jkath
Hospitality Queen
Last week I took my kids on our 3rd annual trek to Ontario, California to Logan's Candies. (sorry, no website). What an experience! They invite families to come to their little candy shop, where the head candy maker shows eager guests how candy canes are made. Begining with a pot of amber-colored boiling sugar liquid (320 degrees), he pours the mixture onto a cold marble slab and works it with a large metal spatula. After a bit of cooling, it's cut into 2 pieces, one about 3x larger than the other. The smaller is given red color (for the stripes), and the larger is given 1/2 ounce of triple-distilled peppermint oil ($600 per gallon!). Did you know the red isn't flavored? The large, yellowish blob (think flubber) is then placed on a taffy hook. With each pull, the blob becomes paler and shiny. After many pulls, it is sparkly-white. The red is intermingled through many cuts (too much to write about) and eventually the large block of candy (20 pounds) is stretched and twisted to become the 5-striped candy. Each piece is measured out and passed to an assistant, who puts the hook in the top. Each batch makes about 400 candy canes. The guests get to taste these warm, sweet confectionaries and have a chance to purchase as well. (All canes are made without any machines.)
These beauties look like Christopher Radko ornaments, as they sparkle with the light. If anyone is even near this location, I urge you to go see for yourselves!
These beauties look like Christopher Radko ornaments, as they sparkle with the light. If anyone is even near this location, I urge you to go see for yourselves!
