Making your own sea-salt caramel sauce is easy, and with fresh-picked apples in the market, what goes better?
Making caramel sauce is actually easy; but be prepared for noise, and a bit of spitting.
It Doesn’t Look Like Sauce
The cooking process for caramel goes quickly. When you start melting the sugar, you’ll think you did something wrong because it looks like ice bergs.
Don’t worry, just keep stirring.
Sea-Salt Caramel Sauce Tips for Success
You can learn from my mistakes.
The size of your pot matters. Use a 3 qt. (medium size) heavy saucepan. The first time I tried to make this sauce, I used a small pot (1 1/2 qt.) instead of a medium size one.
It took too long for the sugar to melt and the sauce was more like caramel candy. That was a mistake I could live with. But it makes for a sticky bowl for clean-up. That’s because the longer you cook the sugar, the more solid it becomes when cool.
Besides the correct size pot, you should have your ingredients at room temperature, measured, and next to the stove when you start cooking. This will make the process faster and reduce splattering.
Use Caution and Common Sense
Melted sugar is extremely hot. Use caution, and keep children and pets away from the sauce until it has cooled.
Storing the Sea-Salt Caramel Sauce
The sauce can be stored in a covered jar in the fridge. Just uncover and warm in the microwave ( or a warm water bath) when you are ready to use it.
Besides apple slices, I’ve used this caramel sauce on ice cream, in coffee, and even in an apple pie.
Beware, though! This stuff is addictive. It’s also destined to become one of your pantry staples.
Try it with our warm apple crisp!
Sea-Salt Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 c. sugar
- 4 Tbsp. butter
- ½ c. half & half
- ¼ tsp. vanilla
- ½ tsp. sea salt
Instructions
- Place sugar in a 3 qt. sauce pan and heat over medium heat until the sugar dissolves completely. As it melts, stir it carefully with a silicon spatula.
- The sugar will look chunky as it begins to melt.
- When all of the solids have turned to liquid, turn off the heat and whisk in the butter and cream, fully incorporating the mixture. This is when you will get the sputtering and spitting – just ignore it and keep whisking.
- Use the spatula to get at the chunks.
- Use the whisk to smooth out the sauce.
- Alternate between the whisk and the spatula. The whisk will incorporate the ingredients, the spatula can loosen thickened caramel from the whisk and sides of the pot.
- You can turn the heat back on low and continue whisking, if you get some lumps.
- Once it looks like caramel sauce, whisk in the vanilla and salt.
- Pour into a clean canning jar and allow it to cool. Put the lid on the sauce. Store in the fridge until ready to use.
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