When my great-grandmother began making caramels in the 1930s, she used nothing but a
wooden spoon, a bubbling pot, and a whole lot of intuition. Her tiny kitchen was warmed by a wood-burning stove — no thermometer, no timers, just experience and instinct. And somehow, her handmade caramel candy always turned out perfectly soft, smooth, and just the right kind of chewy. That perfect, special way only hand-made candy can be.
When I make my caramels, I use a digital thermometer and a few modern tools, but the heart of our process at Sugar + Spoon Caramels is still the same. Caramel is incredibly temperamental. It reacts to weather, temperature shifts, even the humidity in the air — which is why getting the texture right, batch after batch, takes real care. I’ve always said this is a craft, not a shortcut.
So how do I know when the caramel is just right?
Over time, you learn to trust your senses. Even with a thermometer, I rely on visual cues-- a
deep amber color, the way the spatula moves more slowly through the bubbling mixture, and the change in the size of the bubbles themselves– to help me know when the caramel is just perfect. Every batch teaches you something new. And while my great-grandmother used the old-fashioned cold water test, a process of dropping a small amount of sugar syrup into cold water to observe its shape and texture, I’ve adapted my own version: watch, listen, and stay patient. Caramel won’t be rushed.
Why Texture Is Everything in a Great Caramel
If you’ve ever had my gourmet caramels, you know the texture is what sets them apart. It’s not just about sweetness — it’s about how it feels in your mouth, how it melts just slowly enough, how you can taste the butter, the salt, the warmth of the vanilla. I never use stabilizers or preservatives in any caramels. While that makes our job harder, the reward of high quality, healthier caramels is worth it. Sugar + Spoon Caramels have a delicious finish that’s impossibly rich and soft.
When making caramels, humidity matters. My family has always believed you should never
make caramel in the rain. That’s not just a superstition. Moisture in the air can throw off the setting process entirely. Back when I only made caramels during December, that wasn’t a problem. Now that I make small batch caramels year-round, I’ve had to adjust — cooking a little longer in summer, adding a few degrees earlier in spring, and sometimes tossing entire batches that just didn’t set right.
A Few Tricks (That Don’t Cut Corners)
I never compromise on quality, it’s a key differentiator of my caramels that ensure each batch is produced with excellence. Over time, I’ve learned a few tricks that make this craft more manageable.
Growing up, my job was cutting all the wax paper squares by hand. It took forever. Once I
started Sugar + Spoon, I found a small confectionery supplier that sells pre-cut wrapping
papers. This was a total game changer! I also adjust my cooking temperatures slightly depending on the season. And I always use real ingredients — never fake flavoring. If I’m making apple cider caramels, I use actual cider and reduce it into syrup. For lime caramels, I squeeze fresh juice. Those liquids change the way the caramel behaves, so I adjust the temperature and trust my tools a little more closely.
These details matter. Our caramels are more than candy — they’re gifts, traditions, and stories individually wrapped in wax paper with love.
