Caramel Sauce

[Jeffery C]

Can this be substituted in all recipes? Could I do this for pulled sugar?

I have always used lemon juice for my caramel sauces but I have never made pulled sugar. I dont know the exact acidic level of either cream of tartar or lemon juice so I would google that before attempting to use it with a pulled sugar recipe.

Edited March 17, 2011 by Jeffery C (log)

[CanadianBakin']

Just wanted to let you know I figured out how to fix the problem but I don't understand the why. The recipe specifies cooking the sugar to 350F. That works at home but at work I have to pull it at about 345F. I thought it might be the difference in thermometers so I used both the one from home and from work. They do differ by a couple degrees but regardless of which one I was reading I still had to pull it off the heat before it hit 350F. Happy to have a resolution but it would be great to understand why.

[Blether]

Exactly the same pot in both places ?

[bkeith]

Cream of tartar acts as an acid which helps turn some of the granulated sugar into invert sugar which helps to prevent re-crystalization. You can substitute a few drops of lemon juice.

Can this be substituted in all recipes? Could I do this for pulled sugar?

Yep -- works fine. I watched Roland Mesnier do this a few years back (sugar and water in a pot, bring to a boil, squeeze in some lemon juice and add a big glop of glucose, boil to temp, pull, make amazing things).

I've since done the same, and it works great. I followed his lead and didn't measure the lemon juice, but I'd estimate I used approx 1/2 - 1 tsp lemon juice per pound of sugar.

[chezcherie]

i would think if you are quadrupling the recipe, you shouldn't need to 4x the cream of tartar. i'd try the same amount as a 1x recipe, or maybe a tiny bit more, but not 1/2 tsp. good luck!

[Mjx]

My first thought for a possible offender was corn syrup. Most things that contain it in any significant amount taste bitter/metallic (or, sometimes, soapy) to me. It's a bit of a pain to change recipes to replace corn syrup with sugar, but it is doable, and I've been really happy with the results of everything I've done this for, from chocolate sauce to fondant.

[Jeffery C]

corn syrup is used in recipes that require an invert sugar because it is WIDELY available. most of the time it is added as a safe guard as invert sugar is very stable and does not crystalize easily. the addition of this type of sugar to a crystalized form helps to keep the crystalized sugar from restructuring once it has been liquified. most edible inverted sugars will do and usually can be omitted, depending on the recipe.

[CanadianBakin']

Exactly the same pot in both places ?

Same pot, same thermometer, both electric stove tops.

[Jeffery C]

Upon removing from the heat source do you shock the pot by setting it in a pan of water to remove some of the excess heat? this helps to keep the pan from to continuing to cook the sugar.

[Mjx]

corn syrup is used in recipes that require an invert sugar because it is WIDELY available. most of the time it is added as a safe guard as invert sugar is very stable and does not crystalize easily. the addition of this type of sugar to a crystalized form helps to keep the crystalized sugar from restructuring once it has been liquified. most edible inverted sugars will do and usually can be omitted, depending on the recipe.

As I noted upthread, I mentioned the possibility of omitting corn syrup only because it can be a source of the sorts of off-flavours she described.

Inverted sugars certainly do make recipes that include them much easier to work with than those that rely on sugar alone, but it is possible to make most, if not all sweets without them (you do need to be more careful, with regard to crystallization).

[ritz55]

Hi

 

Could some one please help me with a large batch of caramel! Sugar and water proportion remain same or is water reduced? Have  tried a few batches and got hard rock sugar

Regards

[Drewman]

3 parts sugar with 1 part water to prevent scorching. Add a little lemon juice or other acid to prevent crystallizing.

[JeanneCake]

This is our large batch caramel sauce:

 

3# heavy cream, warmed

 

In a large braiser:

1# 8 oz water

9 oz corn syrup

5# 4 oz sugar

 

12 oz unsalted butter, chopped

 

mix it gently (because I never wash the sides down with a wet brush but you don't want to leave a giant mound of sugar in the center either)

 

Moderate heat til it starts to color then watch it carefully.  When it's the color you want,  turn off the heat, add the cream in a slow stream, starting and stopping as the bubbles rise and subside; when the cream is added, add the butter and 4 tbl vanilla and stir with a whisk.

 

If what you were looking for is straight caramel (for dipping or making a cage) then what Drewman said.  I like to rub the pot with a cut lemon first.

 

ETA: forgot the butter quantity

Edited November 27, 2014 by JeanneCake (log)

[ritz55]

Thanks Drewman!! How much would cream be?

JeanneCake appreciate your response! But again how much is the cream quantity?

[Lisa Shock]

FYI, the water amount is immaterial. By the time you get caramel color, the water is gone. The water is mostly an insurance policy for getting an even initial melt.

