Dr. Laskey was first approached by Marblehead candy maker, Girdler Stacey in the 1880’s looking for a simpler, faster way to make holiday ribbon candy and Laskey came up with his mechanical ...

Ribbon candy, I later learned, can be traced to Europe centuries ago. The candy migrated to our country and was mostly manufactured in New England for distribution throughout North America.

The patent (No. 1,162,616, below) for Kiester’s “Candy Ribbon Crimping Machine,” issued on November 30, 1915, describes the invention as “a simple and efficient machine…in which the ...

Their ribbon candy is now long gone, but a second and third generation of their family still make and sell sweet wares here. They have moved on. The foundation for the Widman family as candy ...

Ribbon candy ornaments sell for $8.50 each, or in sets of four for $30. They are available through the Friends of Main Street of by calling Martha Rein at (860) 379-9292. Advertisement.

When my sister and I were kids, we spent a lot of time in her kitchen, learning to make candy. Recently, when writing my story about candy-making, I went on a hunt to find her recipes.