Friday, May 14, 2010

Salt water taffy





Making taffy is super fun. I will warn you though, your arms will get quite the workout. Especially if you cook it to about 265. Mine got really tough after a few minutes and by the end of the 20 minutes of stretching I was starting to sweat and my arms were starting to shake. Okay, maybe it wasn't that bad! Just look at it like.. you're burning the calories for what you're about to eat. That works! And you'll need that motto because this taffy is addictive.

If the stretching part seems intimidating, don't let it! It really is the best part and quite fun. I stretched it long (like a snake), brought the ends together to form a big circle, squished both sides together, folded it in half (see first stretching picture above), then stretched it long again and repeated. Do what feels right to you, it'd be hard to mess up.

Yum!

Salt water taffy
Yields approx. 50 pieces/1.5 pounds
adapted from here. Ms Humble also did it here
2 cups sugar
2 T. Cornstarch
1 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup water
2 T. margarine/butter
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. Flavoring oil
(I didn't have flavoring oil so I used a tablespoon or more of Mint extract)


Prepare a heat safe dish by lightly buttering it. If you are making more than one flavor, prep said amount of dishes. Also lightly butter a spatula for each flavor. And have each flavor and food color ready.

In a saucepan, sift together sugar and cornstarch. Stir in corn syrup, water, salt and margarine. Place over medium heat and stir until sugar dissolves. Cover pan and bring to a boil for 2 or 3 minutes. Uncover, place thermometer in pan and cook to 256 - 266 degrees F. The lower temperature will result in a chewier taffy, the higher a more brittle texture. Remove from heat and add food color and flavoring. Stir gently, pour into prepared dish/pan.

When cool enough to handle, grease hands and pull the warm candy with fingertips, pulling out to about 12 inches at first. Quickly turn candy back from fingertips of one hand to the other hand, then catch center and pull again. This will incorporate air into the candy. Continue pulling until taffy is light in color and has a satiny gloss, about twenty minutes. Pull into a long rope, cut with greased scissors and wrap in waxed paper squares, twisting ends.

p.s. the color of the taffy was identical to this pretty nail polish so i had to put them side by side.

57 comments:

  1. Oh YUMYUMYUM.
    Saltwater taffy has got to be my favorite summer candy. MMM. xoxox

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  2. This looks really yummy, I think I'm going to do it for my little brother's birthday :D
    Could you do a post about your favourite (food) blogs?
    xo

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  3. The color is just beautiful.

    I hope you didn't do all the stretching by yourself. Ouch. I paired up with my husband to pull it and still, my arms were getting stiffer and stiffer as the candy got more tender.

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  4. This is so cool. I haven't made taffy since I was in junior high, and you've inspired me. I'm going to feature you on my food blog and link back to you. If that's a problem, just let me know. (Buonoappetito.blogspot.com)

    ~Jenifer

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  5. I have never considered making taffy or any sort of candy before. Though Im intrigued to see if I can do it myself, plus give my noodle arms a bit of a work out.

    So glad very I stumbled onto your page. :)

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  6. I wish I had some of this right now. I really can't think of anything else since i saw the first photo! I have all the ingredients but if I make it tonight I will probably eat 50 pieces by the morning!

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  7. can i substitute corn syrup with something else?

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    Replies
    1. http://www.food.com/recipe/homemade-corn-syrup-substitute-simple-syrup-74080

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    2. I use Honey all the time! It works great. I even use less then what the recipe calls for so its not insane sweet

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  8. not that i'm aware of, unfortunately.

    corn syrup is a yucky thing for me to use. but i dont use it often (at all) so when something comes up for me to use it in, i dont mind as much.

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  9. This looks like so much fun!!! I love reading your blog! :)

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  10. does using the mint extract give it much of a minty taste or just a bit of a more solid flavour (though its too late to get something else now as my saucepan is on the stove..but for next time)?

    also, my cousin and I tried making the caramels; most delicious thing we've ever tasted, her sister loved them and she doesnt even like the taste of caramel.

    I've tried a bunch of your recipes, I absolutely adore this blog

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  11. Full Disclosure: I work for LorAnn Oils, but next time you make taffy you should really try using our (super-strength) flavoring oils. Your candy will be much more flavorful!

    Happy candymaking!

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    Replies
    1. I use Lorann Oils all the time, and they make my confectionary amazing!

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  12. This looks amazing! I should try it, I already prepare dough for pizza/bread/pasta by hand so I suppose the muscles are there :)

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  13. Just found this on tastespotting and your blog is so impressive! I love the photography especially. :)

    I look forward to following you!

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  14. I suggest this site to my friends so it could be useful & informative for them also. Great effort.

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  15. Made these last night with my kids. It turned out great and a lot of fun. Thank you for sharing.

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  16. I was skeptical at first to make taffy for the first time, but it came out so good! Maybe a little too good! It was interesting though, because when I greased my hands and it made the taffy totally fall apart and not hold together when I was pulling it. But it ended up working out!

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  17. Oh how I can't wait to try this!!

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  18. i skimmed through before reading & i thought you used your china glaze for the colouring ~~ HAHA

    it looks so yummy!

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  19. Oh my goodness I cannot wait to try this!! I LOVE salt water taffy and always assumed it would be much more difficult than this to make! Thanks so much! Any ideas where you can buy flavoring oil?

