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

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.

Making Pull Candy – the Old-Fashioned Way

This candy is a special treat from my childhood.

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.
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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

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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.

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

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

FAQs

How do you make pulling sugar? ›

Fold and pull the sugar 10 to 20 times.

Roll the sugar across the mat with your palm first, then fold it in half. 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.

Learn More ›

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. Taffy isn't the only candy out there that gets pulled this way.

Find Out More ›

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.

What temperature do you pull sugar? ›

The higher the temperature, the harder the sugar will be. The temperature range recommended in this book is 311° to 320°F (155° to 160°C), and the actual temperature used for the pulled and blown sugar items shown in the illustrations was 320°F (160°C).

Keep Reading ›

How do you make pulling sugar for your face? ›

A very easy sugar scrub is 1 cup sugar mixed with ½ cup coconut oil. You can add citric zest from lemons, limes, oranges or grapefruit if you like, or add a splash of vanilla. Essential oils are also a great option.

Get More Info ›

Why does candy turn white when pulled? ›

The incor- poration of air during the pulling action forms elongated “tubes” of air and thus addi- tional surfaces from which light can be reflected. This changes the outward appear- ance of the candy to that of a lighter or a whiter color.

Learn More ›

How much candy a day is ok? ›

They won't notice if you eat one or two. Or two or three. But before you dive in, remember that you shouldn't get more than 10% of your daily calories from added sugar -- that's around 200 if you typically aim for 2,000 a day -- and candy is loaded with it.

What happens if you eat candy all the time? ›

Candy's Effect on Our Overall Health

High in sugar, artificial chemicals, preservatives, and calories, eating too much candy can elevate your risk of: Weight gain. Type 2 diabetes. Depression.

Tell Me More ›

What is the oldest candy in the world? ›

The first candy was used by the Ancient Egyptians for cult purposes. In ancient times, Egyptians, Arabs, and Chinese made candies with fruits and nuts that caramelized with honey. The two oldest candy types are licorice and ginger. The historical roots of licorice are found in the early years of man's appearance.

What does the name M&M stand for? ›

M&M stands for Mars and Murrie - named after Forrest E. Mars Sr. – the founder of Mars – and Bruce Murrie, the son of Hershey Chocolate's president William F. R. Murrie. The story behind how M&Ms came to be, begins after Mars had a fall-out with his father and travelled to Europe.

Find Out More ›

What makes candy so sweet? ›

Most sweet-tasting foods contain sugar. The top of the tongue has special sensors called “taste buds” that detect sugar and other things in foods. When any type of sugar touches the tongue, taste buds send a signal to the brain. Then the brain reacts in a way that we feel as pleasure.

Get More Info ›

What is a candy maker called? ›

: one that makes candy : confectioner.

Tell Me More ›

Why do candy makers stretch the candy? ›

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.

Discover More Details ›

How do you make homemade flossing sugar? ›

you will need a cup of sugar, one mil of vanilla extract. and about 10 drops of pink food dye. place everything into a bowl and mix until combined. once combine, place into strainer.