Caramel slid off my apples :(

I've never made caramel apples, but I've heard that you have to put the apples in hot (not boiling) water to allow all the wax to come off BEFORE you put anything on the apple. Apples are shipped with a wax lacquer on them. Maybe that is what happened. The news articles that talked about this said to put 3 apples in a clear container with hot water or hot distilled water (no minerals like tap water), and then see how much gunk is in the water when they've soaked for about 15 minutes.

bummer. I've never tried caramel apples, but now that I have all the ingredients for chocolate candy making, I was going to try making the fancy caramel applies like Mrs. Prindables and the caramel/chocolate pretzel sticks. Please let me know how they work out.

thanks for the recipe and Im glad it worked out for you this time. I have always wanted to make caramel apples but just never did, I might have to give it a go this time. They sound delish

I'm making some this weekend I'd like to know how they come out Good Luck !

Molly

I glad to know it did work for you I'll have to try that recipe

Molly

I have heard that you have to wash the wax off of the apples first or the caramel and candy won't stick to it...

Yep - have to do this step. I purchased a block of Peter's caramel from an online store (there are several places that sell it) and it melted great, worked beautifully and tasted divine. I ended up with the most beautiful and festive caramel apples for a big Halloween party last year. No one could believe they weren't purchased from a gourmet food shop. If they only knew how easy it was! LOL! I don't have time to make them this year and I'm bummed. Maybe for Christmas. <sigh>

I've also heard that after washing the wax off, you need to make sure the apples are chilled completely. They even suggested putting the apples in the freezer for a few minutes. This helps the caramel to set up more quickly so it doesn't run off the apple as it sets up.

Newmansmom, Please tell us your method of making your apples last year. I've heard that Peter's caramel is the best tasting caramel out there.
Thanks.

I actually make about 10 dozen caramel apples per week, so I am a master at caramel apples by now There are a few things that would cause the sliding

First, though, don't boil your apples (it changes the apple texture) or chill them. Apples should be at room temperature when you dip them!

Sanding the skins should be plenty sufficient to get the wax off. I usually just take a Brillo pad with dish soap to wash and scrub them at once.

If the caramel is too thin (either from too much liquid, not enough carmelizing for homemade caramel, or heating it too hot for pre-made caramel) the caramel will slide.

If there is ANY water left on the apple whatsoever, including any water that may have condensed on the top of the caramel from water boiling to heat it, it will slide

You may also have just put too much caramel on the apple.

So here are a few more tips if it still happens:

Dip the apple then scrape off the bottom 1/3 (or slightly less, depending on the texture of your caramel). Let the top 2/3 slide just slightly to cover the bottom.

If it is really thin, dip the apple, scrape it, then hold it upside-down for about 30 seconds to a minute while it starts to set up. Then place it straight in the fridge for about an hour or two while it finishes hardening.

Also, make sure the room you are keeping the apples in is not too hot. Caramel will soften again and slide if the room gets too hot, especially if it is not completely set yet.

Sorry, this is a really long response, but hopefully it helped! Feel free to ask any more questions you may have.

Andrea0730, 10 dozen a week?! Is that a full time job?

I want to ask all sorts of questions. I'd love to be able to make pretzel sticks and caramel apples with caramel and chocolate like Mrs. Prindables or Rocky Mountain. I've just started making candy melt candies after taking two basic candy classes. I have a lot of molds, but neither class talked about caramel, darn it! I'd also like to be able to make giant turtles with pecans, caramel and chocolate--my dad loves them.

I'm a hobby baker, so I don't need huge quanities of anything. Is Peter's caramel a good idea? A 5 lb. loaf runs about $20-$30 depending on shipping. How to you get the caramel onto the pretzel sticks. Would you then chill the sticks before dipping into chocolate? How do you get the caramel onto the apple? Heat it then dip the apple? What temperature for the caramel?

Is there any way you could do a step-by-step pictorial on making caramel apples? I do much better learning from pictures or videos that written explanations. Thanks!