Caramel facts

Caramel can be made by boiling sugar slowly (that is the key) to approximately 170C/340F. As the sugar liquefies and and draws near this temperature, the sugar breaks down into composites with the characteristic caramel color and flavor. MMM- melted sugar.

Caramel is also made as a soft chewy candy, obviously caramel flavored, by boiling milk, sugar, butter, vanilla essence, water and glucose syrup. This candy is not heated to more than 120C/248F or it would caramelize. Heating it too much creates the hard caramel candy that simply cannot be good for our teeth, but the soft chewy kind- now that is a treat! Are you not thinking of picking some up the next time you are at the grocery store?

Many candies are made with caramel flavoring- caramel apples, pralines, nougats, and creme caramel custard. Carmelo candy bars are on my top five list of candy bars ever. Caramel coated popcorn is another sweet concoction.