AAAAH, Halloween, besides pumpkins, costumes and hay rides the
one thing that really gets me in the mood for All-Hollows Eve is… (drum roll please) Candy Corn!! 90% sugar, 10% food
coloring- I ask you what’s not to like? In honor of
October 30th being National Candy Corn Day I thought it would be a
perfect time to declare my love for them!
Yes I’m talking about those tiny mellow crème yellow,
orange, and white candies that you only see this time of year. You spot this candy
and you automatically think of Halloween. And no, reindeer corn and cupid
corn do not count, sorry.
They are just so Halloween-y- kinda like the fruit cake is
to Christmas (I know no one really eats ‘em but they practically scream
“holiday, don’t they.”) and can’t forget Peeps, the marshmallow chicks, for
Easter.
Anyhow, I love them!
I really do. Not only are they yummy, but they really put you in the spirit. Odd
really considering I don't have a sweet tooth at all, but these lil’ guys are
my weakness. I still bite off and eat one color at a time, just like I did when
I was 8!
As a matter of fact, I picked up some bags today. (Yes, bags! Well I might get a lot of trick-or-treaters this year and I
want to be prepared.)
YUM! I’m snacking on them as I type.
Think You Know Candy Corn? Did you know that:
-George Renninger, an employee at the Wunderlee Candy
Company in Philadelphia, invented
candy corn back in 1880. Thanks Georgie!
-In 1900, the Goelitz Candy Company, now the Jelly Belly Candy Company started making
the tricolor goodness and linked it to Halloween. The how and why of this link
up is unclear, but it works!
- There's real corn in there! Okay,
more like a method using a corn starch
than actual kernels but still!
-The 3 different colors on this
bite-sized treat were actually considered revolutionary during this time
period.
- Even though it tastes rich, it's actually fat-free. Candy
corn has 3.57 calories per kernel that's fewer calories than a cup of raisins!
- One kernel has as much protein as a 15 ounce steak!
-The National Confectioners Association estimates that 35 million
pounds of candy corn are sold at Halloween each year. It’s nice to know that
I’m doing my part in keeping the business going.
-One factory can
produce 50,000 pounds of candy corn a day. That weighs as much as four African
elephants!
-Candy corn is the only candy in the history of America
that's never been advertised.
-Is the only candy named after a vegetable.
-Hershey's has just released a new seasonal kiss flavor:
Candy Corn. I personally find them to be adorable, but way too sweet. See 2nd pic. on right.
-Einstein ate six bags of Candy Corn
every day of his life!
-October 30 is National Candy Corn
Day. And you thought Halloween was the big event!
Don’t
like candy corn much? Well, don’t despair because December 7 is National Cotton
Candy Day.
Umm, bag 1 is gone! But bag 2 is for
the kiddies I promise.
Melody Townsel, a spokesperson for Brach's, the nation's No.
1 maker of candy corn said "Candy corn is such a nostalgic candy, and
anything that brings back memories to a better, simpler time is popular, This
is a banner sales year and our candy corn sales have gone up 22 percent."
The reason it’s still a classic Halloween candy is because of its colors and
the feelings it evokes. The very people who say they don't like it, well
our studies show they really do eat it."
When it comes to candy corn, there are the lovers and the
haters. By now as you have probably guessed I am on the lovers’ side, which
means that I get them all to myself, since almost everyone I know hates them.
You know I cannot remember when my love affair with the
kernel shaped candy began. But each October brings a new season to eat the
stuff, and I make sure to ingest a few pounds
of the stuff!
My enjoyment of candy corn does have some limits, though.
Firstly, it has to be candy corn
and not those candy pumpkins.
You know the things I'm talking about. They are about the size of a sour ball are
orange colored and look like… pumpkins. They taste almost the same, but the
eating experience is somehow very different.
Please tell me that some of you have Halloween candy vices
that are so strong they prevent you from doing anything, like writing a
somewhat short, (but whimsical blog) such as this.
It’s quite sad actually I go over to my laptop, I sit down,
I think about those sweet, creamy pyramids and I get right back up. Sigh. I promise to do better tomorrow,
but right now I need to refill the bowl…
As much as I love candy corn, there are instances where I
can’t stand them. If you’ve ever had slightly stale candy corn, you know what
I’m talking about. If you happen to have any bags left (amateur!) around
mid-Nov. or so they get really hard and gross the sweetness is gone, and the bitterness
fills you up.
However, this can be avoided. I implore you don’t let your
candy corn go stale! And if you are the one handing them out to the kids on
Halloween, make sure they are not from last years stash.
Save the kids from the bitter candy corn. The world will be
a better place.
Umm, bag 2 is gone now too! But bag 3 is
far enough away from me to tempt me. I swear!
For all you Martha Stewarts and Rachael Rays out
there.
Homemade Candy Corn Recipe
Ingredients:
1
cup sugar
2/3 cup white corn syrup
1/3 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup powdered milk
Red and yellow food
coloring
Directions:
Combine
sugar, butter, and corn syrup in pan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
Turn heat low and boil 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove from heat and add
vanilla. In a separate dish, combine powdered sugar, salt, and powdered milk.
Add all at once to the mixture in the pan. Add food coloring. Stir until cool
enough to handle. Shape into pieces.
(Considering
a 9.5 ounce bag will only set you back 99 cents or so I don’t know why you
would bother but hey I applaud your ambition, knock yourselves out. But if it
turns out tasting great, be sure to send me a batch okay? Wink)
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