Caramel/Caramelized Sugar [MERGED TOPIC]

[gfron1]

Side stepping the question because I don't have issues with dry caramel...When I do my dry, I sprinkle a little in until its melted, sprinkle a little more until its melted and so on - maybe 5 additions for a small batch. With that method I never have issues. I do stir fairly aggressively using that method to make sure its all melted. Once its all melted I take it to my desired color.

Edited November 12, 2014 by gfron1 (log)

[YetiChocolates]

Maybe that's been the issue, I put it in the pan all at once, do you use a pot or skillet?

[HQAntithesis]

I prefer doing all my caramels wet.  The added water is boiled out so it doesn't change the consistency or shelf life.  I also feel that it allows for a more evenly cooked caramel (though that's just because I'm not experienced with dry caramels I guess).  I suppose wet caramels do take longer to cook too but it could be multi-tasked so there's no time lost really (just set a timer or you might forget about it like I've done  ).

Edited November 12, 2014 by HQAntithesis (log)

[pastrygirl]

I know some people do claim there is a difference in the end result, but I am skeptical.  I always do wet so I don't have to stand there and watch it and tend to it constantly.  I like being able to keep an eye on it while I multi-task, then once it starts to color I give it more attention. 

[gfron1]

I do it in a pot and because you add gradually, it melts faster, so its no slower than wet. Grab a pot and a cup of sugar right now and go try - you'll see - super easy and fool proof.  And before you ask, its just a regular old stainless pot...nothing fancy - sometimes there's even crud stuck in the corners.

[Tri2Cook]

I always do wet so I don't have to stand there and watch it and tend to it constantly.  I like being able to keep an eye on it while I multi-task, then once it starts to color I give it more attention. 

Exactly the reason I tend towards wet. For the simple fact that I can start it and get quite a bit done with other things while it does it's thing then come back to it when it starts sounding like the water's cooked out. I don't think dry is any more difficult or time consuming, just more demanding of attention right from the start.

 

[Jim D.]

I am interested in knowing whether people wash down the sides of the pot as the caramel cooks (regardless of whether it starts as wet or dry).  I always do--just in case--but I have noticed that recipes in the books of major chocolate experts don't mention it.  One time I didn't succeed, and the sugar hardened on the sides of the pot, and after I added the heated cream, it took so long to dissolve the sugar that the caramel got much too dark.

[gfron1]

For my dry method I never have washed the sides - the sputtering and color coincide.

[pastrygirl]

Jim, my method for wet caramel is to make sure all the sugar is moistened, then wipe the sides of the pot with my wet hand to make sure there are no stray crystals.  Put it on pretty high heat, and do not touch the pan until it starts to color.  Once I get color, I'll swirl the pan.  But I wipe the sides before putting it on the heat rather than tend to a hot pan with a wet pastry brush, as is often advised, and I can feel with my hand better than I can with a brush.

[jmacnaughtan]

I find that the flavour tends to be better with a dry caramel, and it's a lot faster, especially for larger quantities.  Perversely, it's also simpler- you don't have to worry about crystallization.  Stir it as much as you want, no need to wash down the sides, no need to add glucose (unless it's for Aw) or worry about knocking the pot and have the whole thing set up on you.

 

Wet caramels are better for certain applications though.  If you're making a pièce montée (croquembouche), you don't want to take the caramel very far anyway, so you'd use a wet one.

[mostlylana]

I agree with gfron1 about adding sugar a little at a time when doing a dry caramel.  Works great.  

I've switched to wet for an odd reason... I use organic sugar (which has molasses residue) and I found that the dry method was giving me a burned molasses flavour that I didn't care for.  Oddly, the wet method doesn't give me this result even though I take it to the same temp.  I was quite sad to give up my dry method - but I'm over it.  

Now that I do fairly large batches - approx. 500 caramels per batch - I find it much easier to use the wet method.  

I find the trick for wet caramel is to dissolve all of the sugar at a low temp. before increasing the heat.  Really helps prevent crystallization.

Thanks for the wet hand wiping trick pastrygirl.  Good idea!

[Tri2Cook]

I don't wash down the sides and I'm not at all delicate with the pot, I actually swirl it quite vigorously once it really starts to color. I don't add glucose unless the specific recipe I'm using calls for it. I've yet to have crystallization issues. Then again, I've never had trouble getting egg whites to whip perfectly well even if a drop or two of yolk gets in the bowl. I think some of the precautions exist in the interest of "better safe than sorry" and aren't necessarily as big an issue in practice as they're reputed to be.

[Jim D.]

Thanks for all the replies on washing down the caramel pot (or not).  People certainly have many different approaches to making caramel.

 

Tri2Cook, it sounds as if the cooking gods have been smiling down on you all these years.  I can contribute one anecdote to your "cooking heresies that work" compilation:  Once I got a few drops of water in melting chocolate, and it was fine.  (Now I have put a curse on my future chocolatiering!)

 

About caramel, I do find that if I want a lighter caramel (for example, one that won't overwhelm a delicate flavor such as apple), a wet approach is the only one that works for me.

