Sugar Savvy

It has been a year since my semi-comprehensive Candy Corn Round-up, in which I tasted and rated several different brands of candy corn. This experiment resulted in the ultimate hypothesis that the superior candy corn is made by Zachary, who produces the candy under their own label, as well as Target’s house label.

It is difficult to believe that advances and innovations are continuing to be made on a candy that has been around for over 120 years. And, like I said last Easter with regard to Bunny Corn, candy corn adaptations (including “reindeer corn” and “cupid corn”) are always sub par and unsatisfactory.

With that said, I feel compelled to give BIG ups to the Caramel Candy Corn that was introduced this season by Brach’s. This new product manages to maintain the texture, taste and spirit of original candy corn while adding the flavor of a Milk-Maid Caramel, giving the corn a depth of flavor not achieved in standard candy corn. This is not to say that this should be a replacement for the original, but I do think it has earned its (orange, white and tan) stripes. I liked it quite a bit more than Cybele did, but Brian at Candy Addict seems to share my affection for the newcomer. I am hoping the caramel version is here to stay, and not just a one-off limited edition. Somebody on the research and development team at Brach’s deserves a raise. Good work, my friends!

(Due to the fact that I don’t love fake apple flavor, I am not a big fan of the Brach’s Caramel APPLE Candy Corn. However, if you enjoy an apple Jolly Rancher, you might enjoy these.)

Something else new (to me) this season is the notion of homemade (and vegan) candy corn, on which Hannah reported at the beginning of the month. I happened to catch a recent episode of The Secret Life Of… on The Food Network where they did a segment on Boule Patisserie in Los Angeles; seems the bakery is making and selling the homemade candy corn as well. I haven’t had the opportunity to try the artisan version of this very non-homemade candy, but would certainly love to try a bite or two. The recipe and process appears to be a bit tedious and involved for me and my non-crafting ways, but if anyone has some extra lying around and want to convince me how delicious it is, let me know and I’ll send you my address.

Since last October, I have also sampled few brands of standard, commercial candy corn that were not included in the initial roundup:

Blueberry Hill: the most vibrantly colored kernels I’ve seen. A bit on the waxy side, but better, still, than Jelly Belly. Note to the gelatin-fearing corn noshers out there: these are kosher by certification of the Orthodox Union. Bonus.
11oz bag: $1(ish)

Mayfair: I enjoyed these, and found them remarkably similar (identical, actually) to last years #1 picks: Target house brand and Zachary, which are both manufactured by Zachary of Frankfort, Indiana. The Mayfair label is out of Buffalo, NY, but I have my suspicions that their corn may actually be made in the Zachary factory - not that this would be a crime, of course. Zachary, as I have already proclaimed, makes some damn fine c.c.
3 oz bag: 59¢

Western Family: Based in Tigard, OR (just outside of Portland), Western Family is basically a house/generic label sold in many independent grocery stores and chains in the Pacific Northwest. I hadn’t noticed their candy corn during my furious tasting spree last year, but picked up a bag sometime afterwards. (I appreciate that it is stocked year-round and not treated as a seasonal item.) The kernels are relatively large, similar in size to Brach’s, and possess the sandy softness that I enjoy (i.e., not too waxy). Being that they are produced only 15 miles from my house, I am comforted to know that I can finally enjoy candy corn on a local and sustainable level.
11oz bag: $1.59

What is your candy corn of choice? Am I missing some good ones? Let me know…

Candy Corn Roundup, October 2006.

(Candy Corn in photo at top of post is Target house brand, manufactured by Zachary Confections of Frankfort, IN.)