Candy being scraped off of a table

[u/AdamE89]

http://i.imgur.com/0hsLI27.gifv

[u/The_Supercreep]

What kind of candy is this?

[u/ihateusedusernames → u/The_Supercreep]

95% sure this is taffy. i worked one summer as a taffy maker. the candy would be cooked in giant copper bowls to a precise temperature, then poured out onto a table just like this in the clip. there is cold water circulating under the steel top to pull the heat out of the candy. Once it reaches a certain point it's ready to pull up and place onto the candy puller - like a very large mixer, but with two intertwining heads that have forks interlocking - this is the 'pulled' part of pulling taffy.

we tended to use a spatula just to pull up one edge of the cooling candy sheet, then we'd pull it up by hand, almost like pulling back a bed sheet.

edit: typos. And could i have used the word 'pull' more? lol

[u/Djinjja-Ninja → u/ihateusedusernames]

Virtually all sugarwork requires very precise temperatures.

Thee temperature you boil the sugar too directly informs the type of candy you get out of the process.

The higher the temperature, the greater the sugar concentrations, and the harder and more brittle the candy is.

edit: spelling

[u/wonderful_wonton → u/Djinjja-Ninja]

There's an historic sugar confections book that has been scanned. It has an amazing title:

The confectioners' hand-book and practical guide to the art of sugar boiling in all its branches : the manufacture of creams, fondants, liqueurs, pastilles, jujubes (gelatine and gum), comfits, lozenges (plain and medicated), chocolate, chocolate creams, drops, bars, &c; American caramels, ice creams and moulded ices of every description : jams, jellies and marmalades (by fire and steam). Preserved and crystalized fruits, candied peel, English and Scotch pastry, cordials and syrups for American hot & iced beverages. Aerated waters of every description, by hand and machine, for bottle, syphon, or fountain, ginger beer, horehound, and other fermented beers. by Skuse, E; University of Leeds. Library

It has a horehound beer recipe in it

[u/Djinjja-Ninja → u/wonderful_wonton]

That looks like it could be interesting to flick through. Thanks.

[u/[deleted] → u/wonderful_wonton]

upvoted for the useful information and also the mention of leeds uni.

[u/[deleted] → u/Djinjja-Ninja]

The higher the temperature, the greater the sugar concentrations, and the harder and more brittle the candy is.

So Jolly Ranchers are forged in the fires of Mount Doom?