Caramel is a recipe that uses melted sugar as a base, which can have a liquid or solid consistency and serve as a complement to a dessert or as a sweet, but how can caramel be preserved?
You can keep the caramel at room temperature for about three months. If you store it in the refrigerator, it will stay for about 6 to 9 months, and you can also freeze it for a whole year.
Keep reading to know step-by-step how to store caramel.
How to store solid homemade caramel at room temperature
Homemade caramel in a solid state is used to make sweets, popsicles, or decorations. Thanks to the high sugar content, it is usually resistant, although it can be watery in sweltering climates.
So you should store it well as follows:
- Step 1: Prepare the wrapper.
If you are preparing some popsicles or candies, the ideal is to put them directly on a wrapper, which can be a plastic film, waxed paper, or parchment.
So that the hot caramel does not stick to the wrapper, spray it with oil.
If you need to save some decorations made with caramel, wait until they solidify and cool completely and then wrap them with plastic film.
- Step 2: Bag or place in a container.
Then place the wrapped caramel inside an airtight bag or container.
In the case of caramel decorations, I recommend using an airtight container made of plastic or glass, as it will provide better protection in case something falls on it.
- Step 3: Enter the storage date.
You can do it directly on the bag or container, write it down on a label, and then stick it to it.
- Step 4: Store the caramel in the pantry.
Look for a place that stays dark, cool, and moisture-free to store candies. This way, you can keep the solid caramel for approximately three months at room temperature.
Decorations made with caramel, as they are usually thin, will last less time, such as 3 to 4 weeks.
But if the climate where you live exceeds 86°F(30°C), I recommend storing the candies in the fridge or freezer.
How to store homemade solid caramel in the fridge
In case you live in an extremely hot place, or the summer season is intense, the best thing you can do is store the solid caramel in the refrigerator as follows:
- Step 1: Wrap the candy.
Spray a little oil on plastic film, waxed paper, or parchment, so you can quietly pour the hot caramel over it, and it does not end up sticking.
If you have made some decorations with caramel, wait until they cool completely and are hard to wrap with transparent film.
- Step 2: Bag or place the candy in a container.
Put the candies inside an airtight bag or container, and this container can be plastic or glass.
- Step 3: Write the date of preparation of the candy.
You can put it on the bag or container directly or write it down on a label and then stick it on the container where you put the candy.
- Step 4: Store homemade candies in the fridge.
Place the candies in the coldest part of your refrigerator. Thus, the solid caramel can be refrigerated for 6 to 9 months.
The decorations made with caramel, being more delicate, can be kept for about 3 or 4 months inside the refrigerator.
How to freeze solid homemade caramel
Can homemade candies be frozen? Of course, you can freeze them. It is a method to consider for long-term storage, especially if you have made a lot.
- Step 1: Wrap the homemade candy.
Spray some oil on wax paper, parchment, or wrapping plastic, so you can pour the hot candy over it without worrying about them sticking.
Decorations made of caramel wrap them with a plastic film when they cool and solidify.
- Step 2: Bag or place in a plastic container.
Put the wrapped candies inside an airtight bag or container resistant to the freezer.
- Step 3: Write down the storage date of the candy.
You can write the date on the bag or container, put it on a label, and then stick it on it.
- Step 4: Store homemade candies in the freezer.
This way, you can freeze the solid homemade caramel for a year. Then, the decorations, made with caramel, will remain for 6 to 9 months in the freezer.
How to store liquid caramel at room temperature
Another widespread form of caramel is when it is prepared in liquid form and is called syrup or caramel sauce.
There are several ways to prepare it; in some, it takes some dairy (usually milk cream or double cream) to give it thickness, while in others, it is not used since it is required to be softer.
At room temperature, you can store liquid caramel as follows:
- Step 1: Wait for the caramel to cool.
Before passing the candy to a container, please wait for it to reduce its temperature, so you do not risk burning it.
- Step 2: Pour into a glass container.
Glass jars or containers are perfect for keeping caramel in its liquid form as they are very heat-resistant, but only if they have an airtight lid.
You can also use a plastic container that is airtight and heat resistant. But your chosen container must be exceptionally clean and completely dry.
- Step 3: Store the liquid candy in the pantry.
Put the container where it does not stick to the heat or the light. It also must be dry. That way, the syrup can be 5 to 7 days at room temperature.
