Amish Caramel Corn Recipe Melts In Your Mouth (2024)

FAQs

Why did my caramel corn come out chewy? ›

Once the caramel has cooled on your popcorn, the air bubbles inside the caramel create a softer texture. The softer texture means you won't be biting into hard-as-cement caramel. Rather, the caramel is melt-in-your-mouth chewy and only slightly crunchy.

INADEQUATE COOKING TIME

To ensure a perfectly crisp coating, the caramel needs to reach a specific temperature, typically around 250-300°F (120-150°C), known as the “hard crack” stage. If you don't cook it to this point, the caramel can remain soft and sticky, resulting in soggy popcorn.

If your caramel corn came out sticky then, unfortunately, it has not been cooked properly. It is very important to bring the caramel mixture to a boil and boil it for 5 minutes. This helps make sure it dries as a shiny coating during the cooling process instead of a sticky mess.

There were also a number that recommended lemon juice as an ingredient in caramel sauce to prevent crystallization.

Like dry caramel, you want to gently move the sugar mixture in that same side-to-side paintbrush-like fashion until the sugar dissolves. Then, as soon as the mixture comes to a boil, it should not be stirred, as the agitation can cause crystallization.

Even if you want to add candy or sauces, it doesn't require an egg. Still, some say the egg keeps the kernels from sticking together, while others say it's to keep wannabe chefs from adding too many kernels to the pan.

Follow the recipe carefully, and never melt your caramel on your stove's highest setting—it will cause the caramel to scorch and taste burnt. Once it gets a burnt or bitter flavor, it can't be saved. Luckily, sugar is inexpensive, so you can always start over!

If caramels are too soft, that means the temperature didn't get high enough. Again place the caramel back into a sauce pan with a couple of tablespoons of water and heat to 244°F. If you don't have a candy thermometer, you can test with a cold water test.

Either yellow or white popcorn kernels will work great for this recipe. Air-popped popcorn will yield the best results. If you prefer you can use organic corn syrup. Be sure to stir every 15 minutes so each piece of caramel corn gets fully coated.

If you like gooey/sticky caramel corn, give it a sprinkle with a good pinch of kosher salt, let it cool and start eating! If you like it crunchy, keep going. To make crunchy caramel popcorn, pour it (pile it) onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and place it in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

What happens if you add too much water to caramel? ›

That water will end up in the caramel itself, so if you've added too much it might result in a thin caramel sauce. Try adjusting the cooking time to allow the excess water to evaporate.

The baking soda creates a lighter, airier caramel, providing a better texture, improved flavor, and longer shelf life.

This will evaporate some of the water and make the sauce thicker. Alternatively, you can mix in water with cornstarch or flour to thicken the sauce. If you're using cornstarch, add 1 tablespoon each of water and cornstarch for every cup of caramel sauce.

The baking soda (also known as bicarbonate of soda) heats up and when it does that, it releases a gas that gets trapped in the caramelized honey and sugar. This results in bubbles that resembles actual honeycomb from bees!

Baking soda makes the onions more alkaline, which speeds up the browning reactions necessary for properly caramelized onions. But it also weakens the pectin that holds the onion's cells together, turning what should be soft but distinct pieces of browned onion into a nauseating stew of pea-green mush.

When the baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, is mixed into the hot sugar, another chemical reaction occurs. The baking soda breaks up, or decomposes, into sodium carbonate, water, and carbon dioxide. The water vapor and carbon dioxide gases get trapped in the sugary mixture, leaving behind these bubbles.

When you add baking soda to cooking caramel, it foams up rather dramatically. That foam is creating tiny air bubbles, which aerate the caramel and prevent it from becoming too dense.