Salt water taffy is one of the great American candy traditions, and making it at home connects you to a craft that has been practiced in candy shops along the Atlantic boardwalk for over a century. The magic of taffy is in the pulling. Stretching and folding the hot candy mass repeatedly incorporates air into the sugar, transforming it from a dense, sticky mass into something light, chewy, and almost silky. It is a physical process that requires patience and warm hands, but the result is a candy that is genuinely unlike anything you can buy. Flavor it with vanilla, peppermint, fruit extracts, or anything you love.

Ingredients

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup water
• 1.5 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon flavoring extract of choice (vanilla, peppermint, strawberry, banana)
• Food coloring if desired

Directions

1. Butter a large marble slab or baking sheet generously.
2. Combine sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.
3. Stir until sugar dissolves then stop stirring and cook to 265 degrees F on a candy thermometer.
4. Remove from heat and stir in butter, vinegar, flavoring, and food coloring.
5. Pour onto prepared buttered surface and let cool until comfortable to handle, about 10 minutes.
6. Butter your hands generously.
7. Gather taffy into a ball and begin pulling. Stretch it out, fold it back, and repeat.
8. Pull continuously for 15 to 20 minutes until the taffy becomes lighter in color, opaque, and satiny.
9. Pull into a long rope about 1 inch in diameter.
10. Use buttered scissors to cut into 1 inch pieces.
11. Wrap each piece immediately in wax paper or parchment, twisting the ends.

Tips and variations

• A candy thermometer is non-negotiable for taffy. The 265 degree F temperature creates the perfect chewy texture.
• Work with a partner if possible. One person can hold one end while the other pulls for more efficient aeration.
• Divide the batch and flavor each portion differently for a variety box of flavors.
• Add a teaspoon of citric acid for a sour candy variation.
• Wrap individually as soon as cut. Unwrapped taffy will stick together irreversibly.
• Store wrapped pieces in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Nutritional information (per piece, makes approximately 60 pieces)

• Calories: 55
• Protein: 0g
• Fat: 0.5g
• Carbohydrates: 13g
• Fiber: 0g
• Sodium: 60mg

©2024 Suzy Mottet bloomhearty.com writing, creation, and design