Apple cider caramels, made from scratch! This is a small batch recipe, so start here before committing to a large batch of caramels!
One more chewy, sticky sweet square thing; I swear.
Pastry classes at Tante Marie
A few moons ago, I used to drive to the city (the city being San Francisco) and take the occasional pastry class at the Tante Marie. I had read a lot about it and become obsessed with it, and I wanted to experience the magic that is Tante Marie.
It was always a different group of people each Saturday, though this I never understood. Most people do not bake because of all the dishes. But, in cooking school, someone else does the dishes for you. I mean, really--I couldn't get enough of this life!
In my own kitchen, I wash bowls in between prep steps because I have this tiny 1920s house with what must be a black-market miniaturedishwasher. At cooking school, there was a polite lady who not only washed your dishes for you, but did it with a smile. She graciously accepted my pile of dirty dishes at the end of each 4-hour cooking session. I loved that lady. I wanted to kiss her every time I handed her 5+ spatulas and sticky bowls that should have been soaked from the get-go.
So, one day in school, I wrapped up my pear frangipane tart early (though, it was a mistake I'll get to in a bit), and I headed over to join a girl making Meyer lemon caramels. One of the many things I loved about Tante Marie was that the teacher of the class shopped at the farmer's market that very morning for ingredients. It didn't get any fresher. She had a heaped pile of Meyer lemons in the bowl, and the scent was downright intoxicating. So, we read the recipe through and thought 'it can't be this easy to make caramels, can it?' Wow. Ok, let's get started. In no time, we poured the molten sugar in a greased glass dish and high-fived each other for our work.
At the end of class, we went around the room (while eating desserts) and talked about what we had made. My teeth were stuck together with caramel when the question was asked: "who didn't peel the pear for this pear tart?' Guilty. I thought the purple skin looked pretty against the yellow frangipan custard? I was wrong, apparently. But, I didn't care because I had caramels.
Apple Cider Caramels
So, while I will stop inundating you with homemade caramels recipes on this site, I will not stop making them behind the scenes. I am in love. The married kind of love, not just infatuation.
When one of you requested that I scale down Smitten Kitchen's apple cider caramels, I jumped at the chance. As expected, Deb's recipe is flawless, though it made too many caramels for a small household. I roughly cut the recipe in half and used my trusty loaf pan.
I wound up with about 20 pieces of caramel. Well, 19 because the dog ate one.
Apple cider caramels have all the things we love about caramels: sweetness, stickiness, and chew, but with the addition of punchy apple. Use the best quality local apple cider you can find, because we boil it down to condense its flavor. When it's stirred into the caramel mixture, the acidity and apple flavor remains, and brings new life to the party.
A little sprinkling of coarse sea salt brings out the nuanced flavors of caramelized sugar and apples, but you can skip it if your'e not a salted caramel person. But if you are, have you seen my small batch caramel sauce?
Prep Time2 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time47 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh apple cider (non-alcoholic)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt (plus more for garnish)
Instructions
- In a 2-quart saucepan, boil the apple cider until it reduces to ¼ cup. It should take about 30 minutes on high.
- Meanwhile, line a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, and spray it with cooking spray.
- Once the cider is reduced, lower the heat and add the butter, sugars, and heavy cream. Raise the heat and bring the mixture to 255-degrees Farenheit over medium-high heat. Use a candy thermometer to ensure the proper temperature.
- Immediately stir in the cinnamon and salt. Then, pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan.
- Let the mixture chill for 1 hour in the fridge. Slice it with a knife into bite-sized pieces.
Notes
Make sure to use a heavy saucepan with a thick bottom; this allows for even heat transfer.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
20Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 68Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 82mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 0gSugar: 10gProtein: 0g
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FAQs
Choose The Perfect Apples For Making Cider Vinegar
A blend of sweet, tart, and aromatic apples is ideal for creating a balanced and flavorful cider vinegar. Some popular apple varieties for cider vinegar production include Golden Delicious, Fuji, Granny Smith, Jonathan, McIntosh, and Gravenstein.
How many apples to make 1 gallon apple cider? ›
How many apples does it take to make a gallon of cider? - It will take just a little over a peck or 36-42 medium apples to make just one gallon of cider.
