Caramel liquifies after refrigerating

Hi all
I’ve made “wet” salted caramel - water, sugar, salt, cream, butter on 3 occasions and assembled it in tarts topped with chocolate namelaka.
I would leave them in the refrigerator to set before serving and what happens then is when I cut into the tart, there will be a runny caramel liquid that collects at the bottom of the plate and the remaining caramel left in the tart is the perfect gooey consistency.
I also noticed that the longer I leave these chocolate caramel tarts in the refrigerator, the more liquid it collects.
My question is why will the caramel be separated into two different consistencies? Could it be the humidity from the refrigerator? Has anyone encountered this problem with caramel and refrigeration? Thanks in advance!

Wesley Lim
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2 Comments

DrewYoung
DrewYoung September 12, 2019
I have never experienced this.
 
boulangere
boulangere September 4, 2019
You're exactly right. Invert sugar (basically sugar in liquid form) is extremely hygroscopic, meaning that it will literally pull moisture out of its environment. There is lots of free moisture roaming around in a refrigerator, and your caramel is making the most of it. There are a couple of solutions. One, add less water to your caramel when you are cooking it. Watch it carefully, as it will cook more quickly in a more concentrated form. Second, once you have filled your lovely tarts, let them set at room temperature and top them with whipped cream just before serving.
 
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