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  20. HOMEMAMA>>>>>>U CAN sub. brown rice syrup for corn syrup...I buy mine from Tropical Traditions online. It is amazing stuff.

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  21. wow! i love this. i have wondered about making taffy myself, so thanks for all the info. Love the pics too!!! Can't wait to try it.....

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  22. I don't think you can substitute cornstarch because it has a special property that allows it to become the way it is.

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    Replies
    1. you can actually use flour, it doesnt work as well and texture will be slightly different - definitely mix it with your cold water before adding to the pot, but it can be used for people allergic to corn. Substitute for Cornstarch (for thickening)
      Amount Or Cornstarch: 1 tablespoon
      Substitute: 2 tablespoons flour
      TIP: Liquids thickened with cornstarch will be somewhat translucent while flour gives a more opaque appearance. Cornstarch will thicken a liquid almost immediately. A flour-based sauce or gravy must be cooked longer to thicken and will have a floury taste if undercooked.

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    2. Arrowroot and rice flours are more commonly recommended as cornstarch subs, although I'm not too sure if they'd work with candy making (I don't make candy very often). I think they would, since they're more similar to cornstarch in texture and flavor than cornstarch.

      I want to try subbing out the cornstarch for the rice flour I have in my fridge. I'll be back to post my results. :-)

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  23. Hi. I just stumbled on your blog. You look like someone I would want to be friends with. I am hosting a taffy pull tomorrow night...Yikes and your post and links were great inspiration. I'll let you know how it goes!

    Thanks.
    Amy~aprons & ambitions

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  24. Didn't turn out as good as yours. I don't think we heated it enough. Oh, well...still fun. I put up a link your your post on it, since it is so much prettier than the process we had.
    http://amy-allender.blogspot.com/2011/08/taffy-fail.html

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  25. I want have to know more and more, on your blog just interesting and useful information.

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  26. Oh my gosh!!! This looks AMAZING! I love taffy!

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  27. I heated mine to 250 and it cooled for like a minute...rock solid!!! I couldn't do anything with it!!!!

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    Replies
    1. You have to heat it until at least 256. That way it will reach a taffy like consistency when it has cooled. I suggest that you heat it until 260.

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  28. This brings back memories of a little town in the mountains of South America...

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  29. It should say somewhere in the recipe that it takes about 20-30 minutes to boil on the stove top! I poured it into the pan and it didn't go firm, it was like liquid. O well! Try round 2!

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  30. Yummmm-o!!! I just made this and cooked it a little too long (I think 260 is my number) but I can tell when I get it perfect it is going to be so good!!! So here's my question: I'm practicing now and hoping to host a couples taffy pull for the young couples at church. How far in advance can you make this? Does it have to be pulled as soon as it cools, or can it sit for an hour or two before pulling? Thanks in advance!!

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  31. thank you for posting, this looks awesome!

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  32. I use koolaid to flavor my taffy. It works great and everybody has it.

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  33. I've always wanted to try salt water taffy. This looks like fun. Do you mind if I pin this?

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  34. I made this and it truned out perfectly! thanks for posting this

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  35. What color dye did you use to make it that pretty blue?

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  36. Wow, this looks really fun to make :) My boyfriend and I are going have a go at making some in the spring when the weather's more appropriate ;)

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  37. My mom would always make this and have us kids (usually me) help with the pulling so it was easier. Also cheap candy for us back in the 60s in Eastern Oregon. It's also good with just vanilla flavoring.

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  38. there is such thing as a substitute for corn syrup type in www.food.com when you click on the link type in the box that says search type in homemade corn syrup and you could probably could find other substitutes for all the ingredients.

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  39. salt water taffy is the best! I would love to try to make it some time. the color of yours is absolutely beautiful! (:

    The Adventures of Teresa & Luna

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  40. can you use vanilla instead of flavoring?

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  41. Thanks for the recipe, I've always been a big fan of candy, especially saltwater taffy. I used to drive to this little shop that was a good 30 minutes from my house just to buy them, but it closed down a few months ago. This recipe makes very similar ones to that shop I'm so happy i found it!

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  42. Name Amendment reflects changes to the legal name of a corporation, LLC or any other legal entity. Companies are authorized and bound to do business using their legal names filed with the registering State. If a legal entity will be changing its name, for that change approval must be taken from the state before applying that change into the business.
    corporation name change

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  43. Mine has not set up...I keep buttering my hands and pulling but its still a blob that is runny abd forms to my hands..I heated to 260 degrees..its been sitting out about 1 hr..I keep picking up and pulling but when I put it down it goes back to original state. ..shiuld I put it back in pot and cook again but let heat get hotter?

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  44. Ok not sure what we did wrong but we made two batches the first batch we cooked till 260 it was so hard it almost breaks your teeth it tastes good but choking hazard. So we made a second batch and cooked it to 250 we pulled and pulled and pulled....and it is still rock hard what did i do wrong?

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  45. Well I am not sure I would classify taffy making as fun, wow what a pain in the butt! I dont think I cooked it long enough bc it never got stiff enough and now my little bit size pieces are stuck to the wax paper.

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  46. Perfectly Heavenly........ DELICO!!!

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  47. Salted or unsalted butter? granulated or confectionary sugar?

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