Line a baking sheet with foil, lightly butter foil so caramel will not stick to it

In a large heavy saucepan melt butter, add brown sugar,corn syrup and salt.Stir until mixture comes to a boil, add condensed milk and cook stirring often until mixture reaches 248 ( firm ball stage ) on a candy thermometer, this can take from 20 to 30 minutes. . Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Let caramel cool some before coating apples or else the caramel will pool to much at the bottom.of the spple. Allow 5 to 10 minutrs, stirring the caramel often..

To coat apples, insert a popsicle stick into the top of each apple, dip apple into hot caramel, holding popsicle stick and turn apple and tilt pan to coat entire apple, holding popsicle stick hold apple up and turn to keep caramel smooth and allow it to cool a bit before placing on buttered foil. Repeat with all apples. Chill until cold before eating.

Tips, if you like the apples can be dipped in chopped nuts or coconut while the caramel is still warm... If by chance you have alot of caramel pooling around apple from dipping in to hot caramel, you can mold it up around apple when cool enough to touch.