[YetiChocolates]

Definitely some good food for thought.  I think I'll try both methods and see which once produces a better result and go with that.  Thanks for the comments on how you guys do the dry method, I feel like an idiot that I've been doing it "wrong" all this time (or at least making it much harder on myself )

[Chocolot]

A question for all. Seems to me there are actually three different methods being discussed here: dry, moist and real wet. Dry is obvious, moist is what a lot would call the wet method ( sugar damp as wet sand), and then those that dissolve the sugar in water and cook it until is caramelizes. Have I misunderstood?

[RobertM]

It sounds right to me Chocolot...methodology seems as varied as the variations of types of caramel...dry caramels, milk caramels....and the list grows

[mostlylana]

yup, you're right Ruth.  I am not successful using the 'moist' (wet sand) method.  It's probably due to using organic sugar which isn't as refined.  I didn't have an issue with regular white sugar.

But the wet method works great for me.  What I do is take the amount of sugar needed and divide it by 4.  That's how much water I use.  Seems to be the perfect amount to dissolve the sugar yet doesn't keep me waiting all day for it to cook out.  

[jmacnaughtan]

yup, you're right Ruth.  I am not successful using the 'moist' (wet sand) method.  It's probably due to using organic sugar which isn't as refined.  I didn't have an issue with regular white sugar.

But the wet method works great for me.  What I do is take the amount of sugar needed and divide it by 4.  That's how much water I use.  Seems to be the perfect amount to dissolve the sugar yet doesn't keep me waiting all day for it to cook out.  

 

That seems a lot like the "moist" wet sand method everyone was talking about- when I need to cook a sugar syrup, I use 1/3 of the weight of sugar for the water, and that seems wet sandy to me.  But admittedly, sand can get pretty wet.

 

 

I don't wash down the sides and I'm not at all delicate with the pot, I actually swirl it quite vigorously once it really starts to color. I don't add glucose unless the specific recipe I'm using calls for it. I've yet to have crystallization issues. Then again, I've never had trouble getting egg whites to whip perfectly well even if a drop or two of yolk gets in the bowl. I think some of the precautions exist in the interest of "better safe than sorry" and aren't necessarily as big an issue in practice as they're reputed to be.

 

Admittedly, my syrups hardly ever crystallize.  But it only takes one time (especially if you're doing a large batch) to realize how much of a pain it is to have your syrup crystallize...

[Tri2Cook]

Admittedly, my syrups hardly ever crystallize.  But it only takes one time (especially if you're doing a large batch) to realize how much of a pain it is to have your syrup crystallize...

Absolutely. I'm not suggesting people shouldn't follow what is considered proper procedures. I've just taken liberties with certain techniques over the years and not had problems as a result. Sometimes it was by mistake, just not paying attention. Sometimes it was looking for more streamlined ways to do things. When something results in equal or better quality while saving some time, I hold on to it. But I also accept that there is probably a reason most of the warnings/techniques exist and won't be mad at anybody other than myself if I have a failure. In other words, I'm not suggesting anyone pay much attention to what I say.  

 

[Quesmoy]

I personally have not been brave enough to try the dry or moist method, so I always use the wet method.  However, some of these posts are to see my confidence that it will be that hard to try those 2.

 

I don’t technically wipe down the sides of my pan, but once all the sugar has melted I put a lid on the pot for 2 to 3 minutes which allows the condensation to wash down the sides.  Then I just swirl the pan periodically until I reached the color I want.  I have forgotten to put the lid on a couple times, and each time I caramels ended up crystallizing in a few days.

[Shel_B]

I've been learning how to make a simple custard dessert.  I'm almost where I want to be.  Next is learning how to make the caramel sauce.

 

I've seen different techniques.  One is to cook the sugar with water, another uses no water, and there are opposite positions about not swirling the pan when the sugar starts to boil, and, in at least one situation, the cook would just caramelize the sugar in the mold over the heat from the stove burner.

 

So, what do you do to melt your sugar?  Do you do it that way because it gives a specific, different result from another technique. Any general suggestions for making a caramel sauce?  Thanks!

[Jim D.]

This is mostly about the difference between "wet" and "dry" caramel.  As far as I can tell, both end up at the same place, but I prefer a slightly wet ("sandy") caramel. I find it easier to control how dark I want the caramel to be, and I also like to be able to get rid of the sugar crystals as completely as possible--by washing down the sides of the pan (though others don't use this technique).  There was a previous discussion of this issue that you might find useful.

[pastrygirl]

I generally do wet caramel because it takes less active involvement. 

 

If you've never made flan before, it may help to know that it does take some time for the custard to dissolve the hardened caramel and turn it into sauce.  If you un-mold the flan after only a few hours, you may find a disc of caramelized sugar and little sauce.  If you let the flan chill overnight, the sugar should be fully dissolved.

[jmacnaughtan]

I generally do wet caramel because it takes less active involvement. 

 

If you've never made flan before, it may help to know that it does take some time for the custard to dissolve the hardened caramel and turn it into sauce.  If you un-mold the flan after only a few hours, you may find a disc of caramelized sugar and little sauce.  If you let the flan chill overnight, the sugar should be fully dissolved.

 

I do the opposite- I prefer a dry one because it's so much faster.  But you're spot on with the rest time- if you're doing a crème caramel, you really have to let it rest a while.

[tikidoc]

I also do mine dry. And agree on the rest. I make flan the day before it is to be served so that all of the caramelized sugar dissolves. I like a lightly sweet custard with lots of yummy sauce, so I usually use more sugar in the caramel than the recipe calls for.