Caramels are a chewy, sweet confection, often square in shape, traditionally composed of sugar, cream, butter, and fl avorings.
Historically, the Arabs may have invented the process of making caramels, but caramels were widely consumed throughout the world.
Caramels were expensive until the late nineteenth century, when the cost of sugar declined. Caramels, a softer version of toffee, became popular in the United States during the mid-nineteenth century.
Caramel was consumed as a candy and was used to coat other confections such as candy apples on a stick, which were sold at fairs, circuses, and sporting events.
Many companies began manufacturing caramels in the United States during the nineteenth century. As a promotional tool, caramel candy manufacturers began giving away baseball cards in 1888, a practice that continued through the 1930s.
In the late nineteenth century, there were three major caramel manufacturers in the United States.
All three were located in Pennsylvania: Breisch-Hine Company of Philadelphia, the P. C. Wiest Company of York, and Lancaster Caramel Company owned by Milton S. Hershey, who had learned how to make caramels while apprenticed to a caramel maker in Denver.
Hershey had established his caramel company in 1886 and it became one of the most important caramel manufacturers in America.
In 1898 Hershey’s two major competitors, Breisch-Hine and P. C. Wiest, merged to form the American Caramel Company. They wanted to form a caramel monopoly and asked Hershey to join them.
When he refused to do so, they offered to purchase his caramel manufacturing company for $1 million. Hershey accepted their offer and refocused his energy on manufacturing chocolate.
Caramel was easy to make and many others jumped in to making it: the American Caramel Company eventually floundered.
Other caramel manufacturers emerged, such as the United States Caramel Company, but most failed.
One exception was the York Caramel Company, founded in 1914; it has thrived ever since.
In 1975 the company was sold to the Howard B. Stark Company, which renamed it York Candy Kitchens. The company was sold again in 1982 to Robert Lukas, who changed the company’s name to Classic Caramel Company.
It remains one of the largest caramel manufacturers in America.
Other large manufacturers include Kraft Foods and Brach’s Confections.
In addition, caramel is used as an ingredient in many other candies, including Almond Kisses, Cow Tales, Goo Goo Clusters, Milk Duds, Slo Pokes, Sugar Daddies, Sugar Babies, TWIX Caramel Cookie Bars, and Snickers, the most popular candy bar in the United States.
Information Source: Encyclopedia of Junk Food and Fast Food Book by Andrew F. Smith