NATIONAL CANDY CORN DAY

Tomorrow, October 30, is National Candy Corn Day! This all-American treat goes back to the late 1800s. The exact date is shrouded in the mists of time but many in the candy industry believe George Renninger at Philadelphia ‘s Wunderle Candy Company should get the credit. Back in the day, candy corn was a revolution in candy making with its three colors of white, orange and yellow.  Back then, before modern machines, candymakers did the work by hand moving and stretching 50 pound batches of hot steaming fondant.

Soon other companies added candy corn to their holiday offerings. In 1898, the Goelitz Confectionery Company (today’s Jelly Belly folks) began producing candy corn in Cincinnati. The company was founded by German immigrant Gustav Goelitz. It’s the company with the longest history of making candy corn.  Candy corn sales were so successful that they carried the company through two world wars and the Depression.  Turn-of-the-last-century ads promoted Goelitz as “King of the candy corn fields”.

Throughout both good and bad times, it was the sale of candy corn that kept Goelitz Confectionery Company afloat. In the sugar crisis of the mid 1970s, when the price of raw sugar skyrocketed, the company had to borrow heavily to buy sugar to keep production up. After the crisis the market plummeted. Many other companies went out of business. It was demand for the candy corn that kept Goelitz from bankruptcy. 

For seventy-five years candy corn was the mainstay of Goelitz business until another sensation, Jelly Belly jelly beans, overtook the candy corn. Today about 15 billion kernels of candy corn are sold annually – that’s 20 million pounds!

A FEW SWEET FUN FACTS

·       It's one of the healthier candies.

·       One kernel of candy corn is between 3.75 - 4 calories.

·        A one ounce serving has 110 calories.

·       85% of all candy corn is sold around Halloween.

·       It mimics corn - yellow on top, darker as it goes down and whitish as it nears the end.

·       One of the earliest names for candy corn was “Chicken Feed".

·       Candy corn caused one of the more destructive industrial fires in candy history. In 1950, kettle at Goelitz's New Jersey factory caught fire just before their big Halloween rush. The fire destroyed the entire block-long building and 2,000 pounds of candy corn.

·       Candy corn has its own cocktails. The Candy Corn Cordial can either be made with vodka or orange liqueur. Add floating candy corn for garnish. 

Candy Corn Cordial

Ingredients

For the infused vodka:

• 1/2 cup candy corn
• 1 1/2 cups vodka

For the cordials:

• 2 ounces orange liqueur
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• candy corn-infused vodka
• 1 large egg white
• Candy corn, for garnish

Directions

Infuse the vodka: Combine the candy corn and vodka in an airtight container; set aside for at least 3 hours, then strain.

 Make the cordials: Add 4 ounces of the candy corn vodka, the orange liqueur, lemon juice and egg white to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously for at least 30 seconds. Strain into 2 chilled martini glasses and garnish with candy corn.