Summer is here and Salt Water Taffy making is in full stretch! For many of us, taffy is associated with childhood memories of going to the sea shore with family and of parents buying their children taffy. Salt water taffy reminds us of the beach and salt air and the colors of summer. If you have been to Atlantic City, or visit New England coastal towns where taffy originated, you can appreciate the handmade methods of making salt water taffy and the selection of dozens of different flavors. Taffy is still wrapped using a simple method: a wrapper with a twist of paper on each end opens easily to allow you to savor the taffy like a chocolate.
What’s Your Favorite Salt Water Taffy?
Taffy is produced in flavors that are appealing: Watermelon, Raspberry, Peach, Chocolate, Cinnamon, Black Licorice, Neapolitan, Orange, Vanilla, Peppermint, Pear, Strawberry, Banana, and Bubble Gum, to name a few. At LobsterAnywhere.com, we ship hand made New England taffy from the Hill Top Candy Company with Maine lobster dinner packages.
The legend behind the origin of taffy is that it acquired its salt water taste from mistakenly being soaked in sea water. In actuality, saltwater has nothing to do with the recipe. Taffy is made of sugar, corn syrup, cornstarch, butter, salt and water. So, the old story is up for debate, along with a notion that taffy can be made that does not stick to teeth. The history of taffy making is fascinating. In the past, taffy was a souvenir of visiting Atlantic City in the summer, and that’s where it all started in the 1880s. Taffy was a seaside treat cooked in copper kettles over coal fires. Pulling the taffy in strips several feet long is an art and became entertainment in the candy shop window when the taffy is rolled on a vintage machine and then cut and wrapped.
Fine quality ingredients and old recipes are used in both James and Havens Candies taffy. Havens Candies claims to be the best salt water taffy in Maine, and if you wish to view how beach ball taffy is made on a one hundred year old machine, watch the Havens Candies taffy making video on their web site. The World News Network also publishes a series of WN taffy videos where you can watch candy staff use a roller machine to pull and spin taffy. Taffy candy makers are known to operate machines 18 to 20 hours per day to keep up with the demand in high season. Refer to our list of Taffy Shops below on the East Coast, West Coast, Central and Midwest locations to discover just how popular salt taffy is at beach side or lake vacation resorts.
LobsterAnywhere.com is in the lobster business, shipping live Maine lobster dinners and fresh seafood gifts, but we also add taffy to overnight delivery lobster orders. Taffy is a great addition to buying lobster online for its color and taste and is a fun surprise to a lobster dinner order. Ask us, at LobsterAnywhere.com to order some old time New England taffy with your lobster gift package and experience the taste and colors of summer from the best New England makers of taffy. If you don’t have room after a wonderful lobster dinner, you can always put a piece of taffy in your pocket and save it for later.
P.S. Don’t forget that National Taffy Day is May 23rd, around Memorial Day, when the most taffy is sold until Labor Day in the USA.
Tip: Taffy is low in fat and calories, but sticky. Keep fresh taffy in a warm climate of 75-80 degrees for about two weeks, or freeze it up to four months.
USA Taffy Shops
East Coast Taffy Shops
Angel Mints
Clearwater, FL, since 1919 time after time people would say “this candy tastes heavenly” or “this recipe had to be divinely inspired”, so the candy maker decided to name his creation, Angel Mints®.
Cape Cod Salt Water Taffy
South Yarmouth, MA, since 1952
Affordable taffy! You can find nutritional information on the site and order your favorite taffy online from 31 flavors, or visit their store display on the Cape.
Berkeley Sweet Shop
Seaside Heights, NJ, since 1910
No visit to The Seaside Boardwalk would be complete without bringing home Berkeley Sweet Shops’ homemade Salt Water Taffy
Dolle’s Salt Water Taffy
Ocean City, MD, since 1910
In July and August, Dolle’s sells 80-90,000 pounds of taffy, which makes up half of their annual sales.
Hill Top Candy Company
West Bridgewater, MA, since 1946
Over 60 flavors of salt water taffy and counting! This New England taffy maker still uses a copper kettle over an open flame and cuts and wraps the taffy with a Model K taffy machine.
Pony Tails
Chincoteague Island, VA, since 1965
Pony Tails is a sweets superstore and gift shop on the Southeast coast, where you can buy cute toy ponies with your taffy.
Shriver’s
Ocean City, NJ, since 1898
Shriver’s is the oldest business on the boardwalk- produces chocolate covered sugar free salt water taffy.
The Goldenrod
York Beach, ME, since 1896
The Goldenrod turns out eight million pieces of Goldenrod taffy kisses per year and sells candy for a penny a piece in an authentic Victorian building.
Tuck’s Candies
Rockport, MA, since 1929
Tuck’s is in an old seashore village location that is popular with taffy lovers who enjoy free demonstrations of how taffy is made.
Zeno’s World Famous Taffy
Daytona Beach, FL, since 1948
Zeno’s produces taffy that melts in your mouth in 60 flavors, some of which is seasonal.
Forbes Candies
Virginia Beach, VA, since 1933
Chock Full of Sea Breeze and Sunshine.
West Coast Taffy Shops
Ainslee’s
Depoe Bay, OR, since 1947
Ainslee’s salt water taffy is located in a small town and sells about 1000 pounds of chewy taffy each week (or twenty-six tons a year) and is known for its repeat customers.
Carousel Taffy
Morro Bay, CA
Carousel Taffy is home to the largest variety of Salt Water Taffy found on the Central Coast.
Bruce’s Candy Kitchen
Cannon Beach, OR, since 1963
Award-winning salt water taffy from a company that is preserving the tradition of hand making taffy.
Lloyds of Avalon Confectionary
Catalina Island, CA, since 1934
Join their candy community to take advantage of promotions.
Marini’s Candies
Santa Cruz, CA, since 1915
Marini’s is on the Beach Boardwalk main location where you can watch taffy being made, stretched, and wrapped in a Model K Kiss wrapper – a process that fascinates customers.
Central and Midwest Taffy Shops
Hammond’s Candies
Denver, CO, since 1920
A USA local company that is committed to providing quality jobs in the community for its products andservices and enriching the area by locating the industry throughout the state.
Patsy’s Original
Colorado Springs, CO, since 1903
Patsy’s handcrafted Salt Water Taffy is an old-time favorite. Sea, sand, ocean breezes and the boardwalk. Summer memories make their way into your thoughts every time you taste our smooth and creamy taffy.
Saykllys
Escanaba, MI, since 1906
A family business that is several generations old and originally started in the Midwest.
Sweet Candy Company
Salt Lake City, UT, since 1892
The Sweet Candy Company has a large factory and distribution center, where an amazing tour is offered that includes a demo of a taffy batch roller and how taffy is packaged using personal touches – very colorful!
Taffy Town
Salt Lake City, UT, since 1922
Taffy Town uses a whipped process for soft taffy and distributes taffy lite and 60 different flavors to a worldwide market.
Do you have a favorite taffy shop or candy maker we missed? Let us know!