Salt water taffy | Seaside Treat, Chewy Texture, Sweet Flavor (2024)

FAQs

What makes salt water taffy chewy? ›

Like all soft taffy, saltwater taffy is made by stretching or pulling a mixture of sugar and fat over and over until it becomes aerated, or filled with small air bubbles. This gives the mixture a soft, chewy texture that can then be molded into bite-sized pieces.

Salt water taffy | Seaside Treat, Chewy Texture, Sweet Flavor | Britannica.

Regular Taffy. Since salt water taffy gained its moniker following that offhanded comment after the flooding in Atlantic City, there is really no difference between salt water taffy and regular taffy. There was little or no salt added to the candy over 100 years ago or now.

If our taffy feels hard, it is most likely because it is cold; try holding the taffy snugly in the palm of your hand for a few moments, the warmth should soften it right up!

There really is no wrong way to eat a piece of taffy. But we give super props to anyone that can keep it in their mouth without eating it for longer than it takes to chew it.

Perhaps the salty air simply gives people a hankering for something sweet; it's also possible that the candies' decelerated drying and oxidation in humid air give them a unique “coastal” flavor.

Does salt water taffy expire? Yes, taffy can go bad and generally expires six months after purchase. Homemade taffy expires even sooner and only lasts 3-7 days.

Salt water taffy

Its late 19th century appellation most likely originated in New Jersey. Salt water taffy is still sold widely on the boardwalks in Atlantic City (including shops in existence since the 19th century), nearby Ocean City, elsewhere at the Jersey Shore, and other beaches throughout the US like Cape Cod.

Furthermore, a seven-piece serving of taffy contains 23 grams of sugar. Considering that the daily recommendation for sugar consumption for adult men is 36 grams and for women is 25 grams (according to the American Heart Association), you may want to choose a healthier alternative to fill this quota.

Why do they call it salt water taffy? ›

Also usually known as a boardwalk snack, it is said to have received its name due to a candy shop being flooded with water from the Ocean in 1883. This coated all of the taffy in seawater, and the owner joked he had salt water taffy. Then name seemed to stick and it became known as salt water taffy.

Tootsie Roll (/ˈtʊtsi/) is a chocolate-flavored candy that has been manufactured in the United States since 1907. The candy has qualities similar to both caramels and taffy without being exactly either confection. The manufacturer, Tootsie Roll Industries, is based in Chicago, Illinois.

Starburst (originally known as Opal Fruits) is the brand name of a box-shaped, fruit-flavoured soft taffy candy manufactured by The Wrigley Company, which is a subsidiary of Mars, Incorporated.

The purpose of pulling the taffy is to add air in to the candy. This allows for millions of air bubbles to form which is how a clear batch of cooked taffy all of a sudden begins to turn bright white. The added air into the product also adds volume, and turns the candy into a much larger piece.

If it becomes too hard to consume, is overly sticky, or has a foul odor, chances are your taffy has gone bad. To prevent this from happening, you can store your taffy candy in a cool, dry area. Saltwater taffy can last for up to one month in the fridge.

"In some sense, oil droplets and air bubbles are like rubber balls. When deformed in the taffy, they tend to return to their original, spherical shape because of surface tension. In other words, emulsification and aeration make taffy more elastic, hence, chewier."

In this taffy recipe, glycerin helps give the candy a soft, creamy consistency. Glycerin can be found in many drugstores, as well as some supermarkets and craft stores in the baking supplies section, or in cake-decorating stores.

The pulling process aerates the taffy, incorporating tiny air pockets into the stiff candy mixture. The taffy is transformed into a light, fluffy, and easy-to-chew candy.