The biggest issue with caramel making is the time commitment. To get everything together and prepared only takes like 5 minutes, but only if everything is already washed and clean. Almost all materials have to be handwashed, including all the pans. If a pan is not handwashed, the butter will not go on properly, and the caramels will stick. It takes 20 to 30 minutes just to make a batch, which isn't too long. That's just the beginning of it though. Once you make them, they have to sit for up to 24 hours. When done cooling is when the fun starts. It can get stuck to the pan if they are just a little bit undercooked, or if they are just a little bit overcooked, which can take 15 minutes just to get it out. As mentioned, a batch makes up to 150, so cut it into usually 13 rows, then each row into 10 to 12 pieces. The cutting can be difficult if your knives are not sharp enough, so you want to make sure to sharpen them. After about 30 minutes of cutting, I spend an hour wrapping them and then a batch is done.

Recently, however, my stove is not working. Batches can take up to 35 minutes to make and burn before they even hit 125 on the thermometer. It's hard to tell if they are burnt just by looking at them, so I have to wait until the nest day to see how they taste. If they are burnt I have to throw away the entire batch I just spent about an hour preparing, and lose aboout $10 worth of ingredients.

Though it takes a lot of time commitment, caramels can be a great gift for family, friends, or colleagues. Whether you make them on your own, or buy them from me, everyone will love them.