Out of Helen's kitchen - Peace and prosperity

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Published on Saturday, June 3, 2017

Helen Drysdale
The Neepawa Banner

The 1920’s brought peace and hope for prosperity. The first few years after the war the economy slumped but by 1924 the good times had returned.

News travelled slowly and each farm lived in isolation. With the coming of telephones and radios, the silence was broken. By 1926, 1 in 11 Canadians had a telephone or access to one at the local store. Canada introduced its first radio stations in 1922, establishing a Canadian presence on the airwaves and an alternative to American broadcasts. Families would gather around radios each night to listen to news, the latest songs, Hockey Night in Canada and other enjoyable programs. If you had a radio you did not need to go out for entertainment. 
Many women and children did not go to town more than several times a year. As a child you were delighted to be given a penny or two for candy. Oh the decisions to make: a sucker, Horehound drops, licorice, Peppermint gibralthers, lemon drops and jelly beans to name a few. As a child my mom made candy, usually in the winter so I will share two old fashioned candy recipes.

Molasses pull taffy
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup molasses
2 Tbsp. vinegar
1 tsp. cream of tartar
2 Tbsp. butter
Put the sugar, water, molasses and vinegar into a heavy bottomed pot. Bring to a boil, add the cream of tartar, turn the heat down and simmer gently. It will need to cook for about 10 minutes. Check to see if it is ready by dribbling some in a cold glass of water. If it forms a hard strand that you can crack or break with your fingers it is ready to remove from the heat. If using a candy thermometer it should reach 270F°.  Add the butter and pour into a greased pie plate. When taffy is cool enough to handle, cut off a piece and pull into a rope. Fold over double and twist and pull again. Cut rope pieces into lengths with scissors and continue until all the taffy is pulled. Dust with icing sugar to prevent sticking together.

Maple cream fudge
3 cups brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup heavy cream or evaporated milk
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp. maple flavoring
In a heavy bottomed pot add the sugars, cream, and butter. Cook the mixture until it reaches a soft ball stage or 236F° on candy thermometer. A soft ball stage is when some is added to a  cup of cold water, it forms a soft ball. Remove from heat and cool until luke-warm. Beat until the fudge loses its gloss. Quickly add the flavoring and nuts. Pour into a greased 9x9” pan. When cool, cut into squares. 

This year, Canada is celebrating 150 years since Confederation (the sesquicentennial). I thought I would spend the next several months showcasing some historic recipes in Canada’s honour.