Woods Wise Wire

Backyard Family Activity—Making Maple Taffy

Activity Introduction

The Maine Forest Service plans to begin distribution of the second edition of its popular publication The Woods in Your Backyard by late summer 2020. The book was first published in 1999 and was very well-received by family woodland owners, educators, and the public. To help people enjoy the Maine woods and the outdoors in general, the Maine Forest Service is releasing several activities from the book in electronic format this spring. The first activity to be released, Making Maple Taffy, is great way to support Maine’s maple syrup producers and to learn about value added maple products. The next activity is scheduled for release in about two weeks. Stay tuned and stay safe.

Aside from profit, a big part of making maple syrup is having fun with your family, friends, and visitors. Most commercial sugarhouses are open to the public on Maine Maple Sunday. Maple producers use this day to educate the public, show off their operations, and sell syrup and other maple products. Products other than syrup that are produced by Maine’s sugarmakers include hard candy, jelly, butter, and granulated sugar. Taffy is one of the easiest maple treats to make, and sugarmakers often give out samples on Maple Sunday. Making taffy with your family is a great introduction to value-added maple products. Getting Ready If possible, visit a local sugarhouse and purchase a pint or quart of syrup. A great time to visit is during Maine Maple Sunday. Get a list of participating sugarhouses at https://mainemapleproducers.com/. In the event that your local sugarhouse is closed for the season, you can purchase Maine maple syrup at many grocery stores. Avoid products labeled “pancake syrup”—they aren’t pure maple. The Activity In this activity, you will use Maine maple syrup to make delicious maple taffy. Timeframe 30 minutes with all materials in place.

Steps

1. Place the cookie sheet on a table outside and fill it with two to three inches of snow or shaved ice. You may also use blocks of ice on a cookie sheet.
2. Heat a pint of maple syrup to 234^oF on your stove to make taffy on snow or shaved ice. Heat the syrup to 236^oF to make taffy on blocks of ice. Overheating will only change the consistency of the taffy.

Tip #1: Use a pot with at least twice the volume of the syrup you’re heating.

Tip #2: Have some butter, margarine, or maple defoamer on hand in the event that the syrup starts to boil over.

3. Pour the heated syrup in thin lines or ribbons across the snow or ice.
   
   
4. Wind the cooling syrup around a popsicle stick by placing the end of the stick in a line of syrup and rolling it over and over. Doing this will produce taffy on a stick.
   
   
5. Eat and enjoy! Don’t forget to clean up any spilled syrup to avoid attracting nuisance animals to your backyard.