Halloween 2019 - Food Facts & Recipes!

_Elsa_

Bet you didn't know some facts about candy corn and pumpkins?  Let's read about them below.

Did you know that Candy corn was originally called Chicken Feed?  Though many would argue that candy corn tastes like chicken feed, that's not how it got its original name. Created in 1880 by George Renninger, it was sold to the masses by Goelitz Confectionery Company (now Jelly Belly Co.) at the turn of the century. Because corn is what was used to feed chickens, the creation was called Chicken Feed and the box was marked with a colorful rooster.  You can read more here.

• The word "pumpkin" showed up for the first time in the fairy tale Cinderella.  A French explorer in 1584 first called them "gros melons," which was translated into English as "pompions," according to History. It wasn't until the 17th century that they were first referred to as pumpkins.

• The original jack-o'-lanterns were made with turnips and potatoes by the Irish.

• In England, they used large beets and lit them with embers to ward off evil spirits. Irish immigrants brought their customs to America but found that pumpkins were much easier to carve.

• The world's heaviest pumpkin weighed over 2,600 pounds.  It was grown in Germany and presented in October 2016.

• Each pumpkin has about 500 seeds.

• Pumpkins are 90% water, which makes them a low-calorie food.  More pumpkin food facts here.

• The most pumpkins smashed in one minute is 30 and was achieved by Conor Murphy (USA) at Reebok International Headquarters, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, on 14 November 2017.

There is a strong connection in folklore and popular culture between pumpkins and the supernatural. Famous examples include the following:
• A commonplace motif of people being turned into pumpkins by witches.
• The jack-o-lantern custom, which connects to Halloween lore about warding off demons.
• In the folk tale Cinderella, the fairy godmother turns a pumpkin into a carriage, but at midnight it reverts to a pumpkin.  More interesting fun facts here.

Please feel free to do a Google search and add more trivia here.

Below please find some Halloween treats that you might want to try for yourself, your family and/or your friends.  I am just giving you the image and link to avoid a very long message.

Spooky Boo Brownies

Halloweeño Jalapeño Poppers

Halloween Graveyard Appetizer

Candy Corn Ghost Cupcakes

Dracula Dentures

Do you have any favourite Halloween recipes?  Please share them with us.

To view the entire group of Halloween 2019 messages, please click on the image below.

_Elsa_

Tagging Jelly players:

@QueenB, @PummyRaj, @firebombmarkus, @Crimson_Dawn, @jennpursley, @SeraphicStar, @beanie3105, @Korinne1987, @fieryredheaded1, @djohnson1988, @Jilybean74, @Hockycko, @Cat-13, @Pambaker, @alissag, @kathyskids78, @angelessance, @Wenna727, @shaunnasue, @Pambaker, @sumzmommy, @HellsBelle, @KETTIEPIE99, @Eiliesha_Jarman, @shaunnasue, @Ashraf, @Mystique, @heatherk, @jcs6811, @Foley1362, @caambuj, @mysticalmysty, @Foley1362, @bearwithme @bwalthour, @mchildr2, @kendra456, @candycrushinit, @Eiliesha_Jarman, @Ashlynn_Deitz, @Sukanta_Biswas, @Spinnifix, jayvrooman, @84786757,@Jeffreydee, @Special_K369

If I missed someone, please tag them.

_Elsa_

Found this video with some cute Halloween food ideas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgTUYyrvf5I

_Elsa_

@QueenMia this recipe is for you since you love avocados!

Frankenguac

Ingredients

• 3 medium ripe avocados, peeled and cubed
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Tortilla chips
• Sour cream, refried black beans and ripe olives, optional

Directions

• In a small bowl, mash avocado with a fork. Stir in the onion, cilantro, lime juice and salt.
• Spoon guacamole onto a platter; shape into a rectangle. Place chips near the top of the head. Decorate face as desired with sour cream, refried black beans and olives.

_Elsa_

Skull Deviled Eggs

Ingredients

• 12 hard-boiled large eggs
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup roasted sweet red pepper strips, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup finely crushed corn chips, plus whole corn chips (optional)

Directions

• Cut eggs lengthwise in half. Remove yolks, reserving whites. In a small bowl, mash yolks. Stir in mayonnaise, peppers, mustard, vinegar, paprika, salt and pepper until blended.
• Using a small and a large straw, decorate each egg white to make a skull with eyes, a nose and a mouth. Spoon or pipe yolk mixture into egg whites. Place crushed chips in a shallow bowl. Dip each exposed yolk into chips. Refrigerate, covered, until serving. If desired, garnish plate with whole corn chips.

