Old Fashioned Caramel Corn Recipes

CLASSIC CARAMEL CORN

Steps:

• Spray large shallow roasting pan with cooking spray. Add popcorn and place in preheated 250 degrees F oven while preparing caramel.
• Mix brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt in a heavy 2-quart saucepan. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil over medium heat.
• Boil 5 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat. Stir in baking soda and vanilla; mix well.
• Pour syrup over warm popcorn, stirring to coat evenly.
• Bake for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven and spread on foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
• Cool; break apart. Store in tightly covered container.

OLD FASHIONED CARAMEL POPCORN

Steps:

• In a saucepan mix butter brown sugar, corn syrup and vanilla and bring to a boil.
• Boil for 5 to 6 minutes stirring occasionally.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the baking soda until the mixture has puffed up.
• Allow 1 minute to rest.
• Placed popped popcorn in a large baking dish.
• (I use my very large turkey roasting pan without the lid.) Pour mixture over popcorn and stir until well coated.
• Bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes.
• Stir well to make sure the bottom doesn't burn, Bake for another 10 minutes.
• Pour onto a large surface to cool.
• (I cut a green garbage bag in half and cover my dining room table with it before pouring out the popcorn onto it. It saves on clean up.) Break apart to serve.

MY AMISH FRIEND'S CARAMEL CORN

Steps:

• Place the popped popcorn into two shallow greased baking pans. You may use roasting pans, jelly roll pans, or disposable roasting pans. Add the peanuts to the popped corn if using. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, margarine and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring enough to blend. Once the mixture begins to boil, boil for 5 minutes while stirring constantly.
• Remove from the heat, and stir in the baking soda and vanilla. The mixture will be light and foamy. Immediately pour over the popcorn in the pans, and stir to coat. Don't worry too much at this point about getting all of the corn coated.
• Bake for 1 hour, removing the pans, and giving them each a good stir every 15 minutes. Line the counter top with waxed paper. Dump the corn out onto the waxed paper and separate the pieces. Allow to cool completely, then store in airtight containers or resealable bags.

OLD FASHIONED MOLASSES "CARAMEL" CORN

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 250 deg.
• Place butter in a medium pot, on medium heat.
• While the butter's melting, pop the corn and put it in a large roasting pan. I used a disposable aluminum pan and a hot air popper (you won't need to butter the pan).
• Keep an eye on the butter and add the sugar, molasses, and salt to it as soon as its melted.
• Bring the candy to a boil and stir and cook it only till the sugar melts and the butter blends in entirely - just a couple minutes.
• Turn off the heat and stir the vanilla and peanuts into the candy.
• Quickly add the baking soda and stir untill it's well mixed. It foams to make a lighter, more delicate candy.
• Pour the candy over the popcorn and toss untill it's evenly coated.
• Put the popcorn in the oven for 1 hour, tossing every 15 or 20 minutes.
• Let it cool completely before breaking up and putting into an airtight container.
• I developed this recipe by hacking others because I couldn't find another to suit me. I made this for Christmas treats and it was INHALED, you'll find it tastes like Cracker Jack; that candy is made with molasses, not corn syrup, I got a box yersterday to compare.
• You can easily double this, but double the baking time too.

OLD-FASHIONED CARAMELS

Steps:

• Line an 11x7-in. pan with foil; grease with 1 tablespoon butter and set aside. In a large heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup and remaining butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly; boil gently for 4 minutes without stirring. , Remove from the heat; stir in cream. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until a candy thermometer reads 238° (soft-ball stage), stirring constantly., Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla and pecans if desired. Pour into prepared pan; cool. Using foil, lift candy out of pan. Gently peel off foil; cut candy into 1-in. squares.

OVEN CARAMEL CORN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200°F. Divide popcorn and pecans between 2 ungreased rectangular pans, 13x9x2 inches.
• Heat brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt in 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until bubbly around edges. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally; remove from heat. Stir in baking soda.
• Pour mixture over popcorn and walnuts; stir until well coated. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

CARAMEL CORN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250°. Place popcorn in 2 large bowls. Add 1/2 pound peanuts to each bowl. In a Dutch oven, combine remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir 5 minutes. , Pour half of the syrup over each bowl of popcorn and stir to coat. Transfer to large roasting or 15x10x1-in. baking pans. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes., Remove from oven and break apart while warm. Cool completely. Store in airtight containers.