# Candy corn mead



## Zintrigue (Apr 16, 2017)

I'm thinking ahead for Halloween, as it's a favorite holiday in this house. I tossed around various ideas for halloween themed drinks, but ultimately candy corn is the flavor that just says "Halloween" to us.

Seems like a mead would be the best way to go. My only experience thus far is wine making, so this will be a bit of a step outside my comfort zone.

I was thinking of making a "syrup" out of boiled candy corn and water and subbing some of that for the honey. Then back sweetening with the candy corn syrup toward the end. Of course, I'll follow the mead maker's corner to ensure my numbers are right.

Thoughts on this? I looked everywhere for a "recipe," but it looks like I'm on my own here. I'll do a one gallon batch to start.


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## Merrywine (Apr 16, 2017)

Of all the Halloween candy, I really hate candy corn. But, if you love it, it sounds as though your plan would work.


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## BernardSmith (Apr 16, 2017)

You might want to think about buying some inexpensive honey and boiling the honey in a slow cooker to make what is called a bochet. As the honey boils off the little water that is in the honey the honey gets darker and in fact caramelizes. Caramelized honey has all kinds of interesting flavors (marshmallow, for example) and aromas. The secret - in my opinion - is to carefully monitor this caramelization because if the honey becomes over cooked the dominant flavor is just bitter. You want the honey to become much darker but you don't want the honey to blacken (despite what some videos suggest on Youtube (sigh!) )

You also need to be very careful as honey even in a slow cooker can get very hot. VERY hot. (honey is not water and it boils at a much higher temperature - a temperature that most slow cookers will achieve) And the best way to stop the honey from cooking is to add water - if you add cold water it will immediately boil when it touches the hot surface and that can scald you so you need to add boiling water and you need to add the water carefully protecting your hands and face... BUT the difference that caramelized honey will make if you are adding caramelized sugars (from the candy) will be delightfully noticeable.


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## Zintrigue (Apr 16, 2017)

Merrywine said:


> Of all the Halloween candy, I really hate candy corn. But, if you love it, it sounds as though your plan would work.



People seem to either love it or hate it. Haha



BernardSmith said:


> You might want to think about buying some inexpensive honey and boiling the honey in a slow cooker to make what is called a bochet. As the honey boils off the little water that is in the honey the honey gets darker and in fact caramelizes. Caramelized honey has all kinds of interesting flavors (marshmallow, for example) and aromas. The secret - in my opinion - is to carefully monitor this caramelization because if the honey becomes over cooked the dominant flavor is just bitter. You want the honey to become much darker but you don't want the honey to blacken (despite what some videos suggest on Youtube (sigh!) )
> 
> You also need to be very careful as honey even in a slow cooker can get very hot. VERY hot. (honey is not water and it boils at a much higher temperature - a temperature that most slow cookers will achieve) And the best way to stop the honey from cooking is to add water - if you add cold water it will immediately boil when it touches the hot surface and that can scald you so you need to add boiling water and you need to add the water carefully protecting your hands and face... BUT the difference that caramelized honey will make if you are adding caramelized sugars (from the candy) will be delightfully noticeable.



Oh wow, I've never heard of this. Yes, I think that once you blacken most things then they are, in fact, just burnt. I'll look this bochet business up, as it sounds like it might compliment the candy corn idea well. Thanks


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## Mismost (Apr 16, 2017)

I think the candy corn will simply dissolve in a finished mead. I know Jolly Rancher candy will dissolve in wine....and it will still taste like Jolly Rancher candy....not I think that is a good thing, but I did try it ONCE.

Now those Red Hots candies in a dry cider are pretty good!

Try a few candy corns in a little mead and see how you like it....could be that simple. I think if you ferment, you will lose the candy corn flavor.


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## Zintrigue (Apr 16, 2017)

Mismost said:


> I think the candy corn will simply dissolve in a finished mead. I know Jolly Rancher candy will dissolve in wine....and it will still taste like Jolly Rancher candy....not I think that is a good thing, but I did try it ONCE.
> 
> Now those Red Hots candies in a dry cider are pretty good!
> 
> Try a few candy corns in a little mead and see how you like it....could be that simple. I think if you ferment, you will lose the candy corn flavor.



Hm... I never considered that candy corns might simply be that soluble. Maybe I'll see if I can find a mead in the store and drop a few candy corns in it to see what happens.


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## meadmaker1 (Apr 16, 2017)

Sugar corn syrup and wax?
Im certain it will ferment but im at a loss for what it will do for mead, other than sweeten it.
If the carnauba wax helps them hold up perhaps a hand full in a glass would have a festive look.
I suppose nothing ventured nothing gained.


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## Zintrigue (Apr 17, 2017)

meadmaker1 said:


> Sugar corn syrup and wax?
> Im certain it will ferment but im at a loss for what it will do for mead, other than sweeten it.
> If the carnauba wax helps them hold up perhaps a hand full in a glass would have a festive look.
> I suppose nothing ventured nothing gained.



Didn't think about the wax, haha

In the past I've made syrups out of the candy corn and made all sorts of things from that. It's a lovely orange color, and the flavor is distinct. I wonder if the wax would clear with the rest of the sediment? I know that candy corn (or any mellowcream, really) is honey based, so there's that... Hm. Good thing I'm only trying it on a one gallon batch, huh?


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## jas3019 (Apr 19, 2017)

While not entirely similar, I've made a skittles wine that's pretty good. The similarities in skittles vs candy corn is probably pretty great. I boiled the skittles then skimmed off all the waxy junk filler so all I had left was the sugar, flavor, and color. I would imagine you could do the same with candy corn and wouldn't have any worries about the wax or anything else in them.


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## Zintrigue (May 5, 2017)

So I embarked upon this weird experiment. I'll probably just end up using candy corn as a back sweetener, as the syrup didn't raise the SG too much, and the flavor wasn't strong enough to compete with the honey.

On the plus side I have a nice orange mead now, which will be great for Halloween.

I only have a few pics, sorry.

The first is the strange color just before I racked off the lees. Yes it's more than a gallon. I overshot...

The second is however much candy corn I had sitting around in a bag. Most of the syrup is in the fridge as we speak, so I don't feel that this is too important.

And the last is the yeast about to be pitched.

So far the flavor is very sour, still a bit sweet, and strongly alcohol. SG started at 1.112, last I checked it was at 1.030. Fun stuff.


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## Burton Kent (Apr 19, 2019)

And? How did it turn out?


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