Homemade salted caramel sauce

Yes, this recipe does work and tastes delicious when done correctly. No, it's not as easy as it sounds (as you can tell by the negative comments, here). So, why bother with this recipe? Well, learning to make this sauce helped me master all sorts of recipes that required caramelized sugar. With that being said, first, you need a little less water than a 1/2 cup: just enough to moisten the sugar. That's because all of that water has to evaporate before the hot sugar will caramelize (because the temperature of caramelization is 320-340F, which is higher than boiling - 212F). Second, and this is important, when the sugar starts to boil, drops will splash along the sides of the pot, the water will evaporate, and the sugar will crystallize there. If they fall back into the pot, they act as seed crystals, which can make the entire mixture harden (which has happened to some people who've tried this). For that reason, try not to splash the sugar mixture on the side of the pot when initially combining the water and sugar. To remedy this, dip a pastry brush in a cup of water and gently brush the sides of the pot to dissolve the sugary drops until they run back down into the pot. You will only need to repeat that until the bubbles get larger and stop splashing. After that, it should be smooth sailing. Now, be patient while it is being heated and DON'T STIR the mixture (mixing will cause crystals to form); the sugar WILL caramelize, and turn the beautiful amber color you want; but will  -  07 Dec 2016  (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)

This is a great recipe. Easy to make and so delicious. I will definitely keep this in my recipe collection whenever I need to have caramel sauce for a recipe or for ice cream topping. Thanks for sharing this recipe.  -  26 Jun 2016  (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)

I am really pleased with how this caramel sauce turned out , this is my first time making caramel and since I am not a hardcore fan of salted caramel I added just two pinches of salt which is rather imperceivable so I will add some more the next batch I make. I highly recommend giving this recipe a whirl, simple and delicious!  -  05 Aug 2016  (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)