To caramelize sugar for our Salty Caramel ice cream, we use a dry-burn technique, which means no water is added to the sugar before putting the pan on the heat. Caramelizing sugar dry means it goes faster, but you have to watch it more closely and be ready with your cream. It’s a dangerous process—the sugar pops and spatters—and it requires precision and timing , so only a few people in our kitchen have mastered it. It’s a method that takes a lot of time, labor, and know-how, which is why most ice cream makers don’t caramelize sugar by hand.