Candy Store Supplies

 Nowadays, there are several leading manufacturers who make a lot of candy bars or bagged candy to be sold in shops, and further advancements have made it even easy. Boiled candy is a very old recipe though, so think of how far back it goes when you next have some.

                                   

Many new holidays such as Halloween now feature candy as a large part, when people go from door to door asking for a treat, or they will play a trick on a person who refuses. This is an old holiday, but now candy is a large part of it.
                               
                                             

Candy is also a very common gift for all occasions, particularly Valentine's Day, when heart shaped candies are made for the purpose. This spread of candy in to modern culture shows the way it is so integral now, and it will no doubt only continue to grow as an industry.
           
                                        

Candy is a confection that so many people enjoy as a treat, and those that do so generally indulge at least once a week according to recent statistics.But where does Candy come from and what exactly is it? Well, traditional candy is generally sugar boiled in either water or milk until it caramelises in to the hard substance that we know and love today

Grab Some Homemade Candy Recipes

 Candy is a confection that so many people enjoy as a treat, and those that do so generally indulge at least once a week according to recent statistics.But where does candy come from and what exactly is it? Well, traditional candy is generally sugar boiled in either water or milk until it caramelises in to the hard substance that we know and love today Candy also refers to other foodstuffs such as candy bars though, and these can be many different things. Different centres are often surrounded by chocolate in popular confectionary that people buy on a regular basis, and there are so many types to try that it never gets boring. Small candies such as chocolate coated in a sugar shell are also a big seller, as are lollipops, which is hard candy on a stick.

All of these are stereotypically enjoyed mainly by children; by a lot of adults indulge their sweet tooth too.
  Candies, although not in the form we know them now, can be traced back to the Ancient Egyptians civilisations. A variety of different nuts and fruits that grew naturally were rolled in honey and left to set in this primitive type of candy, as refined sugar was not something that could be used. This practice of using honey coated nuts and fruits spread to China and the Arab countries soon after.

Sugar cane growth began to see what we now know as candy being formed. This was expensive though, and so only the upper classes could afford to indulge. With toothbrushes not being invented at the time though, this may not have been a bad thing.

The boiled sugar candies were seen in the American colonies of the 1600s and across Europe and so we know that they have taken this form since at least the seventeenth century.Cacao, which is used to make the hugely popular component of candy known as chocolate, was discovered in Mexico, and the development of candies using this soon began. This was used for coating fruits and on its own to make a tasty dish. People back as far as the Mayans used to have hot chocolate though, and so cacao had been used as a sweet delicacy long before it took the shape of a candy.


Candy really took off when techniques developed in the 1800s. Implements to help with production were developed and different flavours were tried out. Some old favourites such as lemon drops can be traced back to this time, and it is when sweet shops first began business.

Create Beautiful Molded Candy

 First determine whether you are using Candy Coating/Summer Coating instead of real chocolate. Candy coating is much easier to work with because real chocolate must be tempered (heated and cooled to several temperature settings) for it to set and work properly. If using Candy Coating/Summer Coating, proceed to step 1. If using real chocolate, temper as required and go to step
4.

1) To Melt the Candy Coating:

Be sure all of your utensils and molds are thoroughly dry. Even a small amount of water will cause the candy to "seize" and become extremely firm and unworkable.

The easiest way to melt candy is in a microwave-safe bowl, glass measuring cups, a squeeze bottle or disposable decorating bags.

If you're using a bowl or measuring cup, microwave 1 pound candy coating at 30% power or defrost setting for 1 minute. Stir thoroughly. Continue to microwave and stir at 30-second intervals until smooth and completely melted.

If you use bags or a squeeze bottle, you can squeeze the candy right into the mold for less mess.

If you're using a squeeze bottle, fill bottle half full with candy coating and microwave at 40% power or defrost setting for 1 minute, knead gently to mix and continue melting at 15-second intervals until candy is completely melted and smooth. When melted, twist lid on bottle and squeeze candy right into molds.

                                              

If you're using a disposable bag, microwave as described above, squeezing the bag between heating intervals to blend candy discs together. When completely melted, snip off the end of the bag and squeeze melted candy into molds. Throw away bag when empty.

2) To Color:

For candy coloring, add oil-based colors to melted candy coating a little at a time. Mix thoroughly before adding more color.
Colors tend to deepen as they set. Pastel colored candies are most appetizing, so keep this in mind when tinting.

3) To Flavor:

The taste of candy coatings can be changed or enhanced by adding oil-based candy flavors.

Add approximately 1/4 teaspoon oil-based Candy Flavor to 1 pound of melted candy coating. Never use alcohol or water based flavorings; they will cause coatings to harden.

4) Using Candy Molds

If you have melted the candy in a squeeze bottle or decorating bag, use the bottle or bag to add enough melted candy to the cavity(s) of the mold to fill to the desired level. If using another melting method, use a teaspoon to transfer the melted candy to the mold. Once the cavity(s) is filled as desired, hold the mold flat and tap the mold several times onto a solid surface to remove any air bubbles in the candy. Place the mold in the freeze and leave until candy is firm (usually 5-10 minutes). Place a
towel or paper towels on your work surface. Remove the candy from the freezer and turn over the mold onto the toweled work surface to release the molded candy.
Hint: When handling molded candy, use white cotton gloves to prevent fingerprints.

