October 30 distinguish National Candy Corn Day : a guilt - spare exculpation to indulge in this autumnal candy before magic trick - or - address begins . But , the success of this century - old candy may have been inspired by something Americans were n’t in reality too keen on chowing down on — hard , coarse field Zea mays .
Candy corn first appear around the crook of the 20th century , but it ’s backbreaking to pin down who first molded and betray it , though story point to George Renninger , a Philadelphia candymaker , as the likely creator . The candy maker created abutter emollient concoctionin 1888 that was voiced enough for regulate into a variety of figures , like Brassica rapa and pea plant pod ( we ’re sensing a topic here ) . Therecipewas unproblematic : sugar , corn syrup and wax . The Wunderle Candy Company , with Renninger ’s recipe , produced the candies in several pattern , including the iconic corn physique .
By 1898 another candy party was snag most of the credit for candy corn . TheGoelitz Candy Companyformulated its own variation of the treat that became wide democratic . Owner Gustav Goelitz had been operate his Belleville , Illinois - based confectionery for about 30 age before reach on the society to his sons in 1894 . Within four old age , the company was creating itsown butter ointment candies , and advertised its candy as Chicken Feed—“something worth crowing for . "
The Goelitz family was successful with its candy corn version , and would afterward go on to become the Jelly Belly Candy Company , which still farm the treat each year . Wunderle Candy Company would fade into confectionery story .
But what likely made candy Zea mays such a successful treat wasrealcorn . Modern diet and nutrient are heavily reliant on corn and corn spin-off , but early Americans did n’t down as much as we do now . Why ? Because nineteenth century corn was n’t enjoyable to eat as it came out of the sphere . The coarse loanblend and sweet corns we eat now , which are softer and more flavorsome , weren’tpopular or widely available prior to World War I. And , corn had to bepicked by handat the metre because mechanical corn reaper and shuckers were n’t vulgar , reach a dinner side dish of corn on the cob a bite of a job .
But the intimate nitty-gritty anatomy , along with sweetness , made confect corn whiskey a standout . It was a novelty delicacy , since real corn kernels were in many showcase reserved for stock ( hence the name “ Chicken Feed ” ) .
disregarding of who invented confect corn and how well it was liked , it was n’t well-heeled for any company to make . Renninger ’s confect design , and those that followed , werehand - pouredto achieve their tri - colour appearing . The process involved factory workers called “ runners ” who wouldwalk backward alongside conveyer beltsloaded with trays , carrying backbreaking buckets called “ banner ” occupy with the slurry mixture . Runners would pass the streamers , which could weigh up to200 Ezra Pound , over the mould , and pocket-sized sum of hot , swimming candy would dribble into the tray . Each level of dye candy ( white , yellowish and orangish ) would be tote up separately , meaning candy makers would recur the process three time before letting thecandy nerveless and set . Because candy corn was such a assess merchandise to create , confectioner only produce it betweenMarch and November , helping it to become link up with Halloween and harvest time .
Now , modernistic confect corn production is a bit soft , withmachines fillingcornstarch mould rather of actual contrabandist doing all the work . About9 billion piecesof candy corn whisky are produced each year , so do n’t feel spoilt for take a few extra handfuls — and mean of these tiny nub as an ode to America ’s agrarian roots .
