Sea Salt Caramels - Take One

I finally found time last night to get back to my candy making adventures and settled on some Sea Salt Caramels. My aunt Tia makes really great caramels and brings them to my grandparents house almost every Christmas-I knew it would be tough to top hers, but I gave it a shot.


Not that I'm making excuses for how these turned out...but I am. I don't have the nicest stovetop (it's settings are high and off), I don't have the nicest pans (thrift store purchase!), I only have two hands, and I apparantly forgot to go grocery shopping this month (it's like I was on a diet or something...) 


Okay, so maybe I just wasn't as prepared as I needed to be for this recipe... Whatever the reason, these didn't turn out perfectly on the first try.


Here's kind of how to process went:


1. Wednesday: Went to grocery store to get supplies. Got home, didn't have evaporated milk. Didn't want to go back to store, so I went to bed.


2. Thursday: Went to grocery store, got a can of evaporated milk, didn't have any cash so I used my credit card for a $1.05 purchase.

3. Got home, started mixing supplies together, put on stove. Realized I didn't have any vanilla extract. Found some rum instead. :) Problem averted.

4. Try to prep pan with wax paper. Find a 5 inch piece left in on the roll. :( Mixture starts boiling out of my largest pan.

5. Try to pour some mixture out onto cooling pan. Works for about 20 seconds, then starts boiling over again. Find another smaller saucepan and split the mixture into two pans. 

6. Realize that I can't monitor the temperature of each and stir each constantly with only two hands. Pot #2 starts scorching (which is why you need to constantly stir)


7. Realize that my cooling pan is now covered in watery, not-yet caramely liquid. Quick wash the pan and re-spray with pam while the caramel scorches some more.


8. Drop the candy thermometer into the caramel, making it impossible to read or fetch out without burning my fingers.


9. Give up. Pour out both saucepans into the cooling pan. Set scorched pans aside.

10. Try to find something to mix with my rum for a nightcap drink. All we have is milk and water. Find a bottle of wine. Pour a glass. 

Yummy "Pasque" wine made right here in
Vermillion at Valient Vineyards.

11. Notice the kitchen filling with smoke from the scorched, unwashed pans. Do the dishes. Enjoy more wine.


12. Realize I forgot to add the sea salt to my sea salt caramels. I grind some on the top while it's already in the cooling pan. Good enough.

11. Friday morning: Caramel still sitting in cooling pan in the kitchen. It's probably going to stay there for awhile...


All in all, the taste of the caramel didn't turn out too bad, just didn't quite get the texture or the color. I won't post the recipe on here until I get it right, but don't worry, I'm hoping to give this one another shot this weekend as I'm headed home to visit my parents. That way I can make a mess of my mom's kitchen and possibly enlist my aunt Tia's help. I'll keep ya posted on the results :)