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Presents:
Home Candy Making
by Mrs. Sarah T. Rorer (1911)
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Taffy and Molasses Candies
Plain Sugar Taffy
½ pint water
3 ounces butter
1 ½ pounds sugar (confectioners’ A)
½ teaspoonful lemon juice
2 teaspoonfuls of vanilla
Put the water and sugar into a granite saucepan and
stir over the fire until the sugar is dissolved; then,
with a sponge, wipe down the sides of the pan to
remove the crystals, then boil, trying frequently, until
it reaches the "ball degree." This can be ascertained by
rolling a portion between the thumb and finger, in ice-
water. As soon as it can be formed into a ball, add the
butter and lemon juice, and continue boiling, without
stirring, until it is brittle and hard when dropped in
water, and will not stick to the teeth. Then add the
vanilla, and turn into greased, shallow pans to cool.
Do not scrape the saucepan, or your taffy will be
granulated. When partly cold, mark into small
squares with a sharp, greased knife.
Plain Molasses Taffy
Put a quart of New Orleans molasses in a large
sauce pan; allow plenty of room for boiling. Boil
thirty minutes, stirring constantly to prevent
overflow. If you find it coming quickly to the top of
the saucepan it is better to lift it for a moment. After it
has been boiling for thirty minutes, add a half-
teaspoonful of bi-carbonate of soda, and continue
boiling and trying in cold water until it is brittle, and
will not stick to the teeth. Add a tablespoonful of
lemon juice, and turn into greased, shallow pans to
cool. When partly cold, mark into squares, or it may
be pulled until a light yellow, and it is then “yellow
jack."
In pulling candy, see that the hands are well oiled,
and that you have a good, strong hook securely
fastened in the window frame. When the candy is
sufficiently cool to handle, take it in your hands,
throw it over the hook, and pull towards you. When
you find it is likely to break from the hook, throw it
over again, and so continue until it is finished. A
word of caution: grasp the candy firmly in your
hands, make the candy move, and not the hands, or
before it is half done the palms of your hands will be
full of blisters.
This "yellow jack" may be twisted into thick sticks; it
may be braided, or it may be pulled out in long, rope-
like pieces, and cut with an old pair of scissors into
little drops.
Everton Taffy
Put three ounces of butter into a bowl of ice-water.
Wash the hands with warm water and soap, rinse but
do not wipe them. This prevents the butter from
sticking to the hands. Now work the butter under the
water until it is rather elastic, then shake the water off,
put the butter in a granite Saucepan and when melted
add a pound of brown sugar, and boil over a good
fire until it reaches the "crack" degree. That is, when it
hardens in cold water and will not stick to the teeth.
Begin to try after it has boiled ten minutes. When
done, turn into greased pans and stand away to cool.
When partly cold, mark into squares with a greased
knife. When cold, break the squares apart and wrap
each in waxed paper.
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