There’s not much better in this world than gooey caramel or crunchy toffee made the old fashioned way. But what exactly is the old fashioned way?
First of all, there’s no cutting corners.
“Small batch, traditional caramel is truly caramelized sugar,” Winans’ own and fifth-generation candymaker Wilson Reiser says. “There are no shortcuts or colorings in real caramel. It takes over an hour of continuous stirring.”
It starts with a kettle. Specifically, a big copper kettle. Yes, it has to be copper — at the risk of sounding a bit technical, copper conducts heat better than other metals which gives candy makers precise control over the temperature throughout the process.
Temperature is the next key to the perfect caramel. Even the temperature of your spoon or cooking a couple degrees too cool when it’s humid can affect the result. Candy makers keep a close eye throughout the process, heating and cooling their ingredients at just the right times while stirring constantly.
The shape of the kettle matters, too. For one, they need to be big and deep because the mixture will bubble and increase in volume as it cooks. Winans’ kettles are more than two feet wide.
In a wide kettle with a rounded base, flames from the burner are able to reach up around the sides and cause what candy makers call “banding.” That’s when the ingredients reach distinct temperatures throughout the mixture, creating a rich, dark outer band, then a slightly lighter middle band, and the lightest layer in the core. When combined together, these form a rich, dynamic flavor you simply can’t achieve in another vessel.
From there, it’s all about having the right ingredients and ratios. There’s no substitute for real cream, butter, and sugar. White granulated sugar works best — its fine, even crystals give you the best chance for a smooth caramel.
All that care and attention pays off.
“Real caramel like we make at Winans has a firm consistency that takes a bit of chew,” Reiser says. “The recipe has been maintained for 5 generations for a good reason!"
And that’s as close to a secret family caramel recipe as you’re going to get from Winans 😉.
Pick up some on our website or any of our chocolate and coffee shops today.