Salt Water Sorghum Taffy

By Bob the sea cook • November 10, 2010 • 1 Comments

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Author Notes: I was kickin’ around the docks and kickin’ me brain around. Really I was feelin guilty for not visiting me sister. Marmee didn’t even know me current circumstances so it wasn’t like I would have to make excuses. I looked across the wharf. The sun peaking over the horizon of the calm black ocean backlit all the ships rigging making the harbor look like a giant spiders web. There was a rummied out lobsterman sitting chris cross applesauce mending his lobster traps and down from him some ship hands loaded crates onto a frigate that would be setting sail shortly. I didn’t have any prospects. I didn’t want any prospects. I didn’t want to be at sea, not today anyway. I needed to see me sister and her little women. I hadn’t seen Meg and Jo since they were wee ones and I never seen Beth and Amy. Me crossed paths with an old friend a year ago and he said that their daddy lost all their money and became a chaplain in the Union Army. After all New Bedford to Concord is the closest me been in years. Me made me decision and me would take some time away from the sea and go see me sister. I went back to the Spouter-Inn. Me wanted to see if the chef would let me borrow a spot in his kitchen to make a treat for the little ones. I wanted to take them some salt water sorghum taffy I wanted to be there for this new holiday Thanksgiving. - Bob the sea cook

Makes 30 to 40 pieces

2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup sorghum
2 teaspoons glycerin
3/4 cups water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 teaspoons sea salt

In a sauce pan stir the sugars and corn starch to mix.
Add the rest of the ingredients and place the pan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil while stirring.
Once the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is boiling stop stirring. Boil undisturbed until the mixture reaches 270 degrees on a candy thermometer.
Butter a marble slab or a shallow sheet pan. When the candy reaches 270 pour it out onto the slab or into the sheet pan.
Once it is cool enough to handle, butter your hands and start pulling the taffy until it becomes satiny. Cut with buttered scissors into 1 inch pieces and wrap in wax paper.