Pull Candy Recipe - making candy the old fashioned way (2024)

by Chloe Tuttle

on January 2, 2014

inHeritage,Recipes

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Pull Candy Recipe – Old Time Stewed Sugar

Pull Candy Recipe - making candy the old fashioned way (1)

Old Fashioned Pull Candy is still the best!

My mother called this wonderful confection pull candy or stewed sugar. Some folks call it taffy. When she described a child’s pretty blond hair she would say it was the color of stewed sugar — a gorgeous translucent white color with a faint golden tint.

Making this recipe during the holidays or in the New Year seems appropriate for me – it brings back memories of winter on the farm in the kitchen with my mother who was also named Chloe. She told me that when she was growing up, folks in the neighborhood would have a Candy Pulling party and they had so much fun.

Print Recipe Rate Recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Course: Dessert, Treat

Cuisine: American, American southern

Keyword: pull candy, pulled sugar candy, stewed sugar, taffy, toffee

Servings: 25 servings

Calories: 62kcal

Author: Chloe Tuttle

Ingredients

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup cider vinegar
  • 1/4 pound butter for greasing hands and surface

Instructions

  • You will need a candy thermometer for this recipe.

  • 1. Stir together the sugar, water and vinegar in a heavy saucepan. Clip on candy thermometer and don’t let it touch the bottom of the cooking pan.

  • 2. Heat the sugar syrup until the candy thermometer reaches the hard ball stage or 260-265 degrees. Don’t stir while it is cooking.

  • 3. Slowly pour the syrup onto a buttered surface like a large cutting board. Be very careful — this is a molten mass of hot syrup. DO NOT scrape bowl. Just let whatever candy comes out, come out. Allow candy to cool for a few minutes.

  • 4. As soon as the syrup is slightly cooled, scrape it into a large ball. If you are going to add any flavorings like vanilla or peppermint, now is the time to do this. Flip the ball of candy over several times using some sort of scraper like a candy scraper.

  • 5. When it is cool enough to handle, gather the ball of candy into your well-greased hands and pull the candy using both hands until you have reached as far as you can. Fold the pulled part over and repeat. Do this for about 4-5 minutes or until the candy is getting stiff and has turned a beautiful white color.

  • 6. Once this happens, pull out a long rope of candy about 1/2" thick. You can twist this if you want a twisted look for your candy. Lay it out on waxed paper to cool.

  • 7. When it has thoroughly cooled, break it into 1 1/2 ” pieces. Wrap each piece of candy in waxed paper and store in airtight container. If candy is sticky, store it in the refrigerator.

Notes

This candy is messy to make - but it is worth it. There also seem to be MANY different Pull Candy recipes on the internet, and they are all a wee bit different.

Nutrition

Calories: 62kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Potassium: 1mg | Sugar: 15g

Like this recipe?Follow us on Pinterest: @bigmill or tag #bigmillbb

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This is an old recipe. I haven’t seen or heard of it in many years. It also is very inexpensive to make, which may explain why it was so popular in its day. If you are going to try this, remove your rings or else they will be sticky mess.

To make this candy I used my mother’s Betty Furness Candy Thermometer that she bought in the 1950s.

Pull Candy Recipe - making candy the old fashioned way (4)

Note how the candy turns a glistening white color – the color of stewed sugar.

.

Pull Candy Recipe - making candy the old fashioned way (6)

PS: I wanted to include a video of the “pulling” phase, but I didn’t have enough hands on deck to pull it off (bad pun). I did find a video on YouTube of two folks pulling taffy(they call it “cream candy”)that’ll give you a good idea of how it’s done.

Chloe is the Innkeeper at Big Mill Bed and Breakfast, Williamston, NC 252-792-8787

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Pull Candy Recipe - making candy the old fashioned way (2024)

FAQs

What happens when you pull candy? ›

Good exercise—but what does it do for the candy? As it turns out, pulling taffy aerates it, or incorporates many tiny air bubbles throughout the candy. This makes it lighter and chewier.

What are the main ingredients in candy? ›

Sugar, Glucose Syrup, Modified Corn Starch, Citric Acid, Tartaric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Lactic Acid, Natural and Artificial Flavours, Colour (with Tartrazine). May Contain Traces of Soy and/or Milk. May Contain Traces of Nuts and/or Other Seeds.