_Elsa_

Do any of you remember a time when your parent roasted the pumpkin seeds after you created your Jack-O-Lantern? We did it when I was a child.  Look at this new twist to it!  Time to spice it up a bit!

Light Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh pumpkin seeds
• 5 teaspoons butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

• Preheat oven to 250°. In a bowl, toss pumpkin seeds with melted butter and Worcestershire sauce. Mix remaining ingredients; toss with seeds. Spread evenly in a 15x10x1-in. pan coated with cooking spray.
• Bake until seeds are lightly browned and dry, 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

_Elsa_

The 25 Most Popular Halloween Candies in America

#25 Milk Duds - gets packaged in adorable little boxes of three or four and is then given out to tens of thousands of trick-or-treaters. Roughly 9,732 pounds of these chocolate-covered caramels are sold during Halloween.

#24 Life Savers - an average of 11,987 pounds of Life Savers are sold for the holiday.

#23 Almond Joy – it’s estimated that 32,744 pounds of Almond Joys are sold on average. Almond Joys apparently sell much better than their nut-free counterpart as Mounds didn’t even crack the top 25.

#22 3 Musketeers - 93,227 pounds of 3 Musketeers are sold on average for Halloween, proving that people love these whipped chocolate delights.

#21 Lemonheads - An average of around 112,883 pounds of Lemonheads will be bought this Halloween.

#20 Blow Pops - about 256,916 pounds of this treat are sold for Halloween.

#19 Dubble Bubble - Nearly 150,000 pounds of this sugary treat are sold for the fall.

 #18 Kit Kat - 172,663 pounds of Kit Kats are sold on average every Halloween, making them the 18th most popular candy.

#17 Twix - Around 198,777 pounds of fun-sized (and normal-sized) Twix have been at Halloween over the past 12 years.

#16 Swedish Fish - About 202,000 pounds of these little swimmers dive into Halloween buckets and bags each holiday season.

#15 Milky Way - About 282,111 pounds of Milky Ways typically make their way to trick-or-treaters this holiday season.

#14 Hershey’s Mini Bars - 377,893 pounds of Hershey’s minis — a mix of Hershey’s bars, Hershey’s Special Dark, Krackel and Mr. Goodbar — alone are purchased for the season on average.

#13 Taffy - about 385,000 pounds of taffy is sold each Halloween.

#12 Butterfinger - 388,891 pounds of these crispy, crunchy peanut butter chocolate candies are sold each year for Halloween.

#11 Jolly Ranchers - these tiny hard candies are purchased for the Halloween season. That’s the equivalent of 7 million hard candies. These fruity treats are easy to buy in bulk and hand out to trick-or-treaters en masse.

#10 Hershey’s Kisses - These fan-favorite chocolate drops are the first candy to crack over 1 million pounds sold on average each Halloween, starting off the top 10 with a kiss.

#9 Sour Patch Kids - Nearly 1.1 million pounds of these frisky, fruity candies are sold each Halloween.

#8 Tootsie Pops - this fruity and chocolaty combination has become a complete and total sensation. How sensational? Well, just ask the folks who contribute to the 1.2 million pounds of these sold on average for Halloween.

#7 Hot Tamales - little red hot cinnamon-flavored chewy candies with a soft shell, are hugely popular for Halloween. About 1.3 million pounds are sold every Halloween.

#6 Candy Corn - This divisive candy sits just outside the top five most popular treats, with over 1.3 million pounds sold on average each Halloween.

#5 Starburst - 1.6 million pounds of Starburst are bought on average each Halloween.

#4 Snickers - Trick-or-treaters will likely get their fill this Halloween season, thanks to the almost 2 million pounds sold on average.

#3 M&M’s - 2.2 million pounds are bought for the holiday every year.

#2 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, in mini form and in pumpkin and bat shapes, may be the most beloved Halloween candy, but it’s only the second-most sold. About 3 million pounds are sold each year in anticipation of the spookiest night of the year.

#1 Skittles - first debuted in the 1980s with 3.3 million pounds sold on average, which is a ton of fruit flavor.

All facts came from here.

This is one of my favorite Halloween candies.

What is your favourite Halloween candy?

_Elsa_

For most American kids, it wouldn’t be Halloween without trick-or-treating for candy; however, that wasn’t always the case. When the custom of trick-or-treating started in the 1930s and early 1940s, children were given everything from homemade cookies and pieces of cake to fruit, nuts, coins and toys. In the 1950s, candy manufacturers began to get in on the act and promote their products for Halloween, and as trick-or-treating became more popular, candy was increasingly regarded as an affordable, convenient offering. It wasn’t until the 1970s, though, that wrapped, factory-made candy was viewed as the only acceptable thing to hand out to all the little ghosts and goblins that showed up on people’s doorsteps. A key reason for this was safety, as parents feared that real-life boogeymen might tamper with goodies that weren’t store-bought and sealed.  You can read more about this here. 

