Peppermint bites, hand-pulled and crafted at the Lindale Candy Company. The shop celebrated its 74th year earlier this month.

On Mondays, the sign hung on the door to Lindale Candy Company is flipped to “closed,” the bolt is locked and the lights are off.

But there’s still some magic happening inside.

Beyond the darkened storefront, owners Jeremiah and Kaitlin Cagle are hard at work, hand pulling peppermint, pouring brittle and producing hundreds of pounds of traditional candy for the glistening cases on their main floor.

“Mondays are our peppermint and brittle days,” Jeremiah, in a candy-striped apron, explains. “We may be closed, but we’re in here working all day long.”

He and his wife arrive early to heat a massive, 74-year-old copper kettle –used to warm the sugar, corn syrup and water that proves the base for the homemade peppermint sticks, bites, bowls and lollipops the couple will soon be producing in 35-pound batches – and haul out the countless racks of fresh-made chocolates so that they won’t melt as the temperature rises.

By 10 a.m., antique machines are whirring and rattling as the room heats up to a balmy 110 degrees – perfect for peppermint, but catastrophic for Kaitlin’s gourmet chocolates that make up 90% of year-round sales.

The Lindale Candy Company celebrated its 74th year in business on Oct. 15.

While many things have changed since the tiny shop opened up under the watchful eye of Jim and Ruby Withrow way back in ‘46, the Cagles say they are steadfast in their commitment to the traditions forged by the Withrows and the handful of families who have helped the legacy to endure ever since.

That starts with their Monday “spa days,” and hours worth of sweaty work stirring, mixing, stretching and rolling dozens of pounds of fresh peppermint.

The Lindale Candy Company, at 113 W. Hubbard St. in Lindale, is open Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For a deeper, behind-the-scenes look at the candy shop, watch for the Lifestyles Magazine, out Friday, Nov. 6. The magazine comes complimentary with your Tyler Morning Telegraph subscription.