How to Make Taffy for a Taffy Pull

Making homemade taffy can be a fun activity.

In the days when television didn't exist and store-bought candy was rare, people combined entertainment and treats at taffy pulls. They mixed up a recipe for taffy, then took turns pulling the sticky sweet until it became a light, chewy confection. A taffy pull works out your arm muscles and rewards you with a homemade version of the saltwater taffy popular on boardwalks and beaches.

Things You'll Need

• 3 cups sugar
• 1 ½ cups light corn syrup
• 3 tbsp. corn starch
• 1 ½ tsp. salt
• 1 1/4 cup water
• Butter
• 1 ½ tsp. vanilla
• Large saucepan
• Wooden spoon
• Candy thermometer
• Cookie sheet
• Scissors
• Plastic wrap

Instructions

1. Combine the sugar, corn syrup, cornstarch, salt and water in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat. Stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar melts. Add 3 tbsp. butter and stir until the butter is melted.

2. Bring the mixture to a boil. Let boil for several minutes. Do not stir the mixture. Boil until a candy thermometer measures 207 degrees, also known as the hard ball or hard crack stage. While the candy is boiling, butter a cookie sheet.

3. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour the hot syrup onto the buttered cookie sheet.

4. Allow the candy to cool. It will become more opaque. While it is still warm to the touch, but cool enough to handle without burning yourself, rub more butter on your hands. Enlist a friend and have them butter their hands also.

5. Grasp one end of the candy while your friend grabs the other. Lift the candy from the cookie sheet and pull, stretching it. Fold the candy in the middle. Grasp the new ends and pull. Repeat this procedure for 10 to 15 minutes. Pulling works air into the taffy and makes it soft and chewy.

6. Pull the taffy into a long, narrow rope. Cut into 2-inch sections with scissors and wrap each section in plastic wrap.

Tips & Warnings

• You can add different flavorings such as peppermint or coconut or a few drops of food coloring to the taffy if you like.

References

• Science of Cooking: Saltwater Taffy
• Science of Cooking: Why Do You Pull Taffy?
• Southern Illinois University: Pioneer Foods --Taffy