We're All Ears :: November Reveal

The description of the taste of this vintage 1800s candy recipe called Nectar sounds so intriguing... "It's very hard to describe. Sometimes it tastes a bit like pound cake. Sometimes it tastes like almonds. Sometimes other flavors. And it seems to change when you suck on it. It's a delicious flavor and one that translates well in the 21st century."

The beautiful amber color of the candies was a perfect choice for November. Topaz is the birthstone for the month and there are plenty of beads and stones that give that same effect.
I used citrine, agate and even millefiori glass beads for my drops.

I love the look of that old hand crank machine that they used to make these candies. I find it so inspiring that something so old can be brought back to such a sweet new life! It has a very steampunk Victorian quality to it and it is fascinating to watch. To bring in the element of the antique candy press I used steel washers, twisted links and even beaded links (I wish I could say who the artist is who made them!).

For my contribution, I made four different pairs of earrings inspired by the candy making video and the fact that the candy changes flavors as you suck on it.

 

So what sweet treats have you cooked up for us this month? I can't wait to see what you did!

[Note: The InLinkz tool is something I love using but they increased their price substantially. So I am trying out a new link-up service. Please be patient as I work through this!] 

We're All Ears :: November Inspiration

I love to see how things are made. Maybe it is because I live with a manufacturing engineer, but I think it goes back a lot further than knowing my husband! When I was a kid, I would be fascinated by the inner workings of things. I might take things apart...but I was not all that good about putting them back together. But that was okay, because I liked the pieces that came out of those things just as much.

I am also fascinated by those inventions that people created to make a process run smoother. It always makes me wonder how someone came up with the idea and all the things that went into making that machine to do the job quicker and easier.

So it was with great delight that I discovered a set of videos of hand-crank candy machines from the 1800s that are being put to good use today by a candy-making company out of Tallahassee, Florida called Public Displays of Confection. They have rescued these rusty relics, refurbished them and even resurrected some of the vintage confection recipes.

Can you say "yum?"

This is one of several videos on their YouTube channel that shows how they use the old equipment to make these candies. This video shows the making of a Victorian Nector Drop and answers the question, why are Lemon Drops called Drops? It is not what you think!

I love the color of this candy, the golden honey yellow is so soothing. I love the process of taking the molten liquid sugar and molding it into long ropes to feed into the machine. I love the fact that this is essentially a vintage rolling mill, with all the gears and cranks and brass shapes and the lovely patina of time. This crank machine has a very steampunk vibe. I even love the clever backsplash they have above their candy cooling table!

What inspires you about this video?

The good news is that if you aren't in the Tallahassee area, you can still order their candy through their website www.pd.net.

Make some earrings inspired by this video and come back on November 18th to reveal what you made inspired by these sweet confections!