Fat Toad Farm Caramel Common Questions - JW
Q: What is Cajeta?
A: Cajeta is very similar to the ever popular dulce de leche, a dairy based confection that uses cow’s milk. Cajeta, on the other hand, has its roots in Mexico and is based on goat’s milk.
Cajeta is a Mexican confection of thickened syrup usually made of sweetened caramelized milk. According to chef Rick Bayless, the name for cajeta came from the Spanish phrase al punto de cajeta, which means a liquid thickened to the point at which a spoon drawn through the liquid reveals the bottom of the pot in which it is being cooked. However, it is more popularly assumed that it takes its name from the small wooden boxes it was traditionally packed in. Mexican cajeta is considered a specialty of and popularly associated with the city of Celaya in the state of Guanajuato, although it is also produced with the traditional method in several towns of the state of Jalisco, such as Mazamitla and Sayula.
- Wikipedia
While standard caramel sauces are sugar-based (often times high fructose corn syrup) with very little dairy, cajeta is primarily a dairy based product. As a result, our caramel is incredibly creamy and is not as intensely sweet as conventional caramel sauces.
Learn more about Fat Toad Farm's goats milk caramel.
Q: What is the relationship between Fat Toad Farm and Butterfly Bakery of Vermont?
A: Fat Toad Farm started in 2007, perfecting the art of goat's milk caramel making, focusing on traditional cooking methods and using a small number of fresh, simple, all-natural ingredients. Starting out as an experiment in homesteading and hand milking a single goat, Fat Toad Farm increased its herd size to 60 goats in just nine years, quickly outgrowing itself. In 2022, founders Steve, Judith and Calley were ready to move on and found a new home for Fat Toad Farm Caramel just 20 miles up the road at Butterfly Bakery of Vermont.
Fat Toad Farm continues as its own brand, now lovingly overseen and operated by BBVT. The goal always has been and continues to be to produce the highest quality, traditional goat's milk caramel sauces, using the freshest goat's milk available. Our dedicated team continues to produce our Goat's Milk Caramel Sauce right here in our kitchen, meticulously hand-stirring it to velvety perfection in small batches.
Q: Where can I buy your caramel sauces?
A: Right here! If you can't find our caramel at a store near you that you feel should be carrying our caramel, email us at Orders@ButterflyBakeryVT.com and let us know!
Q: What are the best uses for your caramel sauces?
A: The options are truly endless! You can: drizzle on ice cream, fruit, or cakes, dip apples or cookies, stir into coffee, hot chocolate or cocktails, spread on toast, bake into pies, tarts, breads and muffins, glaze carrots, sweet potatoes or ham, sweeten a marinade, pair with your favorite cheese, combine with chocolate in any way you can think of, or (our preferred method) eat it straight from the jar with a spoon. Want more? Find some our favorite caramel recipes and pairings here.
Q: What ingredients do you use in your caramel?
A: The ingredients for our eight different flavors are as follows: Fresh goat’s milk, pure cane sugar, vanilla beans, cinnamon sticks, Kentucky straight bourbon, salt, cold brew coffee, stone ground chocolate liquor, cayenne, pure Vermont maple syrup, apple cider, mulling spices and baking soda.. That's it! Simple, honest goodness.
Q: Is your caramel gluten-free?
A: We don't use any gluten-containing ingredients in making our caramel or on our caramel equipment! That said, none of the products made in other areas of our facility are certified gluten free, and we are not a certified gluten free facility. For this reason, we can’t guarantee that anything is 100% gluten free.
Q: Where can I find Fat Toad Farm products near me? Is there a retail store I can visit?
A: Depending on where you are, the quickest and easiest way to order our goods is right here, online. If you ever happen to be in central Vermont, our retail store, located in Barre, VT (pronounced Bear-y) at 698 South Barre Rd, is open M-W 10am-5pm. Otherwise, our products can be found a many local co-ops, farm stands and small stores around Vermont. If there's a particular product you're looking for, you can call (802) 243-4545 or email us at Hello@butterflybakeryVT.com, and we'd be happy to check if it's available at a store near you.
Q: Do you offer your products wholesale?
A: Yes! Click here to learn more.
Q: What do you charge for shipping, and how soon will my order arrive?
A: We do all we can to get your order out of our hands and into yours as fast as possible! Click here for details about shipping costs (FREE for orders over $70) and timing.
Q: What farms do you source from?
A: Butterfly Bakery of Vermont / Fat Toad Farm is a mission driven company with strong commitments to our community, including Vermont's many small farms. In fact, 80% of our ingredients by weight are sourced from farms within 200 miles of our kitchen in Barre, Vermont. Click here to learn more about the many farms we collaborate with every day!
Q: How long will my caramel last after opening? Do I need to keep it in the refrigerator?
A: The unopened shelf life of our caramel is technically 18 months. That said, we've found that they actually remain safe to eat much longer than that. If anything, there's a slight risk of flavor degradation the longer an unopened jar of caramel sits.
Once opened, we do recommend that your caramel is stored in the refrigerator with the lid on tightly. Although it's unlikely you'll leave any of your caramel uneaten for more than a day or two, it should really be consumed within a 2-3 months.
Q: Can I add a special (birthday) message for an order I'm sending as a gift?
A: When you add a product to your cart in our online store, you'll see a box where you can add a special note to your order. Using this box, you can let us know it's a gift order. Provide the gift recipient's name and a very brief message, and we'll be happy to print out a card with your message and include it with the order. Otherwise, simply reply to your order confirmation email with a more detailed request and we'll see what we can do to accommodate.
Q: Do you offer a discount for large orders?
A: Although we don't currently offer a by-the-case discount on our caramel sauces, we do offer a Petit Flight (2oz jars) and Top Flight (8oz jars) that includes one each of our eight delicious Fat Toad Farm goat’s milk caramels packed together as a set. These sets are priced lower than if buying all of the products individually.
More questions? Drop us a line using the form below, and we'll respond just as soon as we can.