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Candy Canes…A Holiday Tradition |
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Candy canes began as straight white sticks of sugar candy used to decorate Christmas trees. It wasn't until about the 20th century that candy canes acquired their red stripes. |
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Many machines help with the production of this popular confection. Sugar and corn syrup are heated in large kettles and then vacuum cooked. The candy is poured on a cooling table where peppermint and starch are added. The starch holds flavor during mixing and prevents stickiness. Next, a kneader mixes the flavoring and candy together until it turns a golden brown color. Afterwards, it is placed into a puller that turns the candy silky white. It moves to a batch former and is made into a log-like shape. |
| The stripes are formed on a heating table and placed on the white log. The candy is put back on the batch roller and formed into a cone shape. Sizing wheels reduce the cone to the diameter of a candy cane and turn it into a rope. Next, a twister will make the rope into a barber pole. |
| Finally, it moves to a cutter that snips the candy into strips. The candy is kept warm so it will not harden. It is placed in wrappers and the heat of the candy will shrink the wrappers. The canes move to a crooker, which will give the candy its Shepard’s Crook or hook. The candy canes are placed into a box (called a cradle) inspected and shipped. |
| Don’t forget that candy canes are essentially sugar on a stick-- so keep your candy cane consumption under control this holiday season! To avoid packing on the extra holiday pounds, remember these simple tips: |
- Eat only when you are truly hungry.
- Limit the amount of concentrated fats and sweets (like candy canes and sugar cookies!).
- Snack on fiber and phytochemical-packed foods such as whole grain breads and cereals before going to holiday parties.
- Consume 6–8 glasses of water per day and limit the amount of sweetened holiday drinks (eggnog and cider, for example).
- Drink alcoholic beverages in moderation.
- Exercise! Do something to fun, such as ice skating, to get up and get moving.
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| Source: http://www.candyusa.org/Candy/candycanes.asp |
