Caramel stage

The Exploratorium lists three steps beyond the candy stages. At about 320 degrees Fahrenheit the sugar is a clear liquid, light amber in color, with all its water gone. By about 338 degrees Fahrenheit it browns through caramelization and develops a richer flavor. At about 350 degrees Fahrenheit the sugar burns and turns bitter.

The museum says the brown-liquid stage is used for dessert decorations and for coating nuts. Because the sugar is already 100 percent liquid, color is the main sign to watch, along with a thermometer.

The page's temperatures are for sea level, and it says to subtract 1 degree Fahrenheit for every 500 feet above sea level.

Caramel stage follows hard crack and ends where the sugar turns burnt, so cooks pull the pot off the heat early, since sugar keeps darkening from the heat of the pan.