Why do candy makers pull candy? ›

Using hands, the batch is repeatedly pulled and put back for at least 30-60 minutes. This is necessary to help incorporate air bubbles into the batch. Aeration of the batch helps in making the candies lighter thus easy to chew. Pulling is done repeatedly until the batch turns white.

What is the method of making candy? ›

Candy is made by dissolving sugar in water or milk to form a syrup, which is boiled until it reaches the desired concentration or starts to caramelize. The type of candy depends on the ingredients and how long the mixture is boiled. Candy comes in a wide variety of textures, from soft and chewy to hard and brittle.

How to make pulling sugar? ›

Fold and pull the sugar 10 to 20 times.

Grab both ends and pull on them. Keep folding and pulling the sugar until it starts to turn opaque and take on a satin-like sheen. Don't overdo it, however, or it will re-crystallize and lose its shine. This folding and pulling process will take about 4 to 5 minutes.

What is the oldest candy in the world? ›

The two oldest candy types are licorice and ginger. The historical roots of licorice are found in the early years of man's appearance. In particular, many licorice were eaten by Pharaohs and Prophets. The licorice comes from a plant called “Glycyrrhiza” which in Greek means «sweet root».

How does vinegar affect candy? ›

But acetic acid reacts only with certain kinds of substances—and sugar isn't one of them. In fact, candy might dissolve more slowly in vinegar, since the acetic acid molecules don't dissolve sugar as well as water does.

What does butter do in candy making? ›

Butter is added in the final stages to add flavor and smoothness and inhibit large crystal formation. Use unsalted butter so you can add a small amount of salt (¼ teaspoon per stick of butter) to the sugar/liquid mixture. Salt tends to stabilize the mixture and keep it from foaming as much.

What is the most popular candy maker? ›

2021 Global Top 100 Candy Companies | Candy Industry
Company NameLocation# of Plants
1. Mars Wrigley Confectionery, div. of Mars Inc. Hover for More InfoChicago, Ill., USA53
2. Ferrero Group Hover for More InfoLuxembourg, Italy31
3. Mondelez International Hover for More InfoDeerfield, Ill., USA150*
53 more rows

Why pull hard candy? ›

Pulling hard candy is one of the oldest meth- ods of changing the basic characteristics of the hard candy texture. Pulling incorporates air by hand or mechanical means with the intention of a uniform distribution of air to change the “bite” or crunch when eating, as well as to change the appearance.

What are the 6 stages of candy making? ›

The Cold Water Candy Test
  • Thread Stage. 230° F–235° F. sugar concentration: 80% ...
  • Soft-Ball Stage. 235° F–240° F. sugar concentration: 85% ...
  • Firm-Ball Stage. 245° F–250° F. sugar concentration: 87% ...
  • Hard-Ball Stage. 250° F–265° F. sugar concentration: 92% ...
  • Soft-Crack Stage. 270° F–290° F. ...
  • Hard-Crack Stage. 300° F–310° F.

What are the seven stages of candy making? ›

There are seven stages of candy making: thread, soft-ball, firm-ball, hard-ball, soft-crack, hard-crack, and caramel. Different types of candy, from fudge to lollipops, need to be cooked to different stages to get the desired results.

What makes candy sour? ›

Sour sanding, or sour sugar, is a food ingredient that is used to impart a sour flavor, made from citric or tartaric acid and sugar. It is used to coat sour candies such as lemon drops and Sour Patch Kids, or to make hard candies taste tart, such as SweeTarts.

What does pulling taffy do? ›

The purpose of pulling the taffy is to add air in to the candy. This allows for millions of air bubbles to form which is how a clear batch of cooked taffy all of a sudden begins to turn bright white. The added air into the product also adds volume, and turns the candy into a much larger piece.

Is it OK to eat a little bit of candy? ›

If you're a cookie-and-candy-craver, don't despair. Sweets can be part of a healthy, lifelong eating pattern. But for the least harm and -- don't forget this -- the fullest enjoyment, they should be eaten in moderation. That means in small amounts, or only a couple of times a week.

What does stretching hard candy do? ›

aerating, the candy expands with air pockets which. will add a crunchy texture. It also adds a glossier and. shinier finished, and changes the colour.

What happens if you bite hard candy? ›

One bite into a piece of hard candy can leave you with a dental injury that requires attention from a professional. As hard as your enamel might be, the wrong angle and degree of force can leave you with a chip or crack, or even more serious damage, the will need to be evaluated and treated.

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