Have A Honey Halloween

Fall has officially begun, and that means spooky season is around the corner. One of the most crucial measures is to make sure, there is enough candy around to be prepared for the trick-or-treaters on Halloween. However, store-bought candy and all its processed sugar is getting kind of a bad reputation – and honestly, it is also a little basic. Ever more people prefer natural, homemade sweets because they are a healthy and delicious alternative to standard candy. That is where you and your honey come in!

 

Whether it is Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, homemade candy is always a great way to make others happy and to show that you are not afraid to put in some work.

Luckily, beekeepers are at the source of creating healthy, nutritional sweets: honey. In contrast to processed sugars, honey has a lot to offer in terms of nutrients and antioxidants. It has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties as well as a natural sweetness that gives your body energy without plummeting into a sugar crash later. Thus, they are healthier, more natural snacks parents can give to their kids with a clean conscience.

 

Honey is an immensely versatile product. There are plenty of recipes revolving around it, with each being more delicious than the next. You can make hard candy, honey suckers, sponge toffee, or honey taffy (to name only a few). What is great about making honey candy is that you can have fun and be creative with the recipes. Herbs and flavors such as ginger or thyme go great with honey and complement its healthy properties. Plus, when you combine your honey candy with different flavors, you are sure to meet more people’s tastes.

If you want to make your honey Halloween candy even more fun and spooky, use Halloween-shaped molds! Imagine honey suckers in the form of pumpkins or hard candy shaped like little ghosts. Be careful to pick molds that can handle hot liquid, though. If you don’t have any of those around and don’t feel like buying them, you can simply pour the candy mixture on a parchment-lined baking dish or sheet pan. You can cut the mass into bite-sized pieces once it is all cold and dried.

Pro-tip: In case you don’t feel like getting into the baking and candy-making game, just take a couple of apples and pour your honey over them. This will make fantastic Halloween treats too.

 

Basic Equipment: Here’s What You Need to Make Your Candy

Now that you know what you can do with your honey, let’s look at the tools you need for it. The most important item in the process of candy making is a candy thermometer. You are going to need one of those no matter the type of candy you want to make. Temperature is one of the most crucial aspects of candy making. Just a few degrees too high, and your candy will be burnt.

Apart from the thermometer, parchment paper is your most essential tool in this enterprise. You will need it to put on your baking pan in case you don’t have any molds. Or to wrap your candies in so they will stay fresh and won’t stick together. For that specific purpose, you can also use waxed paper.

If you want to make lollipops, you will need something to stick them on. Lollipop sticks are the standard to go with. However, you could also use honey dippers to add that special something to your lollipops.

 

Promote Your Honey Candy to Your Community

Use the time leading up to Halloween to connect with your community and convince them of your homemade candy. Either start small and give it to your friends and family or ask your local supermarket if they are interested in a collaboration. Whichever strategy you choose, this kind of exposure will not only make people notice your delicious candy but also make them interested in the honey you made it from. Win-win!

And don’t worry if you can’t distribute all of your candy right away. Between Halloween and Christmas will also be a great time to promote your honey candy. For example, at the local farmer’s market. Especially with flu season on the horizon, honey hard candy or lozenges will be super popular. Plus, if people like the candy, encourage them to try making it themselves. That gives you an additional argument for selling your honey to them.

 

 

Of course, online spaces also offer manifold possibilities to get people to engage with your honey candy. Post your candy-making process on your social media, show your followers the final product, and organize a giveaway. These types of marketing efforts will give your reach an enormous boost and allow you to channel all your creative energies.

 

For those among you, who want to take your marketing game to the next level, we recommend including a recipe for self-made candy in a set with a jar of honey and a bag of sweets. You can sell this or make it an item of a giveaway too.

 

 

 

What to Take Away from This

Using your honey to make treats for Halloween (or any other holiday for that matter) is a creative, fun, and unique way to showcase your honey. Even if you are new to the topic, don’t fret! We have composed a little booklet of recipes for you to download with some standard honey candy recipes. On top of that, the internet is full to the brim with easy-to-make, delicious recipes. All you need, are a few basic instruments, your honey, and a little time and passion. Who knows, maybe you will discover a new hobby for yourself.

 

 

Sources:

“Honey Suckers and Candy.” Beeyond the Hive, 19 Apr. 2020, beeyondthehive.com/recipes/honey-suckers-and-candy/.  

“How to Create Homemade Honey Candy.” Food in Jars, 6 Dec. 2021, foodinjars.com/recipe/how-to-create-homemade-honey-candy/.

“How to Make Homemade Honey Lollipops Without Sugar.” At Home On The Prairie, 30 Dec. 2022, athomeontheprairie.com/homemade-honey-lollipops/.

“Pure Honey Taffy.” Instructables, Instructables, 15 Oct. 2017, www.instructables.com/Pure-Honey-Taffy/.

“Why Do We Celebrate Halloween?” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., www.britannica.com/story/why-do-we-celebrate-halloween. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.