Homemade Caramels ~ An Easy and Favorite Holiday Candy Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best thing to wrap homemade caramels in? ›

Most caramels will need a little time at room temperature in order to cut more easily. Cut in squares and wrap in waxed paper or parchment paper. Wrapped caramels can also be frozen.

Homemade caramel candies don't need to be stored in the fridge, as long as they're wrapped well to be kept free of moisture. You can leave the caramels out at room temperature, tucked away from heat or light, and they'll stay fresh for six to nine months.

Why do I line with parchment? Because the caramel doesn't stick to it. Wax paper would melt and disintegrate under the high heat.

The best way to cut the caramels is when they are cold from the fridge. Use a super sharp knife, and mark out your cuts before you make them. I find it easiest to cut the whole pan into strips first with vertical cuts, then make the four horizontal cuts.

Protect truffles, caramels, and nougats from dampness by wrapping them individually in clear plastic wrap. Chocolate candies will last up to 2 weeks in the fridge. Caramels can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Store popcorn balls this way, too, but consume within one week for the best quality.

Make Ahead and Storing Instructions: homemade caramels will keep well in the fridge, covered or wrapped, for several weeks. Take them out to come to room temperature for them to be soft and chewy.

You can also store your caramels in the freezer in a container or bag to further extend their shelf life; there, they will last as long as a year. If you do so, however, be sure to protect your teeth by letting them warm up to room temperature before eating.

It is not recommended to use expired caramel as it can lead to food poisoning or other health risks. It's best to err on the side of caution and discard any caramel that has passed its expiration date.

Start by wrapping them individually in wax paper, twisting the ends to close, then storing them on their own in an airtight container in a cool, dry area of your kitchen. This will create a waterproof seal around the candies. At room temperature, soft caramel candies will last for as long as nine months.

In general the paper sold for home use is too light weight, the grain of the paper isn't made to withstand twisting (it tears), and the wax coating is too light to prevent the moisture from the candy from seaping into the paper and weakening it thus causing it to tear and stick.

Why are my homemade caramels sticky? ›

Certain ingredients like corn syrup can make it sticky. Not cooking the candy all the way to hard crack stage can make it more sticky. High humidity in the air can make it sticky.

Make life easier by lining your pan with parchment paper and coating it with a layer of baking spray to keep the candy from sticking.

For these homemade caramels you want a heavy-bottomed stainless steel pan. I recommend using a pan that does NOT have a nonstick coating. Heavy-bottomed simply means the pot or pan has a thicker base. It shouldn't be thin and tinny.

Wet caramel is made by combining sugar and a liquid and cooking them together, while dry caramel is made from just sugar, heated in a dry pan until it liquefies and browns.

To thicken a caramel sauce, use one tablespoon of cornstarch or tapioca starch (sometimes known as tapioca flour) and one tablespoon of water per cup of caramel. Then simmer the caramel, stirring it constantly with a wooden spoon until it becomes thick.

After the caramel cools down, pour it into a glass jar or container. Refrigerate for up to 1 month. The caramel solidifies as it cools, but you can reheat in the microwave or on the stove so it's liquid again. You can freeze the salted caramel, too.

Caramel can stick to wax and parchment paper, so I suggest lining a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat to make homemade caramel. Candy wrappers. If you plan on gifting these caramels, wrap them in candy wrappers!

Butter the bottoms and sides (get into the corners, too!) of a 9X9-inch square baking pan. (Alternately, you can line with parchment and butter the parchment – this may make it easier to pull the slab of caramels out of the pan after they have cooled in order to cut and wrap them.)

If I pour caramelized sugar onto parchment paper, will it stick? - Quora. No, it shouldn't stick. It can wrinkle under your sugar sometimes, and it might stick of it's cheap parchment.