All About Candy Corn!

Whether you love it or hate it, there is no doubt that candy corn is a big part of the Halloween tradition. The tri-colored, corn-shaped candy is an icon of all things spooky – but it didn’t start that way. Here’s everything you need to know about this treat and some fun ways to use it this Halloween!

Where Did It Come From?

Candy corn was invented in the late 1800s by the Wunderle Candy Company, according to National Geographic. In 1898, Goelitz Confectionary Company, now the Jelly Belly Candy Company, began to produce the candy in large quantities, marketing it as “Chicken Feed.” The candy was meant to appeal to American farmers, who at the time were a large part of the nation’s demographic. Confectionary companies also produced “candy pumpkins, turnips, chestnuts and clover leaves,” according to National Geographic.

How Is It Made?

According to HowStuffWorks, the list of this treat’s ingredients is simple – sugar, water, corn syrup, fondant and marshmallow. Originally, makers would pour a sugary mixture colored with food dye into corn-shaped molds to create this treat. Each color had to be poured by hand, a difficult and time-consuming process, according to the Smithsonian. Today, machines carry out this process, which you can see in this video from Food Network.

Funky Flavors

Brach’s, the largest producer, sells more than just the traditional candy corn. Their newest pack – Fall Festival – comes with Kettle Corn, Caramel Apple, Cotton Candy, Lemonade Shake-Up, Strawberry Funnel Cake and Lemon-Lime Snowcone. And if that doesn’t seem strange enough, previously produced flavors include Fruit Punch, Vanilla Ice Cream, Popcorn, Hot Dog and Hamburger in their Tailgate Pack and Cranberry, Green Bean, Stuffing, Roast Turkey, Apple Pie and Coffee in their Turkey Dinner Pack.

American Sweet Tooth

Every year, the U.S. produces 9 BILLION PIECES OF CANDY CORN, according to USA Today, and if you lined them up, they would go around the Earth almost six times! The state that consumes the most candy corn is California, followed by Texas and Florida. The state that eats the least is Alabama, followed by Hawaii and Nebraska, according to the Food Network.

Candy Corn Activities

This year, have a little fun and play with your food!

Corn Stacking

A great activity to do with the kiddos is stacking the candy corn in a circle, with the white sides pointing in and the yellow sides pointing out. As you stack, you’ll start to see that the candy looks like an ear of corn. Make it a competition… winner takes all!

Yummy Turkeys

Make yummy turkeys with just a few ingredients! Gather Oreos, candy eyes, a bit of frosting and of course, candy corn. Take five pieces of candy corn and stick them into the creme filling in the middle, yellow sides out. Place them close to each other to make them look like the turkey’s feathers. Then, place three small dots of icing on the top of the Oreo. Put eyes on two of the dots and another piece of candy corn on the third dot for the nose.

Crafty Flowers

A non-edible treat is just as fun. Use the festive corn to make crafty flowers. Get a piece of construction paper, green pipe cleaners, orange or yellow buttons, candy corn and glue. Glue the pipe cleaner and button to the paper. The button (the middle of the flower) should be right above the pipe cleaner (the stem). Then glue the candy corn pieces around the button with the white sides touching the button so that they look like petals. Hang up their artwork or give it to a friend or family member as a gift!

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