5) Clean-Up

After you finish making candy, wash your candy molds in warm water and dry thoroughly with a soft cloth. Soap or detergent is not necessary and can eventually cause molds to dry out and crack. Never place molds in the dishwasher. Store the molds flat away from heat, placing a paper towel between molds to prevent scratches. If you clean and store your molds properly, they can last for years.

Tips for Cheap Candy Favors

Cheap candy wedding favors? Yes, that is what many brides want, and you may, too. You want your wedding reception to be memorable, but you are trying to be financially responsible. You want to give candy wedding favors to thank guests for helping you make your day special, but you don't want to spend as much on the candy wedding favors as guests spend on the gifts they will give. You want a cheap price, but you don't want to appear too cheap.

Traditional Candy Wedding Favors

Cheap candy wedding favors can be traditional, even though you get lower prices. Jordan Almonds are a traditional wedding candy. The almonds, hidden in a candy shell, are meant to represent the sweetness and bitterness every marriage experiences. The sweet candy coating is supposed to be stronger than the bitterness of the nut inside, reminding that there should be more sweetness
than bitterness in marriage. You may use all white Jordan Almonds, white with a pastel that matches your wedding color scheme, or a pastel mix.

Buy Jordan Almonds in bulk, wrap them yourself, and you will have a candy wedding favor for cheap prices. The Jelly Belly store online sells 10 pounds, about 1,100 Jordan Almonds, for $72. Since most candy wedding favors offer just 6 Jordan Almonds, 10 pounds should be enough for 180 guests, making your candy price per guest about $0.40. Tulle and ribbon for wrapping the candy
will add a few cents, but you should be able to keep the price of your candy wedding favor under $.50 each.

Cheap candy wedding favors can be Peach Jordan Almonds, too. These go well with a peach or orange color scheme. At Bulk Foods website, you can buy 10 pounds, about 950 of these larger almonds covered in a sweet orange shell, for $48.50. This would provide candy wedding favors for 150 guests, making your candy price per guest about $.032. With the tulle and ribbon, your candy wedding favor price will be well under $0.50 each.

Chocolate Candy Wedding Favors

Andes Crème De Menthe chocolate candies make a nice candy wedding favor for cheap prices. Bulk Foods offers these small rectangles in bright green paper. Place three mints in a small square of white tulle, and tie with a white ribbon for cheap candy wedding favors. You can get enough Andes Crème De Menthe chocolate candies for 150 guests for about $22, making your candy price per guest about $0.15. If you don't want to make bags, you can purchase discount organza bags online for $0.19 each. You can go up to 4 or 5 mints in a dainty organza bad, and your candy wedding favor price will still be under $0.50 each.

Hershey Kisses are another possibility for cheap candy wedding favors. You can order them in bulk in all silver wrappers, place 5 in a bit of tulle, and tie with ribbon for an elegant candy wedding favor. Or choose one of the special color combinations.
Hershey offers:

* Almond Kisses "traditional" candy wedding favors wrapped in gold foil

* Red/Silver Kisses in red and silver foil with love-sayings strips

* Pastel Kisses in pink, fuchsia, silver, pastel blue and green foils

* Autumn Kisses in silver, gold, brown, and red foil

* Holiday Kisses in red, green, and silver foil

Hershey kisses of any color can be wrapped in white tulle and tied with ribbon to match your color scheme. Or use cheap plastic holders, available at party stores. This will make another candy wedding favor for cheap prices.

Tips for Cheap Candy Wedding Favors

Cheap candy wedding favors, already packaged, can be found on some wedding favor websites. Cheap is, of course, a relative term, and what seems cheap to one person will not be so to another.

The best low budget way to have candy wedding favors for cheap prices is to create the favors yourself, perhaps with the help of family or bridesmaids.

Buy your candy in bulk at a wholesale store online. If your candy order totals $50 or more, shipping will usually be free.

Buy small organza bags or tulle and ribbon at a discount wedding favor website. Choose colors according to your wedding color scheme and the candy color or wrapper.

Create your candy wedding favors 2 weeks before the wedding, and store them in a cool, clean place.

Old Favorite Candies

 
A friend of mine used old fashioned candy at their kid's birthday party and it was a hit! It makes sense; we love old time candy not just for the memories but because it tastes good too. Kids these days still get excited over gum cigarettes, circus peanuts, gold mine gum, or even rock candy. You could use nostalgic candy as a thank you gift to the party guests or create a game and hand out the candy as a prize. I have also heard of parents putting their old time favorite candies in their children's
stockings at Christmas. To their surprise, the kids loved it and said something like, "why don't we have cool candy like this today?"

                                            

These are just a few of many ideas to bringing back some old favorite candies. No matter your preference of old fashioned candy there is certainly a fun story to go with it. This is why we all love retro candy so much; it's fun! More than just eating candy, nostalgic candy provides stories and entertainment with friends, kids, neighbors, or co-workers. Give it a try and expect a real big smile!


                                          

Christopher Pratt is President of Candy Warehouse, the leading werbegeschenke bonbons store online with discounts and specialty candy for specific occasions. Share childhood memories with the help of old fashioned candy and other sweet treats.