CARAMEL
How much caramel is in a loaf?
5 lbs. (80 oz.)
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What is the melting point of caramel?
Caramel should be melted to approximately 125-150 degrees F for easy pouring.
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Is there more than one way to melt caramel?
Stove Top: Just remember the melting point.
Oven: Turn oven to lowest setting (200 degrees F) and place caramel in a French Oven (We LOVE Le Creuset). Caramel will take approximately 60-90 minutes to melt completely.
Microwave: In a microwave-safe bowl, cook caramel on high for one minute. Stir and then repeat with only 50% power for one minute. Repeat until caramel is melted
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Which way of melting does Gygi’s prefer?
Glad you asked! We prefer to melt our caramel in the oven. It’s the easiest way.
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Can I melt caramel in a crock pot?
You can, but we don’t recommend it. Here’s why:
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Is melting caramel the only way to use it?
No. Peter’s caramel loaf is soft and pliable. It can be melted or rolled out, cut and shaped.
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How do I thicken the caramel?
Add 1/2-1 oz. Confectioners’ sugar to 1 lb. of caramel
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How do I make the caramel thinner?
Adding heavy cream will make it a little thinner. Also adding one can of sweetened condensed milk and one cube of butter to the 5 lb. loaf of caramel will make it thinner. (Note: Adding these are not necessary for rich, smooth caramel. The Peter’s caramel loaf already is rich and smooth, this just helps to thin it out).
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How do I store caramel?
Store your caramel in an air-tight container in a cool, dry place. Peter’s suggests this: Product should be stored in a cool dry area which is free of any foreign odors. Ideal storage conditions are at 55 to 65 degrees F with less than 50% relative humidity.
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What’s the shelf life of Peter’s caramel loaf?
If stored properly, Peter’s caramel loaf will last a little over 1 year.
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How do I know how much caramel I will need?
This is a difficult question to answer because everybody uses different amounts of caramel. But we’ve compiled a list of approximations accoording to one loaf of caramel that may be helpful to you.
One loaf of Peter’s caramelwill cover:
Approximately 25 medium-sized apples
Approximately 40-60 pretzel sticks (only half dipped)
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Which wraps are the best to use with caramel?
Gygi 5 x 5 square caramel cellophane wraps by far!
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Do you have a list of ingredient and allergen information for Peter’s Caramel?
Yes we do. Ingredients: CORN SYRUP, SUGAR, MILK, FRUCTOSE, HYDRONGENATED COCONUT OIL, BUTTER, MONO-AND DIGLYCERIDES, SALT, SOY LECITHIN- AN EMULSIFIER, VANILLIN – AN ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR.
Take a look at the table below for the allergen info:
| ALLERGENS: | Product contains one or more of the allergens listed | Product is produced on the same equipment where allergens are present | Product is produced in same facility where these allergens are present |
|---|---|---|---|
| PEANUTS (including peanut butter, peanut flour, peanut oil (if unrefined or cold press)) Peanuts are legumes, not nuts, and should be declared separately from tree nuts. | No | No | Yes–Peanuts |
| TREE NUTS (including almond, brazil, cashew, chestnut, hazelnut, macadamia, pecan, pine, pistachio, walnut; and oils of nuts (if unrefined or cold press)) | No | No | Tree Nuts (almonds & pecans) |
| MILK (including milk chocolate, nonfat milk, butter, milkfat, butterfat, buttermilk, cassein, cheese, curds, whey, cream, custard, pudding, casseinates, sour cream, yogurt, lactose). Lactose is the natural occurring sugar (no protein) in milk. Consumption may cause a food intolerance response but it is not a true food allergen. Must be labeled correctly so that consumers suffering from lactose intolerance will be informed. | Sweetened Condensed Milk, Butter | Milk Chocolate, Butter | Milk Chocolate, Sweetened Condensed Milk, Dairy Blend |
| EGGS (including mayonnaise, meringue, egg whites, egg yolk, egg albumin) | No | No | Egg Whites |
