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When planning your trip to Catalina Island, you have to stop by Lloyd’s of Avalon Confectionery for some sweet delectable treats. If you have been to Catalina, most likely you have smelled the tempting sweetness of the confectionery from a block away or seen the taffy pulling machine in the window working its magic. Lloyd’s has been handmaking salt water taffy from their original recipe since 1941. I went behind the scenes with Taylor Morones to watch this delicious process of making taffy from scratch.

Agnieszka
What makes Lloyd’s taffy so unique?

Taylor
We have been using our original recipe and making the taffy on Catalina Island since 1941. Lloyd’s has 18 flavors for customers to choose from year-round.

Agnieszka
What is the process of making the taffy?

Taylor
We first have to gather the ingredients, which include sugar, water, gelatin and corn syrup. We then grab a well-greased copper pan, turn on the fire and mix all of our ingredients in the pan. The ingredients cook in up to 248 degrees for about 25 minutes and start bubbling.

Next, we take the mixture off the fire to empty it into long pans to cool and settle. Once the taffy settles and everything comes together, we take it out of the pans and place it onto the marble table to roll into a pliable and gooey consistency. When it reaches that consistency, we place it on the taffy puller machine downstairs and add the color and flavor. When placed on the machine, the taffy gets warm again from the friction and is easier for everything to mix well.

After 45 minutes, we bring the taffy back upstairs to roll it into about an inch diameter, snake like form to make easy to feed through the cutting and wrapping machine. Being that it’s a machine and not perfect, we will go through individual pieces and pick out the ones that aren’t fully wrapped, got double wrapped or not wrapped at all.

Agnieszka
How long is the process of making taffy from start to finish?

Taylor
The taffy making process is about 2 hours. There is about 25 minutes of cooking and ingredients coming together, 45 minutes downstairs on the taffy pulling machine and finally the process of feeding it through the wrapping machine and sorting.

Agnieszka
What is your favorite flavor?

Taylor
We have many different flavors to try. Something for everyone, but my personal favorite is watermelon.

Lloyd’s is one of the most beloved favorites of visitors as well as locals. Besides taffy, they are very well known for their fantastic caramel apples, perfect peanut brittle, creamy fudge and scrumptious ice cream. They have something for everyone, even fun cookies for kids to color with safe and edible colored markers to keep them busy before they indulge.

Stop by Lloyd’s of Avalon on your next trip to Catalina Island and bring back one of their mixed taffy boxes for your friends or co-workers to try. It will keep you coming back for more.

by Agnieszka Sanchez