Caramel Sauce

[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).

[pastrygirl]

Don’t know if this will help, but I just made some caramel sauce, 3 parts sugar to 4 parts cream by weight, finished temp was 216f