In Atlantic City, New Jersey, it is often packaged in beach-themed collectible containers or Atlantic City souvenirs. Salt Water Taffy continues to be a popular gift and is often purchased as a gift or souvenir from that location. Otherwise, sources for this candy range from upscale, high-end boutiques to grocery store bulk departments bought by the pound. Its popularity may be based primarily on one measure that grocery consumers never overlook: it tastes good!
The fable surrounding the name “Salt Water Taffy” is that it originated in 1883 after a northeasterly wind caused flooding in Atlantic City, New Jersey. David Bradley’s entire stock of caramel candies was soggy, apparently ruining it. Joseph Fralinger, who was in charge of the store, was asked to name the taffy “Salt Water Taffy” after several customers ordered it using that (and similar names). He then bagged up the sweets and sold them as souvenirs from the flood. This fable, a classic story of “making lemonade with lemons” caught on quickly and probably made the caramel even more popular.
Frahlinger is still the oldest of Atlantic City’s original boardwalk businesses, still selling a wide variety of saltwater taffy. Due to the popularity of the candy (and especially its name), the “Salt Water Taffy” trademark was the subject of legal disputes several times throughout history. This sweet treat remains wildly popular to this day, and the name represents the sweet result of American ingenuity, creativity, and capitalism.
“Taffy Pulls” was the social event involving family, friends and neighbors; and documented in much literature and history from the late 1800’s. After making the simple recipe, the candy was hung on a hook and then stretched to a length of 5 to 6 feet long. It was then reeled onto the hook and the strands folded together. This “aerated” the mixture, making the caramel smoother. Of course, this extraction process eventually became mechanized. A man named Enoch James is credited with first innovating the equipment and process that would make chewy candy extraction faster, more efficient, and suitable for commercial use. However, it is reported that old-fashioned taffy sweaters continue to be worn at parties in Wales.
The caramel recipe is quite simple. It includes the common ingredients corn syrup, butter, sugar, cornstarch, water, and salt. After adding the desired food coloring and flavoring, the mixture is boiled to the “soft crack” stage at a temperature of 270 degrees Fahrenheit. Today, of course, Salt Water Taffy is mostly produced in a large-scale setting using modern manufacturing processes. Actually containing no seawater, Salt Water Taffy is available in colors and flavors to match almost any occasion, holiday or theme. Many varieties contain a soft filling in the middle of each candy with a special flavor and color. Although the candy is sold everywhere, Atlantic City is still considered its traditional “home” of origin in the United States. In Britain the name ‘Taffy’ is often used interchangeably with ‘Toffee’.
Salt Water Taffy is just one of the many sweet treats, both nostalgic and new, that visitors to Popsies in Oak Harbor, Washington will find. It can also be included in custom orders online, at http://www.popsiespugetsoundpopcorn.com
