Candy Corn

Festively colored and nearly bursting from every grocery-store shelf this time of year, candy corn harkens the arrival of Halloween. But aside from that, what do we really know about this little dentist’s nightmare? I went searching for answers and found out that it’s certainly the candy we love to hate; candy corn has been reported as the least favorite candy by consumers. But ironically, 35 million pounds of the confection are made and sold in the U.S. each year.

o-JELLYBELLY-570

Candy corn has its origins in the Goelitz Confectionery Company, now known as Jelly Belly, who’s been making it longer than any other company. Production began in 1898 in a factory in Ohio, and Goelitz claims candy corn became so popular, the company continued to see profits through both World Wars and the Great Depression! The brilliantly colored trifecta of sugar used to be referred to as “chicken feed” in reference to its corn shape (Americans weren’t too keen on eating corn back in the early 1900s because of its lack of sweetness and its tough texture, preferring instead to feed it to the livestock), and the packaging revealed a handsome rooster with the slogan “something to crow about” printed below him.

o-CHICKENFEED-570

It wasn’t until the 1950s that Halloween became more centered around candy and advertisers rushed to bill candy corn as “the traditional Halloween candy.” I admit, I buy a bag each year for the décor component. Halloween does call for a cute candy jar full of candy corn. And someone always seems to eat a few pieces.

Photo Oct 29, 10 28 15 AM

  1. Winnie Nielsen says:

    Megan, I am so glad you shared this piece today because I didn’t know Jelly Belly made Candy Corn, which I LOVE!! And the Pumpkins are the BEST!! In the past, I used to purchase Brach’s , but now it is made in Mexico and I don’t want it. I did see on the FoodNetwork channel that Zachery’s is made in the US and offers candy corn in lots of flavors but I haven’t been able to find that brand around here anywhere and you cannot order online. As a result, my Fall season has been devoid of my favorite candy. Don’t you love how cute it looks in those glass pumpkin jars? I know I do. So, I think I am going online to see if I can order some of the Indian Corn candy corn and pumpkins directly from Jelly Belly. Hoping to be ready for November and Thanksgiving.. Thanks so much for sharing this information today. Some things are critical!!

  2. Winnie Nielsen says:

    Hey everyone, I just went to Jelly Belly online and ordered some candy corn and their adorable Fall Mix. Guess what? Their site announced that today, October 30 is National Candy Corn Day and Jelly Belly is offering a 15% discount on many of their candy corn selections. It’s a Banner Day!

  3. For my family THE halloween candy was always Schwartze Katze, little black licorice cats made all naturally with real licorice root in Germany and Holland. They are hard to find but that place I mentioned in the earlier Mary Jane candy post, Weaver’s Nuts and Candy:( In the store you can buy much smaller amounts )http://www.weavernut.com/
    carries many other real licorice candies, including adorable black scotties. MaryJane they have licorice beehives too!
    http://www.weavernut.com/Licorice_c_713.html
    for the candy corn:
    http://www.weavernut.com/-JELLY-BELLY-CANDY-CO_bymfg_32-0-1.html
    and the zachary candies too:
    http://www.weavernut.com/Mello-Creams_c_745.html
    hope this brings back memories

  4. CJ Armstrong says:

    I do like candy corn and candy pumpkins. But I can’t eat it anymore so I don’t buy it. 🙁
    It is fun to look at though!
    CJ

  5. Heather Sandoval says:

    I have always liked candy corn and this time of year it seems to be the freshest. Since I have been a kid, the way to eat it is to nibble off the individual colors of each kernel. Makes a few kernels last quite awhile that way! I had no idea that it was created from the founders of the Jelly Belly line. Yummy!

  6. Claudia Bell says:

    Candy corn mixed with salted Virginia peanuts! YUM!

  7. Love the rooster and candy cane sign.
    Is it for sale?

  8. Donna Southworth says:

    YES!!!!! on the Candy Corn and Virginia Peanuts. Sweet and Salty treat bags at Halloween and Thanksgiving events. Fits the budget too for large gatherings.

  9. Marsha Gulick says:

    Candy Corn was my favorite as a kid! We used to bite off the white part and fool mom into thinking we lost a tooth!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *