Caramel courses - any suggestions?

[Rajala]

I want to learn everything about making caramels - whether it's a soft one in a molded bonbon, one that you cut and wrap, or more hard candy style. Like, I feel pretty confident when I make a ganache, and I want to reach that level when it comes to making a caramel. Today I'm just looking at recipes and maybe change the flavor and it usually ends up good. But I want to be able to formulate a caramel and get more confident in the amount of glucose syrup I use, the amount of butter etc. I'm looking for classes/courses that will teach me this that should be quite technical and scientific (I want to understand things on a high level).

 

Maybe something like this - https://www.ucc.ie/en/fitu/courses/shortcourse-introductiontothescienceofconfectioneryprocessingandmanufacturetrainingworkshop/ could be a good start, but I'm not sure. Has anyone ever attended something similar? Any other suggestions on where to start? I'm open to attend a course anywhere, as long as it's in English. Might be something good online available? Open for suggestions!

 

 

[Jim D.]

This is a tall order.  From reading your Instagram posts, I know more or less what you mean by "understand things on a high level."  I don't have the information you seek, but do have a couple of ideas:  I am sure @Chocolot (or someone who is familiar with her work) will point out her classic book, Candymaking.  I would consider her an expert in caramel.  Second idea is Jean-Marie Auboine in Las Vegas.  In one of the eGullet workshops I witnessed his making of an amazing caramel with all sort of ingredients one doesn't usually associate with the making of caramel (isomalt, lecithin, sorbitol, to name a few)  And his addition of cocoa butter to caramel was quite surprising--and has proved useful in my otherwise too-fluid caramel recipes.  Thinking of caramel as an emulsion akin to the making of a ganache was also a game-changer, this idea from @teonzo.  Mark Heim is another expert in all things confectionery.  I suspect @Kerry Beal will be, as usual, your best source for who can provide what you seek.

Edited July 15 by Jim D. (log)

[Kerry Beal]

14 hours ago, Jim D. said:

This is a tall order.  From reading your Instagram posts, I know more or less what you mean by "understand things on a high level."  I don't have the information you seek, but do have a couple of ideas:  I am sure @Chocolot (or someone who is familiar with her work) will point out her classic book, Candymaking.  I would consider her an expert in caramel.  Second idea is Jean-Marie Auboine in Las Vegas.  In one of the eGullet workshops I witnessed his making of an amazing caramel with all sort of ingredients one doesn't usually associate with the making of caramel (isomalt, lecithin, sorbitol, to name a few)  And his addition of cocoa butter to caramel was quite surprising--and has proved useful in my otherwise too-fluid caramel recipes.  Thinking of caramel as an emulsion akin to the making of a ganache was also a game-changer, this idea from @teonzo.  Mark Heim is another expert in all things confectionery.  I suspect @Kerry Beal will be, as usual, your best source for who can provide what you seek.

Everything I know about caramel I learned from @Chocolot

[Rajala]

I have that book, but I didn't read it too much as it used your American units - if I'm not mistaken. 😀

 

Let's revisit and see what I can learn from it. My main issue with only reading etc is that I believe I do everything right, and the sugar still crystallize at times. Like I made this raspberry caramel, to use for my special take on a Snickers, and the sugar crystallized after like a week. Whhhhhhyyy? Yeah, I probably messed up.

[Jim D.]

I am certainly not a caramel expert, but I have never had caramel crystallize.  Can you provide your recipe for the raspberry?

[Rajala]

Never? That's interesting. I can post it, when I'm home.

[Kerry Beal]

14 hours ago, Rajala said:

I have that book, but I didn't read it too much as it used your American units - if I'm not mistaken. 😀

 

Let's revisit and see what I can learn from it. My main issue with only reading etc is that I believe I do everything right, and the sugar still crystallize at times. Like I made this raspberry caramel, to use for my special take on a Snickers, and the sugar crystallized after like a week. Whhhhhhyyy? Yeah, I probably messed up.

Was there glucose in the recipe?

[Kerry Beal]

You are not in the US are you?

 

https://www.retailconfectioners.org/page/2025Caramels

[Rajala]

9 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

Was there glucose in the recipe?

 

Yeah, and some cream of tartar as well, to invert the sucrose a bit, I guess?

 

9 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

You are not in the US are you?

 

https://www.retailconfectioners.org/page/2025Caramels

 

Nope, Sweden. That looks like something that would be interesting and fun. But can't go on vacation at that time unfortunately.

[Kerry Beal]

8 hours ago, Rajala said:

 

Yeah, and some cream of tartar as well, to invert the sucrose a bit, I guess?

 

 

Nope, Sweden. That looks like something that would be interesting and fun. But can't go on vacation at that time unfortunately.

And they do use imperial measurements!

[RobertM]

I took the NCA course back in ‘93.  It was really a great class

Edited July 19 by RobertM (log)