Caramel Fondue Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why add lemon juice to fondue? ›

Lemon juice helps stabilize the emulsion of melted cheese and wine, while providing a bright flavor to balance the dairy-fat richness. Keeping the heat low while melting the cheese prevents the fondue from breaking.

Thirdly, keep the heat low. If you start with the temperature too high, your fondue will get stiff. It takes patience, but it's one of the most important tips! If you're able to measure the temperature, it should be around 140 for 150 degrees Fahrenheit.

Pour the fondue kit package into the saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the cheese to by handfuls alternating with a 1/2 cup of wine, adding approximately 2 tablespoons of wine at a time and stir slowly until the cheese is just melted. Add white pepper and nutmeg and stir until combined.

For each cup (240 mL) of caramel sauce that you need to thicken, run 1 tbsp (14.7 mL) of cold water into a measuring cup, and slowly stir in 1 tbsp of cornstarch. Pour the cornstarch mixture into your pot caramel sauce, and stir constantly. Keep the sauce on low heat until it begins to thicken.

I would add some more cream until you reach your desired consistency and then put a bit of lemon juice or cream of tartar. The acidity in either one should help keep the sugar in the caramel from hardening (crystallizing), once you remove it from the heat source.

When making fondue, the first thing to consider is what type of ingredients you want to use; if you are a vegetarian, you may prefer the oil. The oil is also a healthier option because it contains no fat or calories. However, if you like meat and cheese, the broth is better because it has more flavors.

Apple cider vinegar (ACV)

ACV offers the same bitter, tangy taste as lemon with a slightly salty flavor. The end product will not have a strong citrus flavor. ACV should substitute lemon juice with a 1–1 ratio. That means if the recipe calls for a cup of lemon juice, a person should instead add a cup of ACV.

And to prevent clumping, put a little flour in with the cheese. It keeps the temp change from clumping the cheese.

Never eat directly off the fondue fork. Never forget your food in the pot. Never pour the contents of the pot onto your plate. Never cut in line when it's not your turn to dip.

The best all-around cheeses for fondue are fontina, Gruyère, and gouda. If you aren't sure what to pick, use even amounts of these three. Together are lush and complex. For classic Swiss cheese fondue (meaning one like what you would find in Switzerland), a mix of traditional, firm mountain-style cheeses is best.

Can you overcook fondue? ›

Add a generous pinch each of pepper and nutmeg, and cook, stirring gently, until creamy and smooth, about 10 minutes; don't overcook the fondue or it will get stringy.

Fondue rules

You must not double dip, and never put your fork directly into your mouth.

Like any other food fad, the fondue was not meant to last as a trend. By 1999, amid allegations of corruption and concerns over the high costs of cheese subsidies and fondue's decline in popularity, the Schweizer Kaseunion collapsed.

Fondue as a meal: how much cheese fondue you need per person

Expect each person to eat around 7 oz. of cheese fondue. Are you serving very big eaters? Then you can easily expect them each to consume around 8.82 oz.

If the fondue is too thin, and you have leftover shredded cheese, stir in about one cup. Or, dissolve 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in 1 tablespoon of the cooking liquid and gradually stir in enough of the mixture into the simmering fondue for it to reach the desired consistency.

A medium heat is usually about the correct level to melt the cheese without burning it, but if you have been heating the fondue for a while and it is still quite runny then try raising the heat a little. The cheese should be shredded, grated or cubed into fairly small even-sized pieces so that they melt evenly.

To thin caramel, just add some cream or water over heat. Melt caramel loaves in the oven. You can also add corn syrup or lemon juice to caramel sauces to prevent them from crystallizing. It's also a good idea to know how to make caramel in the first place!

If caramels are too hard, you can try placing them back in a saucepan, adding a couple tablespoons of water and stirring until the thermometer reads 242°F. Pour back into a prepared buttered pan. If caramels are too soft, that means the temperature didn't get high enough.