As the sugar heats, you will sometimes see little sugar crystals forming around the edges of the pan. To re-dissolve, simply use a wet pastry brush. Run the brush around the sides of the pan, and the crystals will dissolve back into the caramel. It's important to deal with any crystallization as soon as you see it. Once it starts to happen, it can create a chain reaction. Crystallization can lead to grainy caramel. Corn Syrup Adding a little corn syrup or golden syrup will also help protect your caramel from crystallizing. These types of sugar syrups are invert sugars, and they discourage crystallization. Lemon Juice A few tablespoons of lemon juice will also help to prevent crystallization. The acids in the lemon juice help to combat crystallization.