Mouthpiece

Eat, Drink And Be indie: Tasty Recipes, Inspiring Maker Stories & Exclusives

McCrea's Candies

Jason McCrea, self-proclaimed “Chief Caramel Scientist” at his eponymous McCrea’s Candies, actually is a scientist, and is possessed by a singular thought – to make the best caramel in the world. We’re so in.

Jason’s first batch of caramel was cooked in his home kitchen with a wooden spoon, a few pots and a candy thermometer (science!). The experiments proved fruitful – his sons soon insisted on caramel gifts to bring to school. Jason’s fledgling business quickly outgrew that first little kitchen, enabling him to purchase a “computer-driven batch cooker” – essentially, an insanely smart machine that regulates temperature a tenth of a degree, and stirs the caramel to ensure even heating.

This machine eliminated inconsistent variables, so Jason could focus on improving other parts of the process, like purchasing a 20th century, single-motor wrapping machine to cut the caramels and wrap them in cellophane. (It turns out 100 caramels per minute, in case you were wondering).

We’ve conducted countless flavor tests and chewing experiments, and have come to a pretty universal conclusion: Jason’s caramels are just about the closest thing to “best” we’ve ever tasted.