 a book. Vast selection

[alanamoana]

i just sort of use the time to tune out and while i'm not really meditating, my mind just wanders...this can be good or bad...depending on my state of mind when i start the task

oh john, quit complaining...i still haven't taken the plunge and gotten cable...6 years and no tv for me.

[lebowits]

Ok, 'tis the season and I'm wrapping a lot of caramels. 

This task kinda drives me crazy! 

Lately, I've been putting on old French language tapes (French in Action by Capretz).  I love that stuff and it helps slow the loss of a 2nd language for me.

What do you do to combat the tedium when you're working long hours at mundane tasks?

←

I listen to music or the radio (usually NPR). If I'm working on Saturday as I often do, the Saturday NPR shows keep me pretty entertained.

[emilyr]

My mom and I wrap together and often my sister, brothers, dad, cousins, friends, whoever's in the house jump in and help out too. It becomes a bit of a gabfest. If no one else is around, we put on an awful Lifetime movie or a plastic surgery show and ewwwww our way through it or just bring the pan and a good knife to Grandmama's and let people cut off what they want and forget the wrapping!

ETA: Here's a question, do you wrap with a package-type fold or twist the ends. We're twisters for the most part unless the caramels are getting packed into smallish gift boxes.

Edited November 20, 2007 by emilyr (log)

[John DePaula]

My mom and I wrap together and often my sister, brothers, dad, cousins, friends, whoever's in the house jump in and help out too. It becomes a bit of a gabfest. If no one else is around, we put on an awful Lifetime movie or a plastic surgery show and ewwwww our way through it or just bring the pan and a good knife to Grandmama's and let people cut off what they want and forget the wrapping!

ETA: Here's a question, do you wrap with a package-type fold or twist the ends. We're twisters for the most part unless the caramels are getting packed into smallish gift boxes.

←

I'm a twister, too!

[mrose]

My mom and I wrap together and often my sister, brothers, dad, cousins, friends, whoever's in the house jump in and help out too. It becomes a bit of a gabfest. If no one else is around, we put on an awful Lifetime movie or a plastic surgery show and ewwwww our way through it or just bring the pan and a good knife to Grandmama's and let people cut off what they want and forget the wrapping!

ETA: Here's a question, do you wrap with a package-type fold or twist the ends. We're twisters for the most part unless the caramels are getting packed into smallish gift boxes.

←

I'm a twister, too!

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Twisting is enough of a job when doing a lot. I can't imaging folding the ends. It would make me pull out the little hair I have left.

[tammylc]

I'm a twister. At least, I have been up until now. But I'm including a wrapped butter nut caramel in my Christmas box, and I'll have to do a package fold if it's going to fit in my trays. We'll see how that goes...

[patsikes]

What material do you wrap with? Wax paper, parchment, or something special?

[John DePaula]

What material do you wrap with?  Wax paper, parchment, or something special?

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I use a cello square.

[emilyr]

What material do you wrap with?  Wax paper, parchment, or something special?

←

wax paper

[patsikes]

Cello... Hmmm... I assume that would rip less than wax paper would, which is what I normally use.

I had thought about doing chocolate dipped caramels but the weather here in St Petersburg has not been that cooperative humidity wise for chocolate.

Plus I have two big boxes (like 10,000 bags each or something crazy like that) of cello bags that we bought for the business two years ago that I could cut to about 4 squares each.

By the way, anyone interested in buying a big box of cello bags???? Email me if you are interested!

Patrick

[excv_]

I know this topic is practically dead and I'm not even sure it's the right place for my question, but since I didn't want to make a whole new thread:

What exactly happens when you leave caramels unwrapped? 

Every soft caramel recipe I've seen tells me to wrap or dip them in chocolate if they're not going to be used soon, but never states why or exactly how long they can stay 'bare'. I'm guessing from my previous experiences they can slump/ flatten to an unattractive shape- if they do, approximately how long does it take and how can it be prevented? One of my plans for a decorative finish on the recipe(more like flavor variations on an existing recipe, but whatever) I'm developing involves dipping them only partway; quite tricky to wrap without damaging the appearance. While there's no reason for that other than visual appeal, meaning I can simply cover the whole thing if I had to, it'd be great to know what I can try. Thanks in advance!

[pastrygirl]

I know this topic is practically dead and I'm not even sure it's the right place for my question, but since I didn't want to make a whole new thread:

What exactly happens when you leave caramels unwrapped? 

Every soft caramel recipe I've seen tells me to wrap or dip them in chocolate if they're not going to be used soon, but never states why or exactly how long they can stay 'bare'. I'm guessing from my previous experiences they can slump/ flatten to an unattractive shape- if they do, approximately how long does it take and how can it be prevented? One of my plans for a decorative finish on the recipe(more like flavor variations on an existing recipe, but whatever) I'm developing involves dipping them only partway; quite tricky to wrap without damaging the appearance. While there's no reason for that other than visual appeal, meaning I can simply cover the whole thing if I had to, it'd be great to know what I can try. Thanks in advance!

 

They will slump and ooze, and can absorb humidity from the air and get sticky.  You could try dipping the bottom and sides, just leaving the top bare, but I still don't think you would have much shelf life, maybe a few days if you have someplace cool and very dry to store them.

[gap]

I dip my caramels. If it is a hot day with a bit of humidity, they can start "slumping" after an hour if they are cut to size.

[pastrygirl]

I wonder if gelatin would help make a soft caramel firmer but not chewier. 

[Darienne]

Timely updating of this thread.  Last week made some Apple Cider Salted Caramels...to die for...and began wrapping them in the familiar LorAnn Confectionery Twisting Wax Papers.  A couple of dozen wrappings into the job and I decided I could not bear the job. 

So tempered some chocolate and dipped them all.  End of problem.  I will never wrap naked caramels again.
 

Edited November 14, 2015 by Darienne (log)