By Alex Bradford Cobb | Published: October 28, 2026 | Last updated: October 28, 2026
Saltwater taffy is a soft, chewy candy made from sugar, corn syrup, butter or oil, a little salt, flavoring and water, then pulled to work air into it. Despite the name, it has never been made with seawater. It's been a boardwalk souvenir since Atlantic City in the 1880s, and Uranus sells about 40 flavors at $9.99 a pound, from Vanilla and Cherry to Maple & Bacon and Chili Mango.
Here's the real story behind the name, what makes good taffy, and how to pick a flavor when there are 40 of them staring at you.
Shop saltwater taffy at UranusGeneralStore.com
Is There Salt Water in Saltwater Taffy?
No. There's no ocean water in it, and there never was. Taffy does contain both salt and water, which is about as close as the name gets to being literal. Our taffy lists sea salt in its ingredients, so you could argue we're closer than most. We're not going to argue it very hard.
Where the Name Came From
The most popular origin story goes like this: in 1883, a storm flooded David Bradley's candy shop on the Atlantic City boardwalk and soaked his taffy in seawater. The next morning a girl came in asking for taffy, and Bradley joked that all he had was "salt water taffy." His mother liked the sound of it, and the name stuck.
It's a great story. There's no solid evidence it happened. Candy historians treat it as legend, and nobody has turned up a record from the time that backs it up.
What is documented:
- Atlantic City made it famous. By the mid-1880s, taffy was the boardwalk's signature souvenir.
- Joseph Fralinger turned it into a business. Fralinger took over a taffy stand on Atlantic City's Applegate Pier at the end of summer 1884 and made his first batch the next spring. He packed it in one-pound boxes, sold 200 of them his first weekend, and marketed the box as "The Atlantic City Souvenir." The one-pound box is still the standard way taffy is sold.
- Enoch James made it easier to eat. His rival, Enoch James, refined the recipe so it was less sticky and easier to unwrap, and he's credited with popularizing bite-size pieces.
- Nobody owns the name. In the 1920s, a taffy seller named John Edmiston trademarked "salt water taffy" and started demanding payment from everyone else who used it. His competitors fought back, and the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against him. The name has been free for anyone to use ever since.
That's why every beach town, candy shop and Route 66 fudge factory can sell saltwater taffy today.
What Makes Good Taffy
Taffy is cooked sugar that's been stretched. Pulling it, by hand on a hook in the old days and by machine now, folds air into the candy, which is what turns a hard sugar syrup into something soft and chewy. Good taffy should:
- Be soft enough to bite without a fight. Taffy that fights back is either old or was cooked too hard.
- Not stick to your teeth (much). That's the improvement Enoch James was going for over a century ago.
- Taste like the flavor on the label. Cherry should taste like cherry, not like generic pink.
Uranus Saltwater Taffy: Picking a Flavor
Every flavor is $9.99 for a one-pound bag, which works out to roughly 60 pieces. If you can't decide, the Saltwater Taffy Variety Mix is $12.99 a pound.
The classics: Vanilla, Chocolate, Cherry, Grape, Green Apple, Strawberry Banana, Peaches & Cream, and Red Licorice. Start here if you're buying for a crowd.
The ones people dare each other to try: Maple & Bacon, Chili Mango, Buttered Popcorn, French Toast, Peanut Butter & Jelly, and Black Licorice. Black Licorice has split every family that's ever shared a bag.
Dessert flavors: Banana Split, Red Velvet Cake, Strawberry Cheesecake, Cookies & Cream, S'mores, and Chocolate Caramel Mocha.
Fruit flavors: Raspberry Lemonade, Pina Colada, Tropical Punch, Huckleberry, Passion Fruit, Mango, Pineapple, Coconut, Golden Pears, Berries & Cream, Cherry Cola, and Rocket Pop.
Fall and winter picks: Pumpkin Pie, Caramel Apple, Candy Apple, Candy Corn, Cinnamon Roll, Hot Chocolate, and Peppermint. Peppermint and Hot Chocolate make good stocking stuffers.
Last week, we had a man named David come in just to buy taffy, and he bought an entire bag.
Ways to Use a Pound of Taffy
Road trips. Taffy won't melt into a puddle in the car, one piece lasts a few minutes, and it doesn't crumble. It's one of the best sweet snacks for a long drive. See our full road trip snacks guide.
Stocking stuffers. A pound is about 60 pieces, enough to split across a whole family's stockings.
Taste-test parties. Buy the Variety Mix plus one or two of the weird flavors and make everyone rank them. Somebody will defend Black Licorice. Let them.
Candy dishes. Taffy holds up on a counter or desk for a long time, as long as it's out of direct sun.
How to Store Saltwater Taffy
- Keep it sealed. Reseal the bag or move the taffy to an airtight container. Air dries it out and makes it hard.
- Keep it cool and dry. Heat and humidity are what make taffy sticky and misshapen. A pantry or cupboard is ideal. Don't leave it on a sunny windowsill or in a hot car in summer.
- If it goes hard, a few minutes in a warm hand usually brings a piece back.
Allergy Note
Our taffy contains egg whites and milk, and some flavors use coconut oil. Ingredients vary by flavor, so check the listing for the flavor you're buying if anyone in your house has allergies.
Ordering Taffy
Taffy ships nationwide from UranusGeneralStore.com. It typically ships in one to three business days, and orders go out Monday through Saturday. Standard shipping is free on orders over $75 in the continental U.S. when the promotion is running. Eight pounds of taffy gets you there.
You can also buy it in person at our stores:
- St. Robert, Missouri: 14400 Hwy Z, on Route 66 at I-44 Exit 163. Open daily 8 AM – 8 PM.
- Anderson, Indiana: 1423 W 53rd St, near I-69 Exit 222. Open daily 9 AM – 8 PM.
- Richmond, Indiana: 6400 National Road East, near I-70 Exit 156B. Open daily 9 AM – 8 PM.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does saltwater taffy have salt water in it? No. Saltwater taffy has never been made with seawater. It does contain salt and water, along with sugar, corn syrup, oil or butter, and flavoring. The name likely came from its origins as an Atlantic City boardwalk candy in the 1880s.
Who invented saltwater taffy? Nobody knows for certain. The popular story credits David Bradley, whose Atlantic City candy shop supposedly flooded in 1883, but there's no solid evidence for it. Joseph Fralinger and Enoch James are the Atlantic City candy makers who turned it into a famous souvenir in the 1880s.
How many pieces of saltwater taffy are in a pound? About 60 pieces, depending on the size of each piece.
How long does saltwater taffy last? Taffy keeps a long time if it's sealed and stored somewhere cool and dry. Exposure to air makes it hard, and heat and humidity make it sticky.
What are the most popular saltwater taffy flavors? Vanilla, chocolate, cherry, strawberry and peppermint are the classics. Uranus also sells adventurous flavors like Maple & Bacon, Chili Mango and Buttered Popcorn, about 40 flavors in all at $9.99 a pound.
Where can I buy saltwater taffy online? Uranus Fudge Factory ships saltwater taffy nationwide from UranusGeneralStore.com. Single flavors are $9.99 a pound, and the Variety Mix is $12.99 a pound.
Looking for something richer? See Peanut Butter Fudge.
Alex Bradford Cobb is a strapping young man who works for the Mayor in a semi-legal indentured servitude arrangement, similar to how Dubai was built, and possibly the pyramids. What works, works, and there's no need to reinvent the wheel.
