Candy apples, also known as toffee apples in the UK, are whole apples covered in a hard sugar candy coating. While the topping varies from place to place, they are almost always served with a stick of sorts in the middle making them easier to eat. Toffee apples are a common treat at autumn festivals in Western culture in the Northern Hemisphere, such as Halloween and Guy Fawkes Night because these festivals fall in the wake of the annual apple harvest. Although candy apples and caramel apples seem similar, candy apples should not be confused with caramel apples. Both treats are made differently.
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According to the Newark Evening News 1964:
William W. Kolb invented the red candy apple. Kolb, a veteran Newark candy-maker, produced his first batch of candied apples in 1908. While experimenting in his candy shop with red cinnamon candy for the Christmas trade, he dipped some apples into the mixture and put them in the windows for display. He sold the whole first batch for 5 cents each and later sold thousands yearly. Soon candied apples were being sold along the Jersey Shore, at the circus and in candy shops across the country, according to the Newark News in 1948.
They are also known as Jelly apples, which can be found in the famous Coney Island area. Some have sprinkles on them or coconut.
Ingredients:
Candy apple is made by coating an apple with a sugar layer.
The most common sugar coating is made from sugar, corn syrup, water, cinnamon and red food coloring. The sugar syrup is created by boiling the ingredients in a saucepan. The liquid should reach about 300 degrees on a candy thermometer. Dip the apple with the sugar in the "hard crack" stage. The sugar will harden within an hour.
It may be difficult to make candy apples in the summer. Humid weather prevents the sugar from hardening. Urban legend
They are popular during Halloween. Candy apples are one of the popular items that are usually given out to kids. Candy apples containing pins and razor blades are an urban legend. During the 1960's and 1970's, news reports about candy apples given to children during Halloween spreaded hysteria. Many parents feared that candy apples contained pins and razor blades. During the hysteria, hospitals offered free X-rays to detech foreign objects in the candy apples. It has been proven that the contamination of candy apples are an urban legend. Outside of the U.S.
In the U.S., candy apples are most commonly eaten during autumn. Candy apples are popular in the United States, with candy apples unknown in some regions of the world.[citation needed] In the United Kingdom, toffee apples are more commonly eaten on November 5th (also known as Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes Night) rather than Halloween. In Latin American countries, candy apples are popular throughout those countries' extended holiday season. In Germany they are most often associated with the Christmas season. They are also sometimes sold at carnivals and fairs. In China, a similar treat called Tanghulu is made by coating small fruits (traditionally hawthorns) with hard sugar syrup.
