What does vinegar do to caramel?

Add acid. Acid ingredients (like vinegar or lemon juice) can help prevent re-crystallization which causes caramel to become grainy . Acid physically breaks the bonds between the glucose and fructose molecules that form sucrose and ensure that it stays apart.

Why are homemade caramels hard?

Temperature is key when making candy. The difference between a soft caramel and one that's hard and overcooked is all in the temperature . Candy thermometers—like this instant-read thermometer—let you know exactly what stage the caramel is in (thread, soft-ball, firm-ball, hard-ball, soft crack or hard crack).

What happens if you boil down apple cider?

As the name might imply, it is comprised quite simply of one ingredient—sweet apple cider—that has been boiled for hours and hours to evaporate off a significant amount of water and reduce it to a sticky, amber-colored syrup . It looks a lot like its maple sap–derived cousin, but flavor-wise is in a league all its own.

What's the difference between apple cider and hot apple cider?

Here's the difference between apple cider and apple juice: Apple cider is just unfiltered apple juice that can be served hot or cold. Mulled apple cider is unfiltered apple juice that's been heated and flavored with mulling spices such as cinnamon, cloves, and allspice; and fruits like oranges, lemons, and apples.

What happens if you boil apple cider?

Consistency: Boiled cider has a similar viscosity to honey; when hot it behaves like hot, runny honey . Once cooled, it mimics thick, room-temperature honey.

What enhances caramel?

Finally, caramel is always enhanced with the addition of citrus zest , especially orange zest, or by substituting fruit puree for some of the cream in the caramel base recipe. A fruit-based caramel is a real treat poured over vanilla ice cream.

What does acid do to caramel?

Add an acid: Adding an acid keeps sugar from recrystallizing by breaking down a portion of the sucrose molecules into fructose and glucose molecules . Our Caramel Sauce, for instance, includes cream of tartar as insurance against the sugar crystallizing.

What does vinegar do to flavor?

Depending on the variety, vinegar can bring a sour, tangy, sweet, mild, malty, woody or even buttery flavor to your dish. It can also be used to color or discolor foods. Because of its unique ability to break down proteins, vinegar is also used as a marinade to help tenderize meats and veggies.

What happens when you add vinegar to sugar?

The reaction in between sugar and vinegar is rather straightforward. When sugar is actually blended with vinegar, the sweets particles are broken down into glucose and sugar . Glucose is a form of sweets particle that is found in lots of meals, while fructose is a kind of sweets that is found in fruit product.

Apple Cider Caramels Recipe (2024)

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This Apple Cider Caramels Recipe makes mouthwatering sweet and sour chewy caramels. They are the perfect homemade gift to give loved ones.

Homemade with Love

Our family has quite a few Christmas food traditions. There’s our Christmas Eve Tourtiere, my mom’s deep fried wontons, and my sister’s who contribute to the savoury and sweet treats. My specialty is mostly the sweet things, though I have been known to do a dip or two. Creating sweet treats for the cookie tray is what I love to do the most.

A Sweet Gift

No one in my family has ever been known to turn down a sweet homemade gift.The Honey Jack Salted Caramels that I made for gifts and holiday treats last year were very popular with family and friends. So popular, that I have vowed to make caramels every year. I’m going to love trying new recipes and new flavours. This year I’m going to try a new caramels recipe that uses apple cider. Why stick with one recipe every year when there are so many flavours to explore? This is a common thing in my kitchen, even this year’s shortbread is a new model!

This Apple Cider Caramels Recipe is Not for the Faint of Heart

Making caramels is a bit like giving birth. Shocking, I know, but very true. If you have done both you will know. Both are long processes, often culminating in severe pain that you forget the moment (or soon after) you hold ‘your precious’ in your arms.

Eat Before, Not During

I had completely forgotten last year’s pain associated with the Honey Jack Salted Caramels. Then I started making this Apple Cider Caramels Recipe one day around noon. Then I realized that I would be stuck stirring at the stove for another 45 minutes at least. During short little breaks I managed to make multiple shortsprints to the fridge to grab snacks that I could eat while stirring. I lucked out and foundsome lunch ham, cheese, crackers, hummus, and a mandarin to eat. I like to think that I am pretty awesome at juggling and multi-tasking but eating lunch while stirring molten hot caramel was perhaps just on the cusp of crazy.

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Yield: 12