Caramel Apples

I love caramel apples. Whenever we go to the local amusement park I can’t leave without buying one. There is just something about the sweet caramel and the tart, crunchy apple together that makes my taste buds do back flips. A few weeks ago I even broke down and took Tani to go and buy a caramel apple at a local place that makes fudge and has a few caramel apples in a fridge. They were not exactly how I like them, but they were really good. Unfortunately they were pretty dang expensive.

I decided that we should make our own. We have tried caramel apples in the past by unwrapping a bunch of caramels bought from the store, melting them and dipping apples in them. This just did not work well, the caramel does not stick right. Besides if I buy caramels at the store and melt them in the microwave, is that really homemade?!? I say no! I want real homemade caramel apples! I decided to try a recipe that Tani picked up recently.

Ingredients: 
• About 3 dozen apples at room temperature
• 5 1/4 c. sugar
• 2 1/4 c. light corn syrup
• 1 t. salt
• 2 c. half & half
• 1/2 c. butter
• 2 t. vanilla
• 2 cans evaporated milk

Instructions: 
1. Put sticks in apples and dip briefly into boiling water to remove any wax that may be on the apples. Dry the apples.
2. Spray or butter flat pans to place the caramel apples on when they are finished.
3. In a deep 8 quart heavy kettle combine sugar, corn syrup, salt, half & half, and butter. Cook over high heat stirring until temperature on candy thermometer reaches 220 degrees.
4. Add the evaporated milk gradually, stirring so that the temperature does not drop below 220 degrees or go above 225 degrees.
5. When all the milk is added continue to cook over high heat until the temperature reaches 238 degrees, stirring constantly to prevent sticking. (240 degrees if weather is rainy).
6. Take pot off the heat and stir until bubbles subside then mix in vanilla.
7. Working quickly, dip apples into caramel. If the caramel is too thick add a little water and heat it up again.
8. After they are coated with caramel, hand them to the kids to decorate with nuts, m&m’s, chocolate chips, melted chocolate, etc.

More Caramel Apples

The first batch we used some really huge apples, some Granny Smith and some Cameo apples. In my opinion only Granny Smith apples should be used but we wanted to try some red ones too. Like I said before the key to success is tart, crunchy apples and caramel. Mushy apples just don’t cut it, and many times red apples are mushy. I do have plans to try some other reds, in an attempt to let red apples everywhere gain my esteem.

There are a couple things that I can tell you from experience that will make things easier. Make sure you use a pot that is big enough, you don’t want this stuff boiling over and getting the stove all sticky with burnt caramel. Don’t get your knuckles too close to the caramel when dipping the apples, the caramels tastes good when you lick it off your burnt hands but it is nicer just to wait. If the temperature drops below 220 while you add the milk it still turns out super tasty. If you let the kids get as creative as they want decorating the apples everyone will have a blast.