Don't take my word for it, but I think that u cook it until the sugar starts to brown at the edges, this sounds safer than a certain stage which is caramel. I think it is after hard crack, because i think u get caramel after fudge and toffee which is soft boil and hard boil. another way 2 check is to drop a droplet into some cold water, if it sets instantly then that is caramel, but the clue is in the name, just take if of when i said, when it starts to get brown, and reheat/keep boiling till brown colour is achieved uniformly.
70oc
To make caramel for caramel apples, you can melt sugar and butter in a saucepan, then add cream and vanilla extract. Cook the mixture until it reaches the desired consistency, then dip your apples in the caramel and let them cool before enjoying.
To make caramel thicker, you can cook it for a longer period of time or add a thickening agent like cornstarch or cream. Stirring the caramel constantly while it cooks can also help it thicken.
Cool it. If that does not work then it is too fluid and there is little hope short of adding more sugar or a commercial thickener.
Some caramel desserts are zeppole with caramel whiskey sauce, caramel apples, marshmallows wrapped with caramel, and caramel-pecan topped brownies. Some additional caramel desserts are homemade Snickers bars, brandied caramel apple tarts, salted caramel pecan pie, and chocolate-caramel crumb bars.
To thicken caramel effectively, cook it for a longer period of time over low heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning. You can also add a small amount of cornstarch or cream to help thicken the caramel.
Roasted Pears with Caramel Sauce is quite good. Fine Cooking magazine has the recipe.
To make caramel from evaporated milk on the stove, combine evaporated milk, sugar, and butter in a saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and turns a caramel color. Be careful not to burn it.
when cooking your caramel you want to have a hi temp candy thermometer. do not take the temp over 244 degrees. at this temp you will have a good caramel perfect for dipping apples or pretzels. you do want to let the caramel "setup"(rest) for on average 10 minutes after the cooking process. if you want softer caramel just reduce the cook temp. for sauce i suggest stopping at approx 212-214 degrees. the higher the temperature the harder the caramel will be.
Sugar is essentially a solid form raw caramel. once sugar is melted, it is cooked. that is where caramel comes from. you cannot 'un-cook' something. so after it is caramel you can't change it back to sugar. but, if the caramel is in a solid form, you can melt it back to a liquid form.
Caramel can last for about 6 months if stored properly in an airtight container at room temperature.
Caramel apples are typically good for about 1 to 2 weeks if stored in the refrigerator.