{"id":1288,"date":"2015-11-04T04:10:40","date_gmt":"2015-11-04T04:10:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.k7farm.com\/blog\/?p=1288"},"modified":"2016-12-23T04:39:23","modified_gmt":"2016-12-23T04:39:23","slug":"caramel-apples-without-corn-syrup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.k7farm.com\/blog\/?p=1288","title":{"rendered":"Caramel Apples &#8211; Without corn syrup"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 25%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-1288 gallery-columns-4 gallery-size-medium'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.k7farm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/IMG_3444-300x225.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-1279\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.k7farm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/IMG_3444-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.k7farm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/IMG_3444-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.k7farm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/IMG_3444-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.k7farm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/IMG_3444-400x300.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-1279'>\n\t\t\t\tBoiling\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.k7farm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/IMG_3446-300x225.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-1280\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.k7farm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/IMG_3446-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.k7farm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/IMG_3446-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.k7farm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/IMG_3446-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.k7farm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/IMG_3446-400x300.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-1280'>\n\t\t\t\tNice &#038; thick\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.k7farm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/IMG_3450-300x225.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-1281\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.k7farm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/IMG_3450-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.k7farm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/IMG_3450-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.k7farm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/IMG_3450-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.k7farm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/IMG_3450-400x300.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-1281'>\n\t\t\t\tSpoon over apples&#8230;\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.k7farm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/IMG_34421-300x225.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-1277\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.k7farm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/IMG_34421-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.k7farm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/IMG_34421-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.k7farm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/IMG_34421-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.k7farm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/IMG_34421-400x300.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-1277'>\n\t\t\t\t Or place in a parchment paper lined tray and cool into chewy candies.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>A fall tradition in our home involves making our own caramel apples.\u00a0 My kids all swear homemade tastes best and look forward to making them.\u00a0 Most caramel recipes call for corn syrup.\u00a0 This is something I have had in my house once, for a science project.\u00a0 In years past, I have always made a syrup to replace corn syrup but this year I happened to have extra honey on hand, and that is what we used.\u00a0 Compared to other sweeteners and whatever it is that corn syrup has that benefits the formation of caramel, honey also has. So it&#8217;s a safe substitution.<\/p>\n<p>We used metal skewers as sticks because that is what we had on hand.\u00a0 I made a double batch of this, which coated 7 apples (the recipe I am providing will do 8 apples and maybe a few more).\u00a0 The remaining caramel was poured into a silicon bread mold and filled it about 1\/4 of the way up.\u00a0 This made it easy to dump out to cut into yummy squares!<\/p>\n<p>During the process of making caramel, you are essentially boiling the pot of sweetness until the water content reduces.\u00a0 There are different stages of caramel that will result in different results based on what temperature your mixture reaches.\u00a0 You can make a sauce that is great for coffee and topping ice cream and desserts, or caramel that will cool into chewy candy and coat apples, or caramel that will cool into a hard candy.\u00a0\u00a0 You are going to bring your caramel mixture up to the &#8220;firm ball stage&#8221; which, if you are using a candy thermometer is the area between 244-248F.\u00a0 Candy thermometers can be misleading, because if you read the temperature while the tip is touching the bottom, it will read higher than the mixture actually is, which can produce difference results in your candy.\u00a0 I use a candy thermometer just to gauge where I&#8217;m at, then I always follow up with a<strong> cold water test.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The cold water test is very simple.\u00a0 Have an ice cold glass of water ready and drop in a spoonful of caramel from the bubbling pot.\u00a0 As you drop the spoonful in, it may completely dissolve (still need to boil quite a bit longer), or form threads that just smear when you try to touch them (still needs to boil, but you&#8217;re getting closer), or form a ball that will flatten when removed from the water (soft ball stage &#8211; good for soft candies), or form a ball that can be squeezed and rolled in your fingers (firm ball &#8211; this is the stage you want for caramel apples and chewy candies), etc.\u00a0 the temperature will continue climbing as water content is reduced and it will change the result of your caramel.\u00a0 For the purpose of this article, we will focus on the firm ball stage.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ingredients:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>8 apples<\/li>\n<li>1c heavy cream<\/li>\n<li>1c brown sugar<\/li>\n<li>1\/2c honey<\/li>\n<li>4tb butter<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Method:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Set out a sheet of aluminum foil that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.\u00a0 Or parchment paper is fine, too.<\/li>\n<li>Wash your apples with warm water and a gentle cleaner.\u00a0 You want to remove the wax from the apples if they are storebought.\u00a0 Be sure they are completely dry.<\/li>\n<li>Dissolve your sugars and honey into the heavy cream over medium heat.\u00a0 You may need to raise the heat a bit if you have been stirring and heating over medium for a while without much result.\u00a0 Stir, stir, stir (gently).<\/li>\n<li>Add the butter.\u00a0 Stir constantly until the butter has dissolved.<\/li>\n<li>\u00a0Boil and stir the mixture until you have reached the firm ball stage, where the caramel will hold a ball shape in your hands even when removed from the cold water.\u00a0 Remove the pot from the heat.<\/li>\n<li>As the pot cools, the caramel will thicken.\u00a0 You don&#8217;t want to wait too long to let the pot cool though, or it may get too thick to coat apples.\u00a0 A few minutes after it&#8217;s done boiling is a great time to start spooning caramel over skewered apples, I found.\u00a0 If you wait too long, you can gently reheat the caramel over low until it&#8217;s able to coat apples again.\u00a0 Avoid re-boiling the mixture, as any time you bring the mix above boiling you risk changing the final result because more water will be boiled off.<\/li>\n<li>Once apples are coated, place them on the foil or parchment paper until they are cool.\u00a0 They will detach from the paper quite easily if they are cooled enough.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.k7farm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/IMG_3448.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1291\" src=\"http:\/\/www.k7farm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/IMG_3448-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_3448\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.k7farm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/IMG_3448-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.k7farm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/IMG_3448-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.k7farm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/IMG_3448-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.k7farm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/IMG_3448-400x300.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p> #gallery-2 { margin: auto; } #gallery-2 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 25%; } #gallery-2 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-2 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } \/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/ Boiling Nice &#038; thick Spoon over apples&#8230; Or place in a parchment paper lined tray and cool [&#8230;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.k7farm.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1288"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.k7farm.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.k7farm.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.k7farm.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.k7farm.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1288"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.k7farm.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1288\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1292,"href":"https:\/\/www.k7farm.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1288\/revisions\/1292"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.k7farm.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1288"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.k7farm.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1288"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.k7farm.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1288"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}