Taffy Pull anybody?

I don't expect many can recall participating in making and pulling taffy - in my parents generation these were sometimes social affairs, maybe two to four couples would do this while visiting each other. The kids would stick around waiting for the final product. And the final product has no similarity to what the ingredients (only sugar, water, butter and vinegar), boiled into a syrup until it forms solid thread when dropped in cold water.

Someone should stage one for a video.

Timing the pulling and folding and twisting becomes a challenge and if pulling a huge batch the earlier work may be done by the ladies and the final harder pulling and stretching was passed on to the men. These loops of taffy were lengthy, my guess is 3, 4 maybe even five feet around the loop.When it is ready it takes on a shiny ridged look and then is made to whatever thickness is wanted, twisted finally onto a counter or table top and after resting for a while, it is broken into lengths that can range from bite size to about 3 inches. This can be done just by tapping with the handle of a dinner knife.

Now how does this relate to politics --- well ---I was just thinking of how the remarks by Barack Obama when addressing sexual responsibility have been twisted, pulled apart and knocked to pieces until it (the punishment by pregnancy) has no resemblance to what he said in the full context of his remarks. Sure sounds like taffy to me.


graysmoke