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If you are looking for a fantastic activity for kids, youth groups, family reunions or just to pass some time on a lazy summer day or Sunday afternoon, give this fun Pioneer Taffy a try.
The taffy takes between 35-40 minutes to cook. It needs to cool for about 10 minutes, and then you are ready for a fun taffy pull.
Everyone in your family can have their own piece to pull.
Let the good times roll!
These are my cute nieces that helped me pull taffy this past weekend. We had a great time!
Let me show you how to make it happen!
1. Place all ingredients but the vanilla and butter into a heavy sauce pan. You can find glycerin at most pharmacies. It is a very important ingredient. The taffy will not turn out well with out it.
2. Bring your taffy to a boil over medium high heat. Let it keep on a boiling until your candy thermometer reaches 258 degrees. This should take about 35-40 minutes.
3. I like to check the temperature of the taffy by dipping a spoon into the pan and then running cold water from the tap over the top of it. See how the taffy is kind of stiff looking…that means it is ready to go. If you cook it much past this stage you it will be really hard when you pull it. If you under cook it…you may have a sticky mess. This water trick really helps. However, you can rely on your candy thermometer as well.
4. When your taffy is cooked take it off the heat and pour in your vanilla.
5. Add your butter to the pot and give the bubbling beauty a good round of stirring. Stir until the butter is all melted.
6. Butter a large cookie sheet.
7. Pour the taffy onto the sheet.
8. Let the taffy cool for about 5 minutes, or until it is cool enough to handle. The edges will start to set up a bit faster than the middle.
9. Pinch the taffy into 12 separate pieces.
10. When the taffy is cool enough to pick up, hand out a piece to each lucky participant. Then you can start to pull the taffy. The trick is the stretch it out……
…..and then fold it back together. Stretch and fold, stretch and fold…..
……until your taffy turns a beautiful white color. Or if some of your pullers are 3 years old, until they get tired of pulling. It still tastes mighty good, even if you don’t pull it long enough for it to turn white.
11. Stretch the taffy into a long rope shape and set on a piece of wax paper. You can break the taffy into pieces by holding it in the palm of your hand and tapping it with the handle of a butter knife (thanks for the tip, Grandma Barb!)
This is a shot of my kids and their cousins, and my own Grandma Barb, taken about 12 years ago. We’ve had a lot a great times, pulling this taffy. Hope some of you get a chance to try it and that you love the time spent together as much as we have over the years. 🙂
Ingredients
- 2 C sugar
- 1 1/2 C water
- 1 C white corn syrup
- 1 t salt
- 2 t glycerin (found at the pharmacy)
- 1 t vanilla
- 2 T butter
Instructions
1. Place all ingredients but the vanilla and butter into a heavy sauce pan. You can find glycerin at most pharmacies. It is a very important ingredient. The taffy will not turn out well with out it.
2. Bring your taffy to a boil over medium high heat. Let it keep on a boiling until your candy thermometer reaches 258 degrees. This should take about 35-40 minutes.
3. I like to check the temperature of the taffy by dipping a spoon into the pan and then running cold water from the tap over the top of it. See how the taffy is kind of stiff looking...that means it is ready to go. If you cook it much past this stage you it will be really hard when you pull it. If you under cook it...you may have a sticky mess. This water trick really helps. However, you can rely on your candy thermometer as well.
4. When your taffy is cooked take it off the heat and pour in your vanilla.
5. Add your butter to the pot and give the bubbling beauty a good round of stirring. Stir until the butter is all melted.
6. Butter a large cookie sheet.
7. Pour the taffy onto the sheet.
8. Let the taffy cool for about 5 minutes, or until it is cool enough to handle. The edges will start to set up a bit faster than the middle.
9. Pinch the taffy into 12 separate pieces.
10. When the taffy is cool enough to pick up, hand out a piece to each lucky participant. Then you can start to pull the taffy. The trick is the stretch and then fold it back together. Stretch and fold, stretch and fold until your taffy turns a beautiful white color. Or if some of your pullers are 3 years old, until they get tired of pulling. It still tastes mighty good, even if you don't pull it long enough for it to turn white.
11. Stretch the taffy into a long rope shape and set on a piece of wax paper. You can break the taffy into pieces by holding it in the palm of your hand and tapping it with the handle of a butter knife (thanks for the tip, Grandma Barb!)
We made this tonight and my kids loved it! I have one question: is the taffy supposed to end up soft like salt water taffy or is it supposed to cool to a hard, crunchy candy suited for sucking? Ours turned out to be very crunchy. Thank you!
Hi Natalie,
The firmness of the taffy depends on how long you cook it. If you want it to be a little softer just cook it one or two degrees less. Be careful not to under-cook it however, it will be super sticky and hard to pull. Good luck!
~Jamie
Do you butter your hands to stop the taffy from sticking to you?
Or is it not that sticky?
Seth, when I was young, my mother had us use a little corn starch on our hands. It worked great and didn’t cause a mess.
Like!
We’ll be trying this today for Pioneer Day in Utah. Thanx for the great tips. We’re all excited!
Hi Jamie,
I’m curious as to how pioneer taffy originated. Do you have the answer to that?
Thanks!
Kathryn
Kathryn,
Wow, that’s a good question. I learned to make this Pioneer Taffy while working at The Lion House in downtown Salt Lake City. I had assumed the recipe had been passed down from those originally living in The Lion House (early Utah Pioneers). Wish I had a better answer for you!
All the best,
~Jamie
hi I’m thinking of doing this project for the summer program I’m running at the daycare i work at. you said that if u tap it it breaks. does that mean it hardens? I’ve never made taffy before that why I’m asking:) thanks!
Do you stir the sugar mixture or just combine it then let it boil?
Brittany,
Either way is fine. I generally just let it combine as it boils, but you can stir it if you so choose. Best of luck!
~Jamie