In honor of Halloween rapidly approaching, here is an article dedicated to the season’s most iconic delight: candy corn!
Halloween’s favorite candy was first invented by George Renniger, an employee of the Wunderlee Candy Company, around 1880 in Philadelphia. At the turn of the century, the Goelitz Confectionary Company, now Jelly Belly Candy Co., began manufacturing this sweet treat to the masses. Since then, they continually produce the largest amounts of candy corn with the original recipe remaining largely unchanged.
So, how is this tri-color delight made? Candy corn starts as a mixture of sugar, fondant, corn syrup, vanilla flavor, and marshmallow crème. This mixture is melted into liquid candy and is run through a molding process to create each kernel. Once the kernels are made, they continue to cool in the trays in order to seal together the three layers of color. Finally, the kernels of candy are polished with a glaze and are ready for packaging.
Fun facts about candy corn:
1. The three colors of candy corn—yellow, white, and orange—are meant to mimic that of kernels of corn.
2. The National Confectioners Association estimates that 35 million pounds of candy corn are sold annually—this is about 9 billion kernels.
3. If Brach’s laid out the candy corn kernels it sells each year end to end, they would wrap the Earth about 4.25 times!
4. Candy corn is a relatively guilt-free candy with 28 grams of sugar and 140 calories per handful.
5. Mark your calendars…October 30th is National Candy Corn Day!
There you have it – a short (and sweet) history lesson on the best candy October has to offer. Happy Halloween!
Sources:
http://pikachus.info/the-10-best-halloween-candies-of-all-time
http://weheartit.com/entry/134874981?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=image_share&utm_source=tumblr
http://www.bhg.com/halloween/recipes/the-history-of-candy-corn/
http://www.popsugar.com/food/Candy-Corn-Facts-638607
http://mentalfloss.com/article/12881/25-fun-size-facts-about-classic-halloween-candy
http://weheartit.com/entry/139928982?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=image…