Food Fact Friday: Candy Corn

Happy Halloween everyone! I wanted to blog about a typical Halloween candy, and the image of candy corn popped in my head. I'm a big fan of candy corn...I remember being younger and trying to perfectly bite off all the different layers, haha. Did anyone else do that or am I crazy?

It turns out that candy corn was invented right here in the U.S. It was Created in Philadelphia in the 1880s by George Renninger of the Wunderlee Candy Company. However, the company most closely associated with this wonderful confection is the Goelitz Confectionery Company. Founder Gustav Goelitz, a German immigrant, began commercial production of the treat in 1898 in Cincinnati and is today the oldest manufacturer of this confection. The sales of candy corn is what has kept the company alive through all these years.

Making this Halloween confection was a laborious process back in the 1800's. Kettles with water, sugar and corn syrup would be cooked. Then marshmallow and fondant would be added for texture. The hot mixture was then colored and hand poured into molds, layer by layer. It's tri-color design was considered revolutionary. Now, it's made primarily by machines, but the recipe remains the same.

Candy Corn Crazy: The National Confectioners Association estimate 20 million pounds of candy corn are sold each year!