How to Caramelize Sugar

Posted on September 16th, 2009 by Elaine

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Sugar is flexible, used to sweeten a variety of dishes, pastry and desserts. One way of using is it by caramelizing it, turning it into a sweet and syrupy flavoring with a thick and sticky consistency. Caramelizing sugar is not a very difficult task, but you need to know the proper steps in order to get it right.

What You’ll Need:

White or brown sugar
Water
Thick-bottomed saucepan
Wooden spatula
Vinegar (optional)
Ice (optional)
Butter

Procedure:

Get a small saucepan, preferably with a thick bottom. It should be big enough to hold the amount of caramel you want to make. Caramelized sugar is best done in small batches, so you’ll end up with a thicker and sweeter output.

caramelized sugar

Put the white or brown sugar in the pan, then add water. The amount of these two ingredients must be at an equal ratio to each other. For example, 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of water results in half a cup of caramel. If you want a thinner caramel, add more water; for a thicker mixture, add more sugar. Stir the mixture a bit, so the sugar and the water mixes.
Turn on the burner to medium heat. A gas-powered stove heats faster than an electric one, so make sure you watch the mixture carefully.
If you don’t want the sugar to recrystallize again after you’ve melted in, put in one teaspoon of vinegar, stirring it in.
Bring to a mixture to a boil. You’ll see the edges will start to turn a brown color. When this happens, stir the mixture with the wooden spatula, so the color will even out. It’s not a good idea to leave your caramel, otherwise it might burn.
Stir the mixture constantly using your wooden spatula, so all of the sugar will melt evenly. When it turns into an amber brown color, turn off the heat.
If you’re worried about over-cooking the caramelized sugar, you can put it in an ice bath so the cooking process will stop.
Mix in some butter if you want to add extra creaminess.

Drizzle some caramelized sugar all over your favorite dessert and for a delectable sweet taste. It’s not so hard to make, just as long as you remember not to burn it!