What is the difference between toffee and caramel popcorn?

Caramel has long sugar crystals, which allows for the characteristic chewiness of caramel. The longer crystals come from the added milk in the sugar mixture. Conversely, toffee has very short sugar crystals. This is why is breaks easily and it has that distinctive crunch.

Why is my caramel corn chewy?

Baking soda is basically what makes the caramel corn chewy with a little bit of crunch. Baking soda reacts with the brown sugar and corn syrup creating small carbon dioxide air bubbles.

Can you crisp up caramel corn?

What I’ve done and what should work for you, too, is to line a baking tray with waxed paper or baking paper and spread the caramel corn on top. Then just pop it in a warm oven (about 250° F. or so) and heat it for about 30 minutes.

What makes caramel corn grainy?

Grainy caramel (or crystalized caramel) occurs when the sugar crystals in the caramel seize up or cling together. You can prevent this from happening by adding baking soda which will cause the sugar molecules to break up, or by adding a different type of sugar along with the table sugar (sucrose).

Why did my caramel turned to toffee?

One of the most common triggers is when the candy has undergone an abrupt temperature shift, either becoming too cold or too hot in a very short period of time. Toffee and caramel can also separate if the recipe calls for constant stirring and the candy isn’t stirred often enough.

Is toffee just burnt caramel?

Both caramel and toffee are based on slowly, carefully burning sugar, often with butter. But caramel is softer because it also includes cream, milk, or condensed milk. Caramel is cooked at a lower temperature, about 248 degrees Fahrenheit, while toffee is heated up to about 300 Fahrenheit to make it crunchy.

How do you keep caramel corn from getting soggy?

The second trick is baking the popcorn in a very low oven and stirring it a few times. This lets the caramel sauce melt and thin so that it coats every piece of popcorn when you stir it. Baking also crisps up the Caramel Popcorn so that it’s not sticky and stays fresh longer.

Why is my caramel crumbly?

Caramel becomes grainy when the sugars crystallize, a process that happens when the melted sugar splashes up onto the cold sides of the pan. It loses its moisture and turns back into a sugar crystal. If this crystal touches the melted mass, it causes a chain reaction and the caramel will seize up and become grainy.

How do you keep butter from separating in toffee?

Here are some things you can do to prevent separation:

1. Use salted butter. Salt seems to stabilize the mixture.
2. Melt the butter over medium heat and keep the temperature under the pot constant so the candy mixture is heated gradually.
3. Remember to stir slowly and gently during the final stages of cooking.