I also vaguely remember making homemade taffy for some kind of pioneer-related activity when I was a kid, but it wasn’t saltwater taffy and it wasn’t flavored, it was just a glob of gooey sugar. But even if it was kind of gross, it was really fun. And then we stumbled into this clip from Friends not too long ago,
and I decided my kids needed to make taffy and that for the sake of deliciousness, it needed to be saltwater taffy. I tried this saltwater taffy recipe first and it ended in an epic failure (apparently 270 degrees is way too hot for taffy.) Turns out there’s more or less a widely accepted saltwater taffy recipe that everyone else in the universe seems to use–all the old cookbooks, all the new cookbooks, all the interwebs. I added a pinch of baking soda to make it a little more light and airy, but turns out, like most candy recipes, it’s kind of a science. Who knew, right? (That’s me using the sarcastic font.) You’re going to need sugar, corn starch, light corn syrup, a little butter, some salt (I used fine sea salt, but regular table salt will work), glycerin (maybe you have some left over from the giant bubble experiment), and a little baking soda. I also used flavor (pink lemonade, to be exact) and food coloring. I recommend using those little concentrated LorAnn concentrated flavors–about 1/2 teaspoon will do the trick and they come in a huge variety of flavors, so if you want coconut or watermelon or root beer or cherry or lime, this is the way to go. Heavily grease a cookie sheet and set it aside. I’m not talking a misting of non-stick cooking spray, I’m talking grab a chunk of shortening and rub it all over the bottom and sides of the pan. You’ll thank me later. Now. You’re going to want to calibrate your candy thermometer. I promise. Two batches of rock-hard taffy later, I realized my candy thermometer was running about 15 degrees too hot, which makes a world of difference in the candy-making world. Side note: there are also sometimes tears and lightly burned fingers from getting impatient and pulling the taffy too soon. I’m making this process look more and more appealing, right?! I keep saying I’m never going to post another candy recipe again because even the best candy makers have stuff that doesn’t turn out and they can’t exactly pinpoint why, but I keep coming back for more. Kind of like how I kept reaching for the taffy that I knew was too hot. I’m a glutton for punishment. Anyway. Combine sugar and cornstarch, put into a saucepan, and add corn syrup, butter, water, glycerin, and salt. Stir until boiling and boil until mixture reaches 255°F. Add the flavoring and pour onto the prepared cookie sheet.
Allow to cool until you can handle it safely (do what I say, not what I do). Pull the taffy until shiny and opaque, about 10 minutes. Use both hands to pull it out and then fold the ends on top of each other and pull it out again.
Cut into individual pieces
and wrap in wax paper.
