American Hard Candy Making a Splash in the UK

Submitted By: Ben Greenwood
There are plenty of American foods and drinks that are making their way over to the UK and Europe, some with great success, others not so much. But without doubt the most successful transatlantic traveller has been American sweets, especially of the hard candy variety.
While the UK has a booming confectionary industry of its own, it does fall short in the hard candy department, so it’s little wonder that American candy is accepted so widely and with open arms. The range of types and flavours available is mind boggling. Let’s take a look at a few that are really selling well to the UK consumer market.
One of the most popular hard candies are Jolly Ranchers. These hard candies come in a bag containing a wide range of different flavours, including apple, blue raspberry, grape, cherry and even watermelon!
Jolly Ranchers also come in lollipops, increasing the size and appeal of the range. Again, the flavours are wonderfully diverse; apple, watermelon, cherry and pink lemonade!
Alongside Jolly Ranchers there are a host of other hard candies becoming more and more readily available in the UK. Wonka Nerds, Life Savers and Skittles are all American treats you can buy in the UK and Europe.
Skittles most people will have heard of as they have been manufactured and marketed in the UK for quite a few years. However, the American, original version offers the consumer something different – namely, flavours!
Skittles from the States come in Tropical, Wild Berry, Sour and mysterious Crazy Cores flavours. You won’t find those in the UK version, that’s for sure.
Wonka Nerds is a massive range in itself, but its foundation is tiny, tangy bits of hard candy in an even greater range of flavours than Skittles or Jolly Ranchers. These are just a taste of those flavours, there are many, many more!
Wild Cherry
Watermelon
Grape
Strawberry
Wild Berry
Lemonade
Sour
Wonka Nerds are generally packaged two flavours together in a kaleidoscope of colour and flavour combinations. The Wonka range includes other candies too, so if you’re after a one stop shop for American sweets, start there!
Life Savers are a little different, though they are firmly part of the hard candy range of sweets. They are very much like the Polo sweet in the UK in that they are round mints with a hole in the middle. However, the Americans have taken it to a whole new level with their colours and range of flavours. As well as the traditionally minty flavours such as Wint O Green, Spear O Mint and Pep O Mint there are Wild Cherry, Tropical, Watermelon, Pineapple, Raspberry, Orange and even, rather bizarrely, Butter Rum!
It’s clear the US is well ahead of the game when it comes to hard candy, not through the type of sweet so much as the sheer number of flavours they choose to make them in. It’s no wonder that the UK, Europe and other countries around the world are so keen to adopt them.

Published At: Isnare.com

How to Make Your Own Homemade Candy

Submitted By: J. Highland

Candies are like all time favorite treats. You can have them in almost any occasion and never stop giving delight to your guests’ sweet tooth. The sweet and flavorful sensation of candies never ceases to amaze children and adults alike. Candies are one of the best things you can offer for your guests in various occasions.
You can find candies in almost every corner of your home. In most cases, you can easily buy some in your local grocery or convenience stores. Buying candies is one thing but, making some on your own is a delightful and fun-learning experience everyone should try.
For most first-timers, the first time is always the hardest. Once you get a hang of it, everything else will come naturally. Making homemade candies is just like baking cakes in the oven. The first thing you need to do is decide on what type of candy or flavor you wish to make in your kitchen. You can look for candy recipes in books or on the internet for some flavorful choices. Once you have decided what particular candy you feel like making, then these simple and basic steps will follow:
1. Get the ingredients. Different recipes have different ingredients needed. So you should make sure that the candy recipe you have chosen has ingredients that can be easily bought in your local grocery stores. In most cases, you often see sugar, cocoa, fresh eggs, milk and butter on the list. In order to lessen your expenses, it is best to choose a recipe with the most number of ingredients that are already available in your kitchen. You also need some molders to achieve the desired shape for your candies. These shapes highlight your creativity in making candies.
2. Check you tools. Making your own candies means there will be a lot of mixing, stirring and beating required. To do these, you need to have at least a set of mixing bowls, a wire whisk, hand beater, rubber spatula and pastry blender. You also need to have the perfect measurements of your ingredients to achieve the desired taste for your treats so you’ll need some spoons and measuring cups.
3. Follow the given instructions one at a time and appropriately. Every candy making recipe has its own set of procedures. Just like in most algorithms, it is a step by step procedure. Avoid skipping one or a few steps. This may greatly affect the outcome of the whole cooking process.
4. Cook your candy mixture under the specified degree of heat. Also give high consideration on the required time it needs to be properly cooked.
5. Candies from the stove need to be given enough time to cool down. You should also make sure that you have platters already set.
Making homemade candies doesn’t require you to have a well experienced chef in your kitchen. You only need to have a good reference, a complete set of tools, and creative hands to do the whole package and make your own delicious candy treats.

Published At: Isnare.com

Healthy and Sweet Alternatives to Candy

Submitted By: J. Highland

Candy is something kids love to eat. We try to look for different kinds, but we usually fail to buy the healthy ones. There are actually healthy and sweet alternatives to candy which will surely be enjoyed by kids and all of us.
Why is candy unhealthy?
Some of us are addicted to candies. Over the years, candies have been one of the most common and popular snacks. Candy is often high in sugar and fat content, which causes obesity to not only kids but also adults. Nowadays, this problem is out of control. In United States, over 190 million people are obese or overweight and child obesity has tripled and continues to increase over the last three decades. The medical expenses for obesity are overwhelming and the burden is increasing every year. I have observed that other consumers’ grocery lists include unhealthy candies which make me sad knowing that it will eventually lower the life expectancy.
We wonder why we feel hungry so quickly after finishing 2 packs of candy. The reason for this is that the candies usually contain empty calories with no nutritional value. The ingredients usually include food coloring, all kinds of sugars (maltose, dextrin, dextrose and fructose), acid, artificial flavors and preservatives. Candy is not bad when eaten in moderation, but if you are addicted to it, you’re health is at risk.
What are the healthy and sweet alternatives?
Fruits are a healthy alternative and most people and kids love fruits too. Generally, fruits have high vitamins and low fat content. There is a wide variety to choose from depending on what you or your kids love. You can eat fruit by itself or you can fix a fruit salad as your snack.
Another alternative is fruit popsicles which will satisfy your sweet tooth. They are scrumptious and sweet, yet healthy and very light. They are easy to make. Just take fruit juice and pour it into an ice cube tray. Then freeze it for a few minutes, add a toothpick in the middle, and freeze some more. Once frozen, take it and serve when needed. You will surely enjoy this quick healthy treat.
The next alternative is dried fruits. They might not have as much vitamins as the fresh fruits but they have a substantial amount of fiber. You can choose from raisins, prunes, dried apricots, dried apples, dried mangoes, etc.
The last alternative that’s recommended for a healthy lifestyle is a homemade energy bar. The ingredients include: peanuts, sunflower seed kernels, raisins, uncooked oatmeal, toasted rice cereal, peanut butter, small amount of brown sugar, a little bit of corn syrup and a teaspoon of vanilla. Mix the peanuts, sunflower seeds, raisins, oatmeal and rice cereal. Then on the other bowl, mix brown sugar, peanut butter and corn syrup, and then microwave them. Take them out form the microwave, add vanilla and then pour on the dry the ingredients. Stir them until it is coated well. And then pour in the pan and set it on the table for an hour and you are done.
These healthy alternatives will surely change your lifestyle to healthy and better living.

Published At: Isnare.com