Halloween: Caramel Corn

In September, I crave apples, apples, apples.  In October, I start searching for candy corn and caramel corn.  The first is easy because you can buy it anywhere.  (Goelitz brand from Jelly Belly is the best!)  The latter, a confection like Cracker Jacks only more buttery and yummy, is more difficult because it has to be made.  My mom had a huge enamelware canning pot that was black with gray specks.  Around Halloween, it often came out to help with mixing caramel corn.  The old pot has since bit the dust, but now I use my grandpa's old dishpan.

The original family recipe came from mom's mom, but I have to admit that the recipe is fairly sketchy.  Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

I monkeyed with the recipe after comparing it with a bunch of similar ones.  I think I've come up with a more reliable recipe.  (If anybody decides to make it, please send feedback!)  It is fun to make for family but also during a party.  It makes the house smell like autumn butterscotch.

Autumn Caramel Corn

Preparations:  Preheat oven to 250 degrees.  Butter the bottom and sides of a large pot (like a canning pot or big metal dishpan) and a large roasting pan.  Make six quarts of unsalted, unbuttered popcorn.  (Three large microwave bags of natural-style popcorn will work.)   Shake out and discard unpopped kernels.  Place the popped popcorn in the large pot and, if it fits, place inside the oven to keep it warm.  (Note:  the roasting pan is to heat the finished caramel corn to improve its texture.  But it also tastes great right out of the pot, so you can simplify the recipe by skipping the roasting pan and oven portion.)

1 cup (2 sticks) real butter (plus extra for buttering utensils and pans)

1/2 cup light corn syrup



2 cups light brown sugar from real cane sugar
 (or use dark brown for a deeper flavor)

1 teaspoon salt


1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon each real vanilla

½ teaspoon white vinegar

Optional:  1 cup toasted nuts

In a thick-bottomed 2-3 quart saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter.  Stir in syrup, sugar, and salt.  Stirring constantly so it doesn't scorch, bring the mixture to a boil.  Boil without stirring until it reaches 250 degrees (about four minutes).  Remove from heat, stir in soda, vanilla, and vinegar.  (Beware of foaming!)  Drizzle over the popped corn (and nuts) in the large pot and mix well with buttered spoon.  The caramel corn can certainly be eaten now, but for a nicer texture, dump the coated corn into the roasting pan and bake for 20 minutes (longer for chewier popcorn), stirring every 10 minutes.  Let it cool slightly before tasting.  The nice thing is that cleanup is easy.  As long as you haven't burned the sugar mixture, hot water will melt everything away.

Making Caramel Corn in 2002