One of the reasons that you need to get that caramel hot—we're talking 300°F hot—is so that it doesn't end up sticky. Properly cooked caramel will cool to a hard, shiny, crisp shell. While we're not shaming a sticky caramel (we're not animals!), if you want your spicy bacon caramel corn to last and be easier to eat, make sure to get that sugar hot.