Maple Syrup Taffy

By Harley-Anne Hamilton.

Did you know maple syrup comes from the sap in trees and is wonderful on pancakes or waffles?

This looks and tastes as good as it sounds and is a fun eSS&SC Kool For Kids project. Gather your friends and family and learn how to harvest your own maple syrup then have fun in the kitchen.

Pour about a 1/4 cup of water into a baking sheet or shallow dish. Freeze the dish (outside if the temperature is under 32 degrees, or in your freezer) to make ice. Or, we’re having a late winter, use a pile of fresh snow.
Heat about a cup of pure maple syrup in a pan over medium heat. (Why? To evaporate the extra water in the syrup.) Stir constantly until it has a thick consistency. Have patience, it may take about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from heat. Let it cool a little.
Get the dish of ice and drop spoonfuls of the hot syrup onto the ice. The sudden temperature change will harden the syrup into a taffy.
Eat right away as quick treats, wrap around a popsicle stick, or put them in your hot cocoa for a bit of a different taste!
Share your newfound treat and yummy science experiment with friends and family!
Try Harvesting your own Maple Syrup,

Tip: Maple Syrup and Pancake Syrup are not the same. Read the ingredient label on the bottle to know for sure.

Harley-Anne Hamilton is our new Kool for Kids writer. She works numerous jobs, including on a local farm and as the Programming Assistant for the Plymouth County Extension Office—all while finishing up her senior year at Quincy College.