Making Maple Candy

Sweet Treats Made from Pure Maple Syrup

Mar 7, 2007

Learn creative ways to enjoy sweet maple syrup with Don Harlow's recipe for Maple Candy.

If you've ever wondered how to make those melt-in-your-mouth maple candies, read on. We spoke with Don Harlow, of Harlow's Sugarhouse, in Putney, Vermont, who has been sugaring on his farm for over 100 years. At Harlow's Sugarhouse maple-sugar candy is made in batches over a stove in the kitchen. "Syrup in Vermont is special," says Don.

As one of Vermont's oldest traditions, maple sugaring is still done the old-fashioned way at Harlow's farm with heavy work horses and a wood shod sled used to collect the sap from the "sugarbush" located on Harlow's property to turn into syrup. Each year, the Harlows make delicious maple syrup, and as Don reports, last year's crop was excellent--a sweet reward at the end of a process that takes many hours of labor.

Maple candies are the products of cooking maple syrup to a final temperature of 242 degrees F. When the syrup reaches this temperature, the syrup takes on a thicker, cloudier consistency than maple cream, and it will form well in candy molds of any shape. Once the candies have hardened in their molds, they can be popped out of the molds and are ready to enjoy. By adding a splash of milk, cream, or butter to the syrup, you won't experience a boil-over on your stove.

MAPLE SUGAR CANDY

2 cups fancy grade-A pure maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon milk, cream, or butter

1. Heat the maple syrup and the milk, cream, or butter over medium-heat until the mixture reaches 242 degrees F. on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes.

2. Let the bubbles settle, about 1 minute.

3. Stir the hot, thickened syrup with a wooden spoon until it just begins to turn grainy or you see granules forming, 1 to 2 minutes.

4. Working quickly, pour the syrup into candy molds.

5. Before the mixture hardens, use a large, wide, stiff spatula or bench scraper to pack the syrup into the molds and smooth the surface.

6. The candies should take 10 to 30 minutes to harden. When they are hard, pop them out of the molds. Store in an airtight container.