Melting Caramel

by Suzan
(Canada)

What is the best way of Melting Caramel and keeping it soft?

After I melted the caramel which was not easy to do I dipped the marshmallows in and then dipped in chocolate and they were very delicious but the second day the caramel was very hard and it was not easy to eat the marshmallow.


My fried liked it even after it became hard but can you help me and tell me the best way to keep the caramel soft after using it.


I'd also like to know how to use it in chocolate that is chocolate with caramel inside (like Twix bars).

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Hi Suzan,

What type of caramel were you using? Did you buy caramel and melt it or did you make the caramel from scratch?


If you purchased caramels and melted them, did the caramel get harder than it was originally? It shouldn't have unless you heated it too high when you were melting it. You only want to gently heat the caramel. You can even add a little water to the caramel while melting (1-2 Tbs.).


If you made your own homemade caramel, you may have cooked it too long bringing it to a hotter temperature than required. The hotter the temperature the more firm the candy becomes.


(Read more about candy syrup stages).


If you are using store bought caramel, the way it sets back up will be determined by the type of caramel you are using. If you look at Candyland Crafts you will see that they have different types of caramel available depending on what you are wanting to accomplish.


Their Peters caramel is probably what you would need for dipping marshmallows or soft centers for molds. It seems to be one of the most popular choices among candy makers that use ready-made caramel.


Hope that helps!
~Angie