Old Fashioned Sorghum Taffy Food

OLD FASHIONED SORGHUM TAFFY

Steps:

• Place butter, water, corn syrup, sorghum and sugar in 3 quart saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook until mixture spins a thread-soft crack stage. Add soda, stirring to blend thoroughly. Turn out onto buttered platters. Cool until candy can be handled. Butter hands and pull taffy until light colored and too stiff to continue pulling. Pull into long, twisted ropes. Cut or break into pieces; wrap in wax paper or transparent wrap.

OLD FASHIONED MOLASSES TAFFY

Steps:

• Lightly grease a baking sheet. Bring the sugar, molasses, water, and vinegar to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir until the sugar has reached the hard ball stage, 250 to 265 degrees F (121 to 129 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a rigid ball.
• Remove from the heat, and stir in the butter and baking soda. Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, and allow to cool until cool enough to handle, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Once cool enough to handle, fold the taffy in half, then pull to double its original length. Continue folding and pulling until the taffy has turned golden brown, and is too stiff to pull anymore. Cut the taffy into bite sized pieces, and wrap in waxed paper. Store in an airtight container.

OLD FASHIONED PULL TAFFY

Steps:

• 1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat stirring constantly. Continue to cook to a hard ball stage, 260 degrees on candy thermometer..or until a small amount of syrup mixture forms a ball in COLD water.
• 2. Remove from heat, stir in baking soda and vanilla. Beat until smooth and creamy. Pour into a buttered pan. Let stand until cool enough to handle. Don't wait too long, or it will harden on you.
• 3. Take it in your hands and pull and stretch with your fingers until satiny and light in color. Pull into long strips about 3/4 inch in diameter, (long rope like look) and then cut into 1 inch pieces with scissors. Wrap each individual piece in wax paper..and twist on each end. Makes about 1 1/4 lbs. of taffy.

OLD FASHIONED VINEGAR TAFFY

Steps:

• Mix sugar, vinegar, and water in a medium saucepan; stir well before putting on the stove. Cook over low heat about 8 to 10 minutes until it reaches (228F) the softball stage.
• Add butter or margarine and vanilla.
• Pour the mixture into a buttered platter and let it cool enough so you can handle it. Butter your hands well (important! keep enough butter on your hands otherwise you'll stick), pick up the blob and begin to pull it. The more you pull the whiter it gets.
• When it has reached the right consistency, cut into small pieces with a pair of scissors (easier to use for this than a knife.)

POP'S MOLASSES POPCORN BALLS & TAFFY

Steps:

• 1. We always double this recipe so we have enough to make taffy and popcorn balls. My pop always made 2 double batches. In a large 4 quart saucepan with handle, mix all ingredients together. Over med heat, bring to boil, stirring frequently. Tip the pan slightly to melt the sugar crystals on the sides, scraping down with a wooden spoon. Continue to boil to the hard crack stage (300-310 degrees on a candy thermemeter) or until it threads and turns hard when drizzled into a cup of cold water (the method my Pop used). Have a huge bowl ready with the popcorn in it with plenty of room to stir hot syrup into the popcorn. Also have butter and a bowl of cold water handy. If you are making taffy, also butter a few plates, depending on how many people are pulling taffy. Pour syrup over popcorn while someone quickly stirs the batch. Be careful to keep hands out of the way of the syrup as it causes bad burns. Everyone making the popcorn balls should butter their hands and dip them in the cold water. Quickly grab up some of the mixture and form into a ball about 2-3" around. Work quickly as it hardens fast and will burn your hands if you don't. A few years ago, I found popcorn ball molds on the internet. These are great, especially for the kids.
• 2. To make taffy: pour about 1 cup of syrup on each greased plate. Let cool awhile so u can start handling it. Be careful as it is very hot. As soon as you can handle it like a hot potato, start pulling it between your hands, until a light golden brown is achieved. The longer you pull it the lighter it becomes. Twist into a long rope about 3/4 inch thick. Put on buttered plate to harden and cool. Break apart and store in airtight container or wrap individually in candy wrappers. Taffy will stick together if you don't keep it sererated. Have fun and I hope this recipe becomes a family tradition for you as well.