Caramelized Sugar and Caramelized Sugar Decorations

Sugar starts to turn from golden to light brown in color and to caramelize when the temperature reaches 320°F (160°C). There are two ways of bringing the sugar to this temperature: the dry method and the wet method. Caramelizing sugar dry takes about half the time, and you do not have to worry about recrystallization, but it requires more attention, as the sugar must be stirred constantly to prevent it from caramelizing too fast (before all of the sugar granules have melted) or, worse, from burning. If you use the dry method, do not use a skillet or pan any larger than necessary, or you will have too large an area to cover when stirring and may not be able to keep the sugar from getting too dark. In the wet method, by adding a small amount of water to the sugar, the caramel does not need to be stirred throughout the entire cooking process, but it takes longer to caramelize because you must wait for the water to evaporate.