If the liquid caramel has any dairy, it can last 2 to 3 days at room temperature, but it is best to cool it, especially if the weather exceeds 86°F(30°C).
How to store liquid candy in the refrigerator
This is the method to consider when preserving liquid caramel, especially if a dairy product is among its ingredients.
- Step 1: Wait for the caramel to cool.
Before passing the candy to a container, please wait for it to reduce its temperature so that you are not in danger of burning it.
- Step 2: Pour the caramel into a glass container.
Jars or glass containers keep liquid caramel perfectly well, but only if they have an airtight lid.
You can also use an airtight plastic container that is heat resistant. With the cold, the liquid caramel or syrup thickens a lot, and you can recover its consistency just by putting it in the microwave for about 20 seconds.
Another critical point is that your chosen container must be clean and dry.
- Step 3: Write the date of preparation of the syrup.
Please write on the container the date you prepared the liquid caramel.
- Step 4: Store the liquid caramel in the fridge.
Put the jar in the coldest part so the liquid caramel can stay in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks. If the liquid candy contains any dairy, it lasts only 1-2 weeks.
How to freeze liquid caramel
Can I store liquid caramel in the freezer? That is right, and it’s the ideal option for storing it for a few months.
- Step 1: Wait for the liquid caramel to cool.
This will make it safer to pour it into the container.
- Step 2: Pour the candy into a plastic container.
This container has to be airtight and resist freezers and heat. As I mentioned earlier, the cold will cause the liquid caramel to spin a lot, and to recover its texture; you will have to put the container in the microwave for 20 seconds until it is liquid again.
- Step 3: Write the storage date of the liquid caramel.
Write on the container the date of storage of the liquid caramel or put it on a label that you will then stick on the container.
- Step 4: Store the liquid caramel in the freezer.
In this way, the liquid caramel can last about six months in the freezer. If it has a dairy product, it will remain frozen for three months.
How to know if the candy spoiled?
If your candy has any of these characteristics, you will know that it got bad, and you should discard it:
- It smells weird, like stale.
- It has a bitter taste.
- The container or wrapper has mold.
- It lost color and is very viscous.
- It has garbage or dirt stuck together.
How long do caramel last?
| Product | Duration |
| Solid caramel at room temperature | 3 months |
| Caramel made decorations at room temperature | 3 – 4 weeks |
| Solid caramel in the fridge | 6 – 9 months |
| Caramel made decorations in the fridge | 3 – 4 months |
| Solid caramel in the freezer | 1 year |
| Caramel made decorations in the freezer | 6 – 9 months |
| Liquid caramel at room temperature | 5 – 7 days |
| Liquid caramel with a dairy product at room temperature | 2 – 3 days |
| Liquid caramel in the fridge | 3 – 4 weeks |
| Liquid caramel with a dairy product in the fridge | 1 – 2 weeks |
| Liquid caramel in the freezer | 6 months |
| Liquid caramel with a dairy product in the freezer | 3 months |
| Commercial caramel at room temperature | 9 – 12 months |
| Commercial caramel in the fridge | 1 year |
| Commercial caramel in the freezer | 18 – 24 months |
Why do caramel spoil?
It is difficult for solid candy to spoil, but possible. Although sugar is a self-preservative, it will not last long if you do not store it correctly.
Heat and humidity are the main enemies of caramel in its solid state since they can cause the caramel to lose firmness and derail quickly, which makes it sticky and causes many things to stick to it.
Regarding liquid caramel, it can last longer or less time depending on the ingredients used when preparing it. However, those only made with water risk hardening quickly since the sugar dries the water.
Heat does not affect it so much unless it has some ingredient of dairy origin, but moisture can be much more harmful to the syrup since it can change its consistency and even modify or reduce its flavor.
In both cases, being a product made with a lot of sugar, it will attract many insects and vermin, which will do whatever it takes to access it, and if they manage to do so, they will contaminate it.
What is the best way to preserve caramel?
Both solid caramel and liquid are better preserved and longer in the freezer, so it would be the best way to store them.
At room temperature, solid caramel keeps for quite some time, just like if you store it in the fridge, but with the first method, it could soften if there is a lot of heat, and in the second, it could leak moisture into the container that would also harm the solid caramel.
As for liquid caramel, it should be a brief time at room temperature, especially if it has a dairy product. So, it is best to store it in the fridge for a few weeks.
If you are interested in learning how to preserve some other product, this website has hundreds of food preservation topics, which are constantly updated.
