Talk of the Town: Candy corn: Halloween’s favorite confection

Love it or hate it, candy corn is still one of the most popular sweets at Halloween.

Every Halloween, bags of triangle-shaped, yellow, orange and white candies fill trick-or-treat bags all over the country.

According to the National Confectioners Association, candy companies will produce nearly 35 million pounds of the corny candy this year. That’s about 9 billion individual kernels of corn.

Candy corn is a sweet replicate of dried corn kernels. It’s considered a “mellow cream,” a name for a type of candy made from corn syrup and sugar that has a marshmallow-like flavor. Although candy corn tastes rich, it’s actually fat-free.

What exactly is candy corn?

Our friends at HowStuffWorks say that most people know the traditional candy corn with three stripes. Candy corn is yellow at the bottom, orange in the center and white at the top. It also comes in a variety of other colors and flavors depending on the holiday: Brown, orange, and white ‘Indian corn’ for Thanksgiving, and green, white and red ‘reindeer’ corn for Christmas, as well as corn for other celebrations.

The traditional variety is most popular in the fall, especially around Halloween. In fact, Oct. 30 is National Candy Corn Day. (Help me! There’s a special day for everything!)

Candy corn has been around for more than a century. George Renninger of the Wunderlee Candy Co. invented it in the 1880s. It was originally very popular among farmers and its look was revolutionary for the candy industry. The Goelitz Candy Co. started making candy corn in 1900 and still makes it today, although the name has changed to the Jelly Belly Candy Co..

- Although the recipe for candy corn hasn’t changed much since the late 1800s, the way it’s made has changed quite a bit.

In the early days, workers mixed the main ingredients (sugar, water and corn syrup) in large kettles. Then they added fondant (a sweet, creamy icing made from sugar, corn syrup and water) and marshmallow for smoothness. Finally, they poured the entire mixture by hand into molds, one color at a time. Because the work was so tedious, candy corn was only available from March to November.

Today, machines do most of the work.

Manufacturers use the “corn starch molding process” to create the signature design. A machine fills a tray of little kernel-shaped holes with cornstarch, which holds the candy corn in shape. Each hole fills partway with sweet white syrup colored with artificial food coloring. Next comes the orange syrup, and finally, the yellow syrup. Then the mold cools and the mixture sits for about 24 hours until it hardens. A machine empties the trays, and the kernels fall into chutes. Any excess cornstarch shakes loose in a big sifter. Then the candy corn gets a glaze to make it shine, and workers package it for shipment to stores.

And how does one eat candy corn, pray tell? Some folks just throw a handful of candy kernels into their mouths for a sugar rush. I prefer to eat my candy corn one level of color at a time—starting with the white candy tip, followed by the orange middle and finally the yellow bottom. (It tastes better that way. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.)

The Quail Creek Wellness Program invites you to celebrate Halloween at the Quail Creek Health Fair on Friday, Oct. 31, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Quail Creek Clubhouse, 2055 E. Quail Creek Crossing.

Are you curious about your carotid arteries? Rapid Sound Radiology will be at the fair ready to scan them.

Wonder what your blood sugar is? Bashas’ Pharmacy will test it for you.

Ready to join a fitness program? Come learn about programs in Green Valley.

Are your feet tired from work or sports? Simply Feet of Green Valley can offer a consult. Do you have diabetic feet? Custom Family Footworks can help.

More than 50 vendors will be at the fair: eye care, dental care, audiology, home care, hospice care, physical therapy, The University of Arizona School of Public Health, Southwest Ambulance’s subscription plan, physical therapy, meditation, spas and aesthetics, nutritonal advice from a nutritonist, chair massages, biking information, permanent makeup, ladies lingerie from Undertones for special fits, wellness wigs from Roberta’s Beauty Salon, financial services and much, much more.

There will be vendor giveaways and table prizes. Healthy turkey dogs and traditional hot dogs, yogurt and quick treats will be available for sale.

Admission is free. We would however be delighted to accept a food donation for the Green Valley Community Food Bank

Come and join this community happening!

Well done to everyone who helped make the Country Fair White Elephant Days a success! More photos in this column for more fun.

rford@gvnews.com | 547-9740