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RECYCLING THE
CANDYMAKERS
The Banuelos
family, which owns and operates the Cazadores Hotel and several
nearby cattle ranches, have a strong commitment to recycling…
therefore, it stands to reason that these former candymakers would
one day recycle themselves… back into candymakers!
Actually, the
decision to return to their roots, that of dulceros,
(makers of some of Jalisco’s most scrumptious sweets) was to
avoid wasting unsold milk, both from the cows
and goats on their ranches.
Recently, they’ve opened up a small factory to transform
their extra milk into a classic Mexican caramel called cajeta. |
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We
were fortunate enough to take a tour of this wonderful-smelling
business, where great copper pots filled with milk, vanilla, and
sugar, were busy bubbling away under the constant attention of
this generation’s dulceros.
The process
involves reducing the rich milk (goat or cow, depending on the
day) over a steady fire, stirring constantly, then folding in
caramelized sugar. This
produces a gooey, brownish, but delicious substance known
throughout Mexico as cajeta.
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Actually,
before it’s officially labeled
cajeta it undergoes a
two-week aging process which is said to mellow out the various
flavors and add smoothness to the candy.
It tasted great to us, right out of the pot (a little hot,
but sensational), but the experts assure us that it gets even
better. It’s formed into hard candy, or left as a thick, syrupy
confection. Like
caramel here in the United States, cajeta
tastes wonderful warmed and spooned over fruit or ice cream…
though in Mexico, it’s very popular drizzled onto toast.
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