How many apples are in apple cider? ›
Alternatively, if you wish to make a cider made of pure fresh apples, one would need around fifteen pounds of fresh apples to make a gallon of fresh juice.
How long does boiled cider last? ›
Once apple cider is boiled down to about ⅛ of its initial volume, it can be used as a flavor enhancer in baked goods, or reconstituted with water to make a serving of hot apple cider! How long does boiled cider keep? Once boiled cider is made, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
Is there a difference between apple vinegar and apple cider vinegar? ›
Comparing apple vinegar and apple cider vinegar
Apple vinegar is a much broader term. It refers to all the types of vinegar that can be made from apples. Apple cider vinegar, or ACV, refers to a particular type of apple vinegar. This is achieved through a double fermentation process.
What is the best apple cider vinegar to take? ›
Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar tops our list with its versatility and high “mother” content. This vinegar is raw, unfiltered, and unpasteurized, yielding higher concentrations of acetic acid (5%, according to the brand) and “good” bacteria that may help support your gut microbiome.
Do you have to use campden tablets when making cider? ›
Dosage depends on the acidity of the juice: a low acid juice (pH of 3.7 to 3.8) will require 3 campden tablets per gallon of juice; average acid juice (pH of 3.4 to 3.6) will require 2 tablets per gallon; high acid juice (pH below 3) does not require campden tablets.
What are the best apples for cider? ›
For sweeter cider, try Gala, Fuji, Cortland, Golden Delicious, or Red Delicious varieties; for a more acidic ghostwriter seminararbeit, tart flavor, go with Pink Lady, Braeburn, Jonathan, or McIntosh. A blend of apples from both the sweet and tart flavor families is sure to be a hit!
How much yeast do I add to a gallon of cider? ›
Add ¼ teaspoon (~1 gram) dry yeast per gallon of juice by sprinkling across the surface of the juice. After a few minutes, gently swirl to mix. Attach filled fermentation lock (with light sanitizer solution, clean water, or vodka) with stopper to jug(s).
Who drinks the most apple cider? ›
Cider (/ˈsaɪdər/ SY-dər) is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of apples. Cider is widely available in the United Kingdom (particularly in the West Country) and Ireland. The UK has the world's highest per capita consumption, as well as the largest cider-producing companies.
When it comes to cider you can use any apples but you'll get varying degrees of quality. The main apple varieties used in cider making are… Bittersweets – These can vary from full bittersweet to mild bittersweet, with a full bittersweet generally being too tannic (bitter) to use as a single variety cider.
Is apple cider good for you? ›
Apple cider contains polyphenols, which are compounds in plants that act as antioxidants. They can help the body to fight against free radicals and cell damage, lowering your risk of certain types of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Polyphenols also help to ease inflammation in the body.
How do you know if cider went bad? ›
If the cider is supposed to be sweet, but you taste a more sour, vinegary taste, then the apple cider has turned bad. Another way of determining if the fermentation process has started is to notice if the color of the cider has turned darker, or if a film is starting to develop.
Does homemade apple cider go bad? ›
So, does apple cider go bad? Technically no, but the cider will slowly transform into a more acidic-tasting beverage. I bet you didn't think a science lesson was needed to understand the expiration timeline of your favorite fall drink.
Does boiled apple cider need to be refrigerated? ›
Run the finished cider through a coffee filter or cheesecloth to remove any impurities, if desired. Store your finished homemade boiled cider in the refrigerator.
What apple type is often used for cider? ›
Kingston Black, often called the perfect cider apple, is a bittersharp. Other varieties in this group: Cap of Liberty, Collaos, Domaines, Dolgo, Foxwhelp, Golden Hornet, Mettais, Porter's Perfection, Stembridge Cluster, and Stoke Red.
What are the best apples for apple cleanse? ›
My favorite apple to juice is the Granny Smith, I will usually grab that for my green drinks and if I want something a little sweeter will pick up a Pink Lady. If you want to add a lot of sweetness to your juice to maybe offset the bitterness of a particular green, the Fuji or Gala are great choices.
Which apple juice is best for making cider? ›
Organic Apple Juice
Apple Juice marked as 'organic' simply means that the apples used to make the juice were organic. To the extent that that is important to you, you should use organic apple juice. I am not aware of any impacts on taste or flavor of the finished hard cider.
