George Renninger, who worked at Wunderlee Candy Company, created candy corn in the 1800s. Working out of Philadelphia, he invented it to celebrate what he believed to be the beauty of corn juxtaposed with autumnal colors. Winter was cold, dark, and long, and the bright colors of candy would last for a long time, bringing optimism, joy, and a burst of sugar.
Specialized candy for Halloween turned out to be a winning idea, with different Halloween candies becoming increasingly popular over time. Wunderlee was credited for being the first to sell candy corn commercially, even though Goelitz, also known as Jelly Belly, is the most linked to commercial candy corn sales.
Candy corn began as food for chickens and was available only between March and November. It was originally a type of mellow cream known as “Butter Cream Candies.” The name was changed in the 1950s due to false advertising, as it had no butter inside.
The original method of making candy corn was to pour each color into molds separately, but this was a very time-consuming process. The recipe was sugar, corn syrup, and water. Later, marshmallows and fondant started being added, and then so was carnauba wax. Today, the recipe is pretty similar and gives us plenty of energy for trick-or-treating.
Under The Harvest Moon 