Halloween Candy Quick Facts

• 172 million Americans celebrate Halloween

• Nearly 1/4 of all Halloween purchases are made online

• Among those who celebrate Halloween, 95% will purchase candy

• They will spend about $25 on average

• Most Halloween shopping is done the first 2 weeks of October.

• In Oregon, full-sized candy bars are the norm for trick-or-treaters to receive

• Over 50% of parents stash some Halloween candy to enjoy later in the year

These facts came from here.

_Elsa_

Easy Homemade Candy Apples

Ingredients

• 12 small red or green apples (any variety)
• 12 lollipop or popsicle sticks
• 3 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon red food coloring
• Equipment: candy thermometer

Instructions

Wash and thoroughly dry the apples (See Kelly's Notes below). Insert the lollipop sticks or popsicle sticks so that they are firmly positioned in the apples. Set the apples aside on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper coated with cooking spray.

Combine the sugar, corn syrup and water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Bring it to a boil and cook the mixture until a candy thermometer reaches 300ºF (the hard crack stage).

Remove the candy mixture from the heat and carefully stir in the red food coloring. (It may splash, so stand back. And you may have to add more than the designated 1/2 teaspoon, depending on the quality and strength of your food coloring.)

One by one, carefully dip the apples into the candy mixture, swirling to coat them thoroughly and allowing any excess to drip back into the pan. Transfer the coated apples to the prepared cookie sheet and allow them to cool until the candy has fully hardened.

If you would like to know the history of how apples and Halloween are connected you can check it out on the Halloween 2019 History page here.

_Elsa_

10 Fun Facts about Candy Apples

Recipe here

1.       Candy apples are mistakenly called by many names.  The sugar- coated apple treat we call a candy apple is generally called a toffee apple outside the U.S. and Canada.  Many people call them caramel apples, using candy and caramel interchangeably.  However, there is a difference between a candy apple, a caramel apple, a jelly apple, and a toffee apple.  The difference is usually in what the coating is made from and how it is applied to the apple.

2.   They have been around for more than 100 years.  Attributed to William Kolb of Newark, the first candy apple was created in 1908.  Although some believe the tradition came from the technique used in Arabian households and markets to candy fruit as a way to preserve it. 

3.   The first candy apple was meant for display only.  The candy apple was created quite by accident.  Kolb the candy maker was looking for ways to expand sales of his red cinnamon candy during the Christmas season and used an apple on a stick as a way to display the brightly colored candy in the shop window.  It didn’t take long for the new treat to take off and soon he was selling thousands of them each year.

4.  Candy apples are easiest to make in the fall.It’s not just because of the plentiful apple harvest.  A proper candy apple requires a hard sugar layer that doesn’t always set properly in hot or humid weather. 

5.   Traditional candy apples have a red cinnamon flavored coating.  Today, you can find a variety of different flavors coating the candy apples at the fair or the festival.  But a true candy apple has a hard sugar coating colored red and tasting of cinnamon.  This is one of the reasons candy apples and caramel apples are actually different treats.

6.   Candy apples used to be given out for trick-or-treat.  In the first half of the 20thcentury, giving candy apples out for trick-or-treating was very popular.  However, scares about razor blades and other dangerous items in the apples during the 1970’s brought a quick end to this tradition.

7.  Outside the U.S., candy apples sweeten holidays around the world.  From China to Ireland and Brazil to Germany, local versions of the candied apple are eaten during the celebration of a number of holidays beginning around Halloween and reaching all the way to Christmas.

8.   When it comes to candy apples, only some apples will do.  The most common varieties of apple used to create these treats are Fuji and Granny Smith which work best for two reasons.  First, the tart flavor is a better contrast to the sweet candy coating.  Second, crisp apples like these hold up better under the heat and weight of the candy coating.

9.   They may be healthier than you think.  An average home-made candy apple generally ranges from 215 to 286 calories and contains 0 to 3 grams of fat.  Of course, these figures are entirely dependent on what you use to make the candy coating.

10.   You probably own something that got its color from the candy apple.  That first red cinnamon coated apple in Kolb’s display window created more than just a sweet treat, it also created a racy color that would become synonymous with fast cars and flirty girls.  Since the 1950’s people have been painting their nails, their guitars, their motorcycle helmets, and their cars candy apple red.

 

All these facts came from here.

_Elsa_

I was just searching for some Halloween gifs to post and look at what I found!  I posted the recipe link at the top.  It's kind of similar.  It's missing the fangs.