January 9: Honey Candy/Popcorn Balls

Today is my father's birthday. One of my many childhood memories is making honey candy and or honey popcorn. My father would make up a batch of candy and then we would all take turns stretching it. This stretching of the honey candy was an art. One had to start stretching as soon as it was cool enough to handle. It would go from a dark brown to a beautiful golden color.  Or we would make it into popcorn balls. I asked my father for his recipe and I have written it in his words. 

"I pop up a good-size pan of popcorn. Shake the unpopped kernels to the bottom and use only the good popcorn. (Nobody wants to eat kernels.) Put the following in a medium sized-pan: 2 c honey and 2 c sugar. Cook to a hard ball stage. (Cracks when dropped in cold water.) Stir in a teaspoonful of baking soda. It will foam up so be careful. Pour over popcorn and stir well with a wooden spoon. Form into balls. (Have a bowl of cold water handy to rinse your hands.)
                                                            ~George K. Case