To test for the soft ball stage, if you don't have a candy thermometer, all you need is a bowl of cold water.  The caramel will go through a few stages. 2. In the first stage,  it will just begin to boil, and little bubbles will start popping up.  Keep the heat on medium; as the liquid evaporates from the caramel, it will become hotter and produce a rapid boil.  (A rapid boil is when there are layers of big bubbles all over the surface of the caramel.) 3. The caramel will go from a light caramel color to a little more of an amber-colored caramel. This is close to the softball stage. 4. Use a small and add a couple of cups of cold water.  Drop a tablespoon or so of caramel in the bowl of cold water. 5. Be careful not to burn yourself. Just roll the ball of caramel around with your fingers, and it should produce a soft "ball" of caramel.  If the caramel runs through your fingers or doesn't hold its shape at all, keep cooking it. Repeat this process every minute or so until you reach the softball stage.