I remember going on school field trips when I was a kid and one trip I always loved was to a maple sugar shack. They always made us this 'candy'. I remember everyone grabbing a piece out of the big bowl of snow.
Oooohhh so delish!!!
Adirondack Jack Wax Maple Taffy!!
also known as Maple Sugar on Snow or Maple Syrup Snow Candy
Jack Wax is a special winter treat. It's easy to make and has only two ingredients: new snow and maple syrup.
Add 1 cup of real maple syrup in a pan and bring it to a boil.
Bring the syrup temperature up to around 235º Fahrenheit and allow to boil for 20 minutes. Don’t stir the syrup, just let it boil. You may need to lower the heat under the pan to prevent boiling over. Keep a close eye on it!
Once it boils, turn down the heat and simmer until it reaches 235º on a candy thermometer.
If you don’t have a candy thermometer, simmer until it reaches soft ball stage. That's when a spoonful of the syrup dropped into a cup of cold water forms a soft ball.
For taffy consistency, boil syrup to 230°F and for more brittle, glass-like candy, boil to 252°F.
Get a 9-by-13-inch cake pan and fill it with clean snow packed down well.
When the syrup is ready slowly pour the hot syrup in ribbons onto the packed snow.
Jack Wax should be pliable like soft taffy.
Roll onto a fork, skewer, stick or use your fingers once it is cool.
