Candy corn

Candy corn is a confection popular in the United States, particularly around Halloween. Each piece is approximately the size of a whole kernel of corn, as if it fell off a ripe or dried ear of corn. The candy is usually tri-colored with a yellow base, orange center, and white tip, although the color combinations may vary. The most common variant, called "Indian corn", is white, yellow, and brown. Indian corn is sometimes associated with the Thanksgiving holiday.

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The National Confectioners Association estimate 20 million pounds of candy corn are sold each year.Brach's Confections, Inc. 2004. " [http://www.brachs.com/about/content/Brach's%20for%20Halloween%202004.pdf Brach's for Halloween] ." Press release. Retrieved 2006-10-03.] October 30 is National Candy Corn Day.National Confectioners Association. " [http://www.candyusa.org/Classroom/calendar.asp Candy Holidays] ." Retrieved 2006-10-26.] Although regular candy corn is most popular at Halloween, it is available year-round.

Production

Candy corn is made primarily from sugar, corn syrup and honey. Carnauba wax is usually added. Originally, candy corn was made by hand. Manufacturers first combined sugar, corn syrup, and water and cooked them into a slurry. Fondant was added for texture and marshmallows provided a soft bite. The final mixture was then heated and poured into shaped molds. Three passes were required during the pouring process, one for each colored section. Few changes have been made to the process or recipe, with machines now performing the tasks formerly done by people.

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