Just kiddin':) This is a tradition I grew up with. Every year at Christmas time, my mom would make home made suckers. The flavors would vary with the exception of winter green & cinnamon. Always had to have those two flavors!
My mom would allow me to help & by doing so, I learned how to do the entire process. Even after I married, I made suckers every year. However, by the time I had a 2 year old & 2 month old twins, I decided my sanity was a priority & the suckers just didn't make the list. After a couple more years, I picked up the tradition again.
We moved to the Northwest over 8 years ago & I have never made suckers in our home. The molds were with my mom & frankly, I just didn't have it in me to carry on the tradition with a huge move and a newborn baby all at the same time. Luckily, Kara has been interested in making suckers for a while. She talked Mema (grandma) into mailing her molds to our home. We ordered flavored oil from a company in Utah & got to work yesterday making 6 different flavors of suckers.
Kara & Emma did a lot of the cooking part & pouring the sucker mixture into the molds. Here at the stove, we mixed 3 cups of sugar, 1 cup of light corn syrup and 1 1/2 cups of water. It would heat to 315 degrees & then we'd add food coloring & 1 1/2 tsp. of flavoring. Notice how long their hair is? It's about to change within a few hours after this pic was taken.
Brynn liked pouring the mixture into the molds more than tending it at the stove. Once poured, someone would then put the sticks into the suckers (usually Olivia) & I'd place them in the freezer to cool. (11 minutes, to be exact)
Kara (top) & Emma (bottom) left the house to go get their hair cut. We were almost half way through our Sucker making. They had a few inches cut off the bottom, had it thinned & then had some layers cut into their hair. I love it! They look fresh & happy:) Olivia had just left with a neighbor to go swimming for a bit. That left Brynn & I with all the duties. I feel bad that I forgot to get the camera out before Livvy went swimming. But she helped by measuring out each batches sugar & corn syrup. I missed her while she was away.
Here's Brynn, putting the suckers into bags & tying them shut. We both REALLY missed Olivia, Emma & Kara while they were gone. We got behind with the bagging & tying. But we persevered! We finished the last sucker @ 11 p.m. Whew, 384 suckers!!
This is our Sucker Tree. For the last 7 years, I've just bought the "dum dum" suckers to put in it. Not this year! I just love this tradition! On the right is a poster that Brynn made so that the children can see the color & flavors of the suckers: Green=wintergreen, Pink=bubble gum, Red=cinnamon, Yellow=pina colada, Orange=orange cream, Light Brown=Vanilla Butternut
We have one pint size freezer bag for each flavor just full of the "chips" from each batch. I like these because I don't have to eat an entire sucker for a little sweetness. The kids enjoy them, too:)
Thanks for the molds, mom! Let us know when you want them back;)
HAPPY SUCKER DAY!
1 comment:
Tiffany, your famuily is adorable....you even have a girl dog lol, your poor husband. We just got a shih tzu, ours looks nothing like one though, more like a dirty rat with long hair. Good thing we love him.
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