Valley Girl Views: Clear Candy - A Christmas Tradition That May Have It's Origins In Danville

A 1951 issue of the Danville News asserts that Clear Toy Candies may have originated in Danville Pa.

(Recipes near the bottom of the page)

Unfortunately, the paper offers no facts nor insight as to why they would make such a claim. Although Danville certainly made incredible quantities of the toys, 50 tons were made by Jacobs Candy in 1923 alone, there's no indication that the popular Christmas treat originated there.

In the histories written of the candies, the earlies manufactures listed are men such as William Daw Startup who began selling in the 1870s, and C.Fred Regennas who was selling from a wagon in Philadelphia in the 1880s. Jacobs got his start in the 1860s, so he may possibly have been the first producer of the candies, although certainly not the "originator" of the candies.

Clear toy recipes in Germany are traced back as early as 1772. This hard candy was originally called ‘barley candy’ because early candy makers used the cheaper and more readily available barley sugar instead of imported cane sugar. In 1818, when cane sugar became more accessible, barley sugar began to lose it’s popularity.

These toys acquired their ‘clear’ namesake from the clarity of the product. Mandy of the original molds were produced by Thomas Mills & Brothers (circa 1864) and V. Clad & Sons (circa 1863). They were made from a composition metal shaped from brass.

Early clear toy candy recipes use cream of tartar. Later recipes have replaced that ingredient with corn syrup, which makes the candy more resilient.

Traditional early colors were red, green and yellow, achieved by the use of food coloring for the red and green and the yellow occurred naturally - the high heat used to cook the sugar turned the candy a natural yellow. Food coloring does not add flavor, so all colors taste the same.

Antique candy molds are rare, as many were donated during the war effort, to make weapons. Others tarnished, or wore down, over the years and would not be suitable for use today.

Toy Candy Production By Town:

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In Danville
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Clear Toy candy was being made in Danville in the 1860s, and it was a huge business for the town through the 1930s.

John Jacobs came to Danville from Germany at the age of 19, in 1860. He then went to Posttsville to learn the bakery and candy trade, before returning to open a confectionary on Mill Street in Danville.

In 1923, 30 workers worked in shifts for 24 hours a day to fill the clear candy orders. Approximately 100,000 lbs, or 50 tons, of the toys were made in Danville that year.

In 1938, Jacob's sons George & John Jr had taken over the business, and George Jacobs was in charge of the clear toy candy making at the 304 Mill Street Location.

George had 5 workers employed in making the clear candies that year, producing them in the shapes of toy boots, rabbits, roosters, bells, airplanes and horses. The first molds were brought to Danville by John Jacobs, but later molds were made in the towns foundries.

In 1950, The Quiggs had purchased the confectionary from John Jacobs Jr, and they continued to make the clear toy candy with the molds that had been forged 50 years earlier in the Danville Iron Foundries.

Read More about Jacobs Candy Store Here:

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2020/04/jacobs-candy-home-to-nodding-easter.html

In 1904, Clear toy candy was also being made in a two story annex on the back of Martin Grocery, and at the Heddens Candy Company, as well as by Grocery D.O. McCormick.

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In Sunbury Pa

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In 1974, 76 year old Charles Keithan said he had been making the candy for 70 years.

The patent date on his molds was September 26, 1866

Keithan's Bakery & Luncheonette

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In Milton

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In Milton, the candy was advertised at the Milton Candy Kitchen in December of 1921

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In Lewisburg

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At Waines in 1919

In 1889, a large selection was in stock at Bubb & Bros.

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Clear Toy Candy Recipes

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Note - "Sweet Oil" = Olive Oil

For best results, make this candy when the weather is cold. Any humidity in the air may cloud the candy. (Because wintertime has the least humidity, most molds have a Christmas theme.)

Recipe From Nancy Fasnolt:

Ingredients:
Olive oil or non-stick cooking spray
2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. water
2/3 c. corn syrup
Clear toy candy colorant
Special Equipment:
Pot with pouring spout
Food-safe metal molds
Candy thermometer
Non-humid weather conditions
To Prepare Molds:
Lay molds on flat surface.
Lubricate lightly with olive oil or non-stick cooking spray.
Use clamps or rubber bands to secure together.
Combine Ingredients on the Stove:
Combine sugar, water, and corn syrup in pot.
Attach thermometer to side, without touching the pot’s bottom. DO NOT STIR.
Heat to 250 degrees.
Add several drops of colorant, if desired. DO NOT STIR. Boiling will churn the color and distribute naturally. Stirring at any point in the process can cloud the candy.
Optional: Add red or green drops. Adding no color will make yellow candy. (Colorant does not add flavor.)
Heat to 300 degrees.
Mold the Candy:
Remove from heat.
Wait for bubbles to subside. Ignore the old proverb and watch the pot: you don’t
want the liquid to cool and harden in your pot.
Pour into molds.
Remove from molds when the candy gets hard.
Wipe off olive oil or non-stick cooking spray.
Trim any sharp edges with a file.

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Traditional Amish clear toy recipes

READY IN: 20 mins

SERVES: 24

INGREDIENTS

1⁄2 cup clear corn syrup

1 cup sugar

1⁄2 cup water

Flavoring

DIRECTIONS

I try to use a ratio of two parts solid to one part liquid, but for your first batch use more liquid. It just takes longer and the liquid must boil off before it will reach the proper temperature so err on the side of too much liquid at first.

In a pan put 1/2 cup of clear corn syrup, one cup of sugar, and put 1/2 cup of water on top of the sugar and make sure the sugar is thoroughly moistened. Stick in the candy thermometer and put the mixture on the stove.

DO NOT STIR!

Heat to 310 degrees and if you have the sugar thoroughly moistened it will look like boiling glass.

If you have too much sugar for the liquid you used it will not be clear.

When the mixture reaches 300-310 degrees, pour into molds generously coated with olive oil (any oil will work).

Hold the molds together with heavy duty rubber bands and place the greased molds on a cookie sheet.

If you don't have any molds, you can oil a cake pan and pour the mixture about 1/4 inch deep and score with a knife as it hardens so it will break into bite size pieces.

Its takes about five minutes or so to harden in the molds and as it does I add sticks to make it easier to eat. I wrap them in small plastic bags which you can get wherever they sell candy making supplies.

Remember you can't mess this up - if you put in too much corn syrup or water it will just take longer to reach the desired temperature. After your first batch, you'll never measure anything again.

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A Recipe from A Coal Cracker In The Kitchen:

https://www.acoalcrackerinthekitchen.com/2019/11/07/clear-toy-candy/

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