Fieldtrip: Abbott's Candy

We took part in a tasty field trip to Abbott's Candy with our homeschool friends. Abbott's is a local, third generation candy store that has been making and selling confections since the 1890's.


The children first heard the history of the store. They were particularly interested in the tales of reduced production during World War II and seeing the current, elderly owner as she comes into the shop daily. They were disappointed that she was already gone for the day.


Then they donned their hats and waited for a turn at the tour.


WONDERMENT!


We first learned about the yummy yummy butter caramels.


Each batch makes 900 caramels to be....


Cut,...


And HAND wrapped!


Then we watched them coat Peanut butter Melt-aways.


This is one of the many bars they melt down each day to coat the chocolates.


The candies get coated on the bottom, then go through the chocolate waterfall, get a decoration, and finally pass through a cooling tunnel before being packet up.



Finally the chocolates are packed into boxes. Pictured are one pound boxes... the packer has no chart to guide her... she did when she first hired in but after a few hundred boxes she didn't need it anymore. When she thinks that it is full she weighs it. If it is not one pound she adds more chocolates... so all boxes are at least a pound or more. Then she wraps it, WITHOUT tape. I wish I could wrap presents like that. It was truely an art.