[jmacnaughtan]

If you want to speed it up (and get a better flavour), I'd recommend doing a dry caramel.  You do need to keep an eye on it though.

[Alexei Korolev]

Hello!

 

Does anyone here have experience in making caramelized sugar in large batches? I'm an ice cream manufacturer and our most popular flavor is salty caramel. Let me tell you how we make our caramel sauce:

 

In 25 litre saucepan we put sugar + water + cream of tartar. We boil it WITHOUT stirring until the water evaporates and the temperature reaches 180 degrees celcius (356 degrees Fahrenheit) . We measure with digital probe thermometer. Then we drop butter in it and the worker starts stirring with a wooden paddle. It all starts to splutter and slop out of sausepan, it's pretty dangerous moment. Then, when it ends, we add cream and continue stirring. The caramel sauce is ready at this point. We make 240 kgs/ day. 

 

As our company grows, we need more caramel sauce. I'm looking for an industrial equipment that can help me upscale the production and make the process less risky, so not the worker, but the machine does all the stirring. Does such an equipment exist? What should I be looking for?

 

Thank you.

Edited April 18, 2016 by Smithy
Adjusted title (log)

[Kerry Beal]

A Savage Firemixer should work - http://www.savagebros.com/p.14/s-92-firemixer-cooker-mixer-gas-or-electric.aspx

Edited April 18, 2016 by Kerry Beal (log)

[danielle_j]

On ‎4‎/‎18‎/‎2016 at 3:53 AM, Alexei Korolev said:

Hello!

 

Does anyone here have experience in making caramelized sugar in large batches? I'm an ice cream manufacturer and our most popular flavor is salty caramel. Let me tell you how we make our caramel sauce:

 

In 25 litre saucepan we put sugar + water + cream of tartar. We boil it WITHOUT stirring until the water evaporates and the temperature reaches 180 degrees celcius (356 degrees Fahrenheit) . We measure with digital probe thermometer. Then we drop butter in it and the worker starts stirring with a wooden paddle. It all starts to splutter and slop out of sausepan, it's pretty dangerous moment. Then, when it ends, we add cream and continue stirring. The caramel sauce is ready at this point. We make 240 kgs/ day. 

 

As our company grows, we need more caramel sauce. I'm looking for an industrial equipment that can help me upscale the production and make the process less risky, so not the worker, but the machine does all the stirring. Does such an equipment exist? What should I be looking for?

 

Thank you.

 

Hi Alexei -- Wondering if you had any luck in figuring out scaling your caramel.  We're in a very similar situation to what you described in 2016, but can't afford an automated unit like the Savage....thinking we may try to get at least a larger pot by Savage to make bigger batches still by hand.  Thanks and Happy New Year!

[Kerry Beal]

IS this too big?

[Lisa Shock]

If you can attend a trade show, manufacturers who display there often sell off equipment cheaply so they don't have to ship it back. (plus, if they did demos, it's now technically a 'used' unit)

[Dark side]

Im trying to make a caramel sauce to use in warm drinks at my cafe. Ive so far used our same recipe from our dipped caramel (sugar/agave syrup/cream/butter), just cooking to a lower temp (225°), but it has been crystallizing and not remaining very "flowy."

It is stored in the fridge to help with shelf life, with some brought out each day into a squeeze bottle to use. 

It doesnt terribly mattter that it crystallizes, as it's being whisked into warm drinks, but id love suggestions/tips/recipes for how to keep it smooth and saucy (also for alternate use in bonbons) and not crystalline. 

[paulraphael]

I haven't tried this, but you could try either 1) adding a little invert sugar (trimoline or some honey), or 2) adding a little acid to the sugar before you cook (citric or cream of tartar). Added acid will split some of your sucrose molecules into invert syrup. 

 

Either approach should reduce crystallization. 

[pastrygirl]

Are you cooking everything together?  I'd say cook it less but I don't know how much caramel flavor you'd get. Or you could take your fully cooked caramels - do you have scraps? - , add water, and cook to a lower temp, maybe 220?

 

But if you don't have scraps to recycle that's making more work so instead, caramelize some sugar on its own to desired darkness, then deglaze with warm cream.  Equal parts by weight will be saucy, you can add less cream if you want it thicker.

Edited August 31, 2022 by pastrygirl (log)

[Jim D.]

I use pastrygirl's method (caramelizing sugar first, then adding cream) but also add some glucose to the mixture.  This (in my experience) keeps it from crystallizing later.  You can also add butter at the end to make it richer-tasting.  Another possibility is to use some milk instead of all cream.  In any event, when you are ready to use it, you can simply warm it up, adding a bit of milk, cream, or even water to get the desired consistency.  I would also add some sea salt to counteract the sweetness (if you want to accomplish that goal).