Salt Water Taffy
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Prev About Salt Water Taffy
If you’ve ever taken a trip down the Jersey Shore, you’ve probably bought some delicious salt water taffy on the boardwalk. Pop a bite sized piece of this delicious confection into your mouth and you’ll be happily chewing on a burst of flavor while bringing back memories of those lazy summers spent on the Boardwalk.
Our old-fashioned salt water taffy comes in an array of colors and flavors such as Peach, Banana, Raspberry, Watermelon, Blueberry, Chocolate, Maple, Strawberry, Orange, and Neapolitan. Don’t miss out on this traditional treat; one taste and you’ll be swimming in the delicious flavors of our light and chewy taffy!
Salt Water Taffy History
Since its invention in the 1880s, salt water taffy has spread from its birthplace in Atlantic City, New Jersey to across North America. Legentd has it that salt water taffy was invented by an Atlantic City candy shop owner named David Bradley whose boardwalk store was flooded in 1883. The next day, when a girl walked into the store and asked for taffy, Bradley sarcastically referred to it as “salt water taffy.” The name caught on and, ever since then, salt water taffy has been sold on the New Jersey boardwalk. Salt water taffy doesn’t contain any salt water (and not much salt or water either).
Making Salt Water Taffy
The first step is melting all of the ingredients together and heating them until they reach 250-270 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature has a major impact on the texture of the taffy. The candy is chewier at lower temperatures and brittle at higher temperatures.
After the salt water taffy reaches an ideal temperature, the process of pulling and stretching the taffy beings. Traditionally, the soft taffy is hung on metal hooks, usually in 15-20 lb batches, and pulled by hand. Today, it’s more common to see the pulling done by machines. The more the salt water taffy gets pulled and stretched, the less sticky the taffy becomes because it’s exposed to air. When the salt water taffy is ready to be cut, it’s shaped on a marble countertop and cut with greased scissors. Then, it’s ready to be enjoyed!