Maine’s Favorite Christmas Stocking Stuffing Candy

Today is National Hard Candy Day.

Made with 100% sugar with flavoring and color added. And it that isn’t scary enough, the first hard candies, such as lemon drops and peppermints were likely prescribed as a remedy for stomach ailments.

Stomach not at 100%?  How about 100% sugar as a solution.

The process of making hard candy is rather straight forward. Boil a sugar syrup to 320 degrees and pour the liquid into molds and leave it to cool. Once cool, solid sugar becomes hardened and brittle.

Having National Hard Candy Day this close to Christmas is probably no coincidence. Neither is this musical interlude.

Back to the candy.

Candy has certainly changed since the ‘olden days’. We have so many options compared to hard candy.

One hard candy that has maintained momentum, especially at Christmas is the candy cane.

Nice decoration that is edible on the tree. And I hear ya Dolly Parton in how some families didn’t have much but a candy cane as a treat at Christmas time, but how did they get by without an X Box or whatever kids are clamoring for today.

Although candy canes are still on our radar, and mostly the popular candy for Christmas currently isn’t hard candy.

Here are some of the most purchased candy this time of year

Are Reese’s Peanut Butter cups different tasting when they aren’t the cup shape? Social media has plenty of opinions and maybe they are right since the ratio of peanut butter and chocolate changes when you change the shape, right?

M&Ms are popular but not #1

Most popular candy for the holidays in Maine?

Number one in Maine even without mistletoe.

And since it's all about presentation

See you at the dentist. Or the gym next month.