| SOY (including miso, tofu, soy protein, soy nuts, soy flour, textured vegetable protein, soy oil or soy lecithin (if emulsifier, unrefined or cold press)) | Soy Lecithin | No | Soy Lecithin |
| FISH/SHELLFISH (shrimp, crab, lobster, oyster, clam, scallops, crayfish, anchovy) | No | No | No |
| GLUTEN SOURCES (including wheat flour, bran, cereal extracts, cracker meal, farina, graham flour, breaded crumbs, barley and malt, wheat germ, wheat gluten, wheat starch, semolina and rye). Gluten is related to a medical condition (celiac sprue) where the person is sensitive to gluten-containing grains | No | No | Wheat Gluten |
| SULFITES sodium meta- or bi-sulfite, sulfur dioxide. Sulfites are not true food allergens, but they can cause problems, particularly with asthmatics. They must be labeled if they are in the product at higher than 10 ppm. | No | No | < 10 ppm |
| FOOD COLORS Food colors have to be disclosed on the labels and Yellow 5 can produce hives in a small number of individuals. Carmine (cochineal) must be labeled properly as FDA is proposing to regulate it as an allergen. | No | No | Yellow 5 |
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
I have had trouble keeping the caramel on the apple in the past. I was just wondering how I would I keep this from happening. It seems to just slide right off. Thanks for your timeTessy
Tessy, apples have a waxy coating on them called shellac. (This is what makes them look shiny). In order for the caramel to stick, the shellac has to be completely scrubbed off. I take a green dish scrubber and scrub the apple under warm water. Don’t be afraid to take off some of the skin…. nobody will notice because it will be covered in caramel.
Another helpful hint: Once your apples are shellac-free and have completely dried. Cool them off in the refrigerator. When your caramel is ready for dipping, take the apple out of the refrigerator and dip it. The cold apple will help the caramel to set up. After you dip the apple, hold it upside down for just a minute before placing it on your parchment paper. This will help the caramel to start to solidify around the apple and decrease the chance of puddling.
I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions! Good luck!
I have never worried about scrubbing the shiny coating off my apples. We’ve dipped dozens and have never had a problem. One thing that might help is that we always use room temperature apples. I’ve heard cold apples won’t let the caramel stick. Anyone experience this? That was my mother’s experience. I would imagine that if you caramel is too warm, it may melt off before it sets up. Just some thoughts. We sure love this caramel!!
Thanks for your comment Brittany. Are your apples organic? Do you grow them yourself? These may be factors as to why you’ve never had to scrub the shellac off.
I have some of your delicious caramel left and also have some of your Merkens chocolate – any tips on making chocolate covered caramels?
Jan, you can do it a few different ways. You can cut the caramel right off the block and dip it into your melted chocolate. Let it set on parchment paper. You can also roll the caramel into small bite-size balls and place them in a candy cup, and then pour the melted chocolate over it. A little bit of sprinkled sea salt on the top gives it a nice flavor as well. The options are endless. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Gonna do a test run on some apples that I plan to make for my son’s october wedding. Been reading a lot of comments about refrigeration both before and after the apples are dipped. What’s the best method? Should the finished product be refrigerated?
We really recommend refrigerated, or at least cold apples before dipping. Afterwards if stored in the fridge they can become quite sticky/tacky. Are you dipping them in chocolate as well or just caramel? The chocolate layer can help out a lot if you are storing them in the fridge. Hope that helps.
What is the best/easiest way to slice the caramel loaf to make chocolate covered caramels? I imagine a mushy mess.
If the caramel is really warm, and soft then yes it can be a big mushy mess. A hot knife, one that has been placed under running hot water (but dried off), or if you have a gas range and can heat the blade up- it will help to cut smoothly. I have also placed it in the fridge to harden up so that it be more firm to cut.
Hopefully that helps!
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