Vinegar Taffy

First of all- thanks, everyone, for going along with this idea- I'm really excited about it!
I wasn't going to post anything until I moved but this looked so fun to do with my kiddos that I thought I'd share. I found it in The Friend. It's a very simple recipe- if you want to get fancy shmancy you can find a lot of different recipes online.  I know, I looked.  My kids are going to make taffy to give to their friends for valentines day.
Note: Kids will need an adult’s help for this recipe, which is great fun for a group to make in a party that used to be known as a taffy pull.

2 cups sugar
1 cup vinegar
butter to grease hands and surfaces
A few drops of food coloring (optional)
wax paper to wrap taffies (optional)

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, stir the sugar into the vinegar until dissolved.

2. Let boil until it just reaches the hard-ball stage (~250ᵒ-265ᵒ). (If you don’t have a candy thermometer, drop about 1/4 teaspoon of the liquid into a half cup of very cold water and feel it with your finger. If it is round and hard, it is done.)

3. Remove from the heat, pour into a large, lightly buttered platter, and let cool just until you can handle it (the hotter you can work with it, the better—maybe an adult can start it for you until it cools slightly more for you).

4. Grease your hands as little as possible with the butter, take a small handful of the taffy, and stretch it out about 18″ (.5 m). Then double it back and stretch it out again. Keep repeating this until it is too stiff to pull anymore and is as white in color as you can make it. Then twist it while you stretch it one last time till it looks like a rope about 3/4″ (2 cm) thick, place it back on the platter, and set aside until it hardens to taffy consistency.

5. When the taffy i hard, break it into 1″ (2.5 cm) lengths and enjoy! Any leftover pieces should be wrapped with waxed paper and stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

A few things to keep in mind:

1. If you live at a higher altitude lower required temperature to between 220ᵒ-240ᵒ

2. Why pull the taffy? Stretching and pulling the taffy allows air to blend in with it, making it lighter and chewier, and giving it a smooth consistency and a glossy appearance. If you don't stretch it enough, it will be harder to eat so stretch the heck out of it! The longer the better!

3. Make sure to have the ingredients already measured out beside the stove before beginning so that nothing cooks too long- this is an exact timing process.

Each child can pull his own small piece of taffy, but it’s more fun to have a two-person taffy pull, stepping back from one another to stretch out the taffy.
This would be a fun pioneer activity to do on Pioneer or Independence day!

BTW- Megan was in her school talent show last night and did so awesome!  She sang Tomorrow from Annie.  We took her to get ice cream afterward.  Her teacher came to see her in it (she was the only one from her class) and told me that the essay Megan had written last week for the multi-campus essay contest was one the best in the class and that the judges looked at it and asked if a 1st grader had really written it. Go Meggie!

Stephanie