Caramel apple season is almost upon us! Sure, caramel apples are enjoyed year-round, but it seems to be a candy making tradition to enjoy these during the peak of apple harvesting season. Here are some of the most frequent questions I receive about caramel apples.
What kind of apple is the best? Any apple variety can be used. Granny Smith is the most popular variety for caramel apples, because their tartness pairs well with the sweetness and milkiness of caramel. Fun fact, there was a Granny Smith, Maria Ann “Granny” Smith who propagated the new apple in the late 1800’s near Sydney, Australia.
Does the stick go in the top or bottom of the apple? There is no right answer for this one, just personal preference.
How far into the melted caramel should I dip the apple? I recommend you dip the apple into the caramel all the way to the stick, to ‘seal’ the apple.
The caramel slides off the apple the next day after making them…help! This happens so often we have a name for it, cold flow. This is when the caramel flows (changes shape) at room temperature, and it happens for a few different reasons. Here are some tips:
- Thoroughly wash your apples to be sure they are free of wax; a slippery waxy surface might let the caramel slide off. If you source directly from an orchard, the apples should be wax free.
- If you cook your own caramel, you might not have enough milk protein in your recipe, which holds the caramel together. Or you might not cook your caramel high enough. Keep in mind cooking higher makes the caramel firmer.
- One never-fail solution to conquer cold flow is to mix in some white confectionery wafers (Clasen Alpine or Merckens Rainbow White) into your hot caramel until fully melted and mixed in. Somewhere between ½ pound to 1 pound of white wafers added into each 5 pounds of melted caramel. This provides a sugar structure that will hold the caramel together and keep it from flowing at room temperature. If you use Peter’s Caramel, this solution is printed on the back of the carton.
How hot should the caramel be for dipping apples? The caramel temperature for dipping apples is typically 180 – 200⁰ F; the hotter your caramel, the thinner your caramel coating will be on the apple. Be careful, hot caramel will burn you!
Why do my caramel apples have a big caramel foot on the bottom? This one is not all bad, since some people enjoy a big extra chunk of caramel on the bottom of the apple! To control this, gently spin the apple immediately after dipping, or gently scrape the bottom of the dipped apple to remove some of the excess caramel.
My caramel apples have bubbles in the caramel, why is this? This could be too much mixing of your caramel, which can create air bubbles. Gently mix the caramel and try not to incorporate any air. Also, the colder your caramel is, the thicker it is which allows it to hold in air bubbles.
When I dip my caramel apples in chocolate, sometimes the chocolate cracks after it dries…help! Keep in mind that chocolate coating shrinks a little when it solidifies, so the layer of chocolate is squeezing the caramel apple a bit as it solidifies. This can sometimes cause the chocolate to crack, especially in a thin or weak part of the chocolate coating. One tip is to make sure the chocolate coating is even. Another more important tip: only dip the caramel into chocolate one-half to two-thirds up the apple, leaving some bare caramel. This allows space for the caramel to go when the chocolate coating is squeezing it, relieving the pressure and helping to avoid chocolate cracking.
What is the shelf life of caramel apples? Typically, the shelf life is 1 to 2 weeks. Piercing the heart of the apple with the stick is the limiting factor of the shelf life, since the apple starts to decay around the stick. Storing caramel apples in a refrigerator will perhaps double the shelf life. The best course of action to extend shelf life would be to go stickless. You’d need to dip the apples into the caramel with 3 prong tongs, since there is no stick to hold. But some will certainly ask…is it really a caramel apple if there’s no stick?
