Grandma's Homemade Caramels

Step 1

Butter a 9x13 pan well to coat. Set aside

Step 2

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, pour in sweetened condensed milk, corn syrup, and brown sugar.

Step 3

Use a rubber spatula to stir the mixture constantly over medium heat until it starts to simmer, scraping the sides and bottom regularly.

Step 4

Once simmering, continue at a constant simmer, stirring constantly until caramel reaches the softball stage of 235 and 245 F, with higher elevations using the lower temperature range, and lower elevations using the upper end of the range.

Step 5

At the soft-ball stage, immediately remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and salt. Pour caramel into the prepared 9x13 pan.

Step 6

Let cool completely before cutting into squares. Wrap in pieces of wax paper for individual servings if desired.