To reduce bitterness in caramel ensure that you cook the caramel at a low enough heat and stir just enough to not burn it.
If the caramel has become bitter as a result of overcooking, you can add in a small amount of liquid such as milk, cream or water to quickly cool it down and halt the burning process.
The most common reason why your homemade caramel tastes bitter is because the sugar has been overheated which causes it to burn.
After the sugar starts to burn, the process of caramelization moves very fast and is not reversible, which results in a bitter taste to the caramel.
To prevent your homemade caramel from getting bitter, cook the caramel at a lower heat and stir some but not excessively as excessive stirring of the caramel can cause the sugar to cling to the sides of your pan and burn in isolated spots, which then contaminates the rest of the caramel.
Also ensure you're adding enough water as, without enough water the sugar can cook too quickly and lead to burning.
Stir the caramel only to dissolve the sugar and then let it cook undisturbed.
The most common reasons there are clumps in caramel is because the sugar didn't dissolve properly or the caramel is being stirred too much or being stirred at the wrong time during the cooking process of the caramel.
Clumps in your caramel can also occur if the sugar crystals on the side of the pan are re introduced to the caramel.
Stirring of the caramel after the caramelization takes place causes agitation and causes sugar molecules to clump together and form crystals.
The reason why you don't stir caramel is to prevent crystallization as well as to ensure you get a smooth and silky texture to the caramel.
When you stir the caramel you can interrupt the chemical changes that take place which transform the sugar molecules into caramel, which leads to the formation of sugar crystals.
Although stirring of caramel is sometimes needed to ensure that all of the sugar dissolves before the caramelization process begins to take place.
Stirring of the caramel after the caramelization takes place causes agitation and causes sugar molecules to clump together and form crystals.
Stirring of the caramel can also push any undissolved sugar granules onto the sides of the pan, where they can cool and become hard and cause crystallization.
There are some exceptions to stirring caramel which includes dissolving of the sugar, adding ingredients and using the dry method.
When making caramel with the dry method, stirring can be used to ensure that even heating occurs and to prevent burning.
The dry method of caramel making is where the sugar is heated alone until the sugar melts and caramelizes.
And when making caramel, it's often necessary to stir the sugar and water initially to ensure that the sugar dissolves completely before the mixture comes to a boil.
And once the caramel is at it's desired stage, it's safe to stir the ingredients in such as butter, cream and flavorings.