THIS is what I bring to my neighbors and family every year for Christmas. These homemade caramels are buttery soft! It's not Christmas without them!
Place sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan or pot over medium heat to melt. (The caramel will bubble up so make sure it's a large pan, I like to use my enamel cast iron)
After the evaporated milk is added, continue to stir until the mixture has reached 238 F, no hotter! Use your candy thermometer. (See recipe notes for high altitude adjustments)
Temperature adjustments for high altitude:
When I'm in Utah I cook the caramel to 234 degrees
When I'm in Colorado I cook the caramel to 232 degrees
You can always use the soft ball test (drop a little bit of caramel into a glass of cold water and see if it gets firm) to check before you take your caramel off the heat!
Note:
You can add 1 tsp of vanilla extract if desired