Hi Gabrielle, it would either be needing to continue on for longer, perhaps it wasn't as strong a boil or if you accidentally tip all the water in with the sugar at the start rather than just the first measure. You want some to make it easy to melt and stop it sticking but dilute it too much too early and you'll get sugar syrup, not caramel.

Hi Claire, I store it in a glass bottle in the fridge and use it from there, mainly that is because ants are an issue in our sub-tropical climate so storing sugary things like this and jams in the fridge not the cupboard is easier. Sugar is an antimicrobial preservative and unlike the caramel icecream topping, this doesn't contain dairy so it isn't technically necessary to refrigerate.

Hi Geenie, it's included at step 5 after the pan is removed from the heat. Be careful when you pour it in to avoid